Thread by @mansoortshams

Rarely do this but I’ve transcribed this clip word for word because it’s too powerful not to. It’s a heart to heart. Watch or read if easier. @esglaude

“America is not unique in its sins as a country. We’re not unique in our evils to be honest with you.

I think where we may be singular is our refusal to acknowledge them and the legends and myths we tell about our inherent goodness to hide, cover and conceal so we can maintain a willful ignorance that protects our innocence.

See the thing is. When the Tea Party was happening we were saying, pundits, oh it’s just about economic populous — it’s not about race.

When people knew, people knew, social scientists were already writing that what was driving the Tea Party was anxiety about demographic shifts, that the country was changing. And that they were seeing racially ambiguous babies on Cheerios commercials.

That the country wasn’t quite feeling like it was a White Nation anymore. And people were screaming at the top of their lungs, yo this is not just simply economic populism, this is the ugly underbelly of the country. See the thing is and I’ll say this and I’ll take the hit on it.

Their are communities that have had to bare the brunt of America confronting, White America confronting the danger of their innocence. And it happens every generation. So somehow we have to, oh my God, is this who we are? And just again here’s another generation of babies.

Think about it. The two year old had his bones broken by two parents trying to shield him from being killed. A woman who has been married to this man as long as I’ve been on this planet, almost lost her husband. For what?

And so what we know is the country’s been playing politics for a long time on this hatred. We know this. So its easy for us to place it all on Donald Trump’s shoulders.

Its easy for us to put Pittsburg on his shoulders. Its easy for me to place Charlottesville on his shoulders. Its easy for us to put El Paso on his shoulders. This is us! And if we’re going to get past this we cant blame it on him. He’s a manifestation that is the ugliness in us!

I’ve had the privilege of growing up in a tradition that didn’t believe in the myths and legends because we had to bare the brunt of them. Either we’re going to change, Nicole, or we’re going to this again and again.

And babies are going to grow up without mothers and fathers, uncles, aunts, friends — while we’re trying to convince White folk to finally leave behind a history that will maybe, maybe, or embrace a history that might set them free from being White, finally! End/