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"The single largest grouping of people who are descendants of slaveholders is African Americans because of the institutionalization of rape of Black Women during slavery. Most Black Americans could say we're descendants of slaveholders." ~@jelani9 on @TheBeatWithAri w/ @AriMelber
It is obscene for @senatemajldr to compare himself to Barack Obama with respect to descendants of slaveholders. The foundation of the question of reparations is to repair the damage that was done, beginning there & passing down through successive generations. ~@jelani9 #TheBeat
It is obscene inversion of a very traumatic and morally troubling aspect of American history. Barack Obama has inherited race as a headwind; something that had to be navigated in his life. MitchMcConnell has inherited a tailwind. ~@jelani9 on McConnell comparing himself to Obama
We don't understand the present w/o talking about history. The present is the product of the past. We don't have any problem with that as it pertains to things we think are virtuous in this country: hallmarks of American democracy that we show to the rest of the world. ~@jelani9
In that case, the past is perfect. But when we talk about the ugly legacy of this country, its foundational sin of exploiting Africans & nearly exterminating the indigenous population that became the basis of the oldest Constitutional democracy, people won't discuss. ~@jelani9
Democracy in this country is younger than the actual Constitution. You cannot have a democracy when the majority of the population is disfranchised. ~@jelani9 on @TheBeatWithAri w/ @AriMelber
