By Vernalee
Yesterday as we shockingly and sadly watched the attempt on our nation’s Capital being seized, we also saw the crowd of White protestors being treated differently than the treatment previously shown to protestors who were primarily Black. Yes, that’s right! With our own eyes glued to the network channels, CNN, or MSNBC, we saw America up close and personal on January 6, 2021. With that as a back drop, let’s travel back in history for a brief moment.
This country was purportedly founded upon a doctrine of fairness. Historical evidence shows us that the Founding Fathers - (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison to name a few) who wrote in the Declaration of Independence that "we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal," were themselves slave holders. So there were two shades of America then ... and there are two shades now- Black and White. Equality, diversity, access, equity, and inclusion are the ingredients to leveling the playing field. How we treat citizens including those who protest should be no different based upon the color of their skin. Fairness in all aspects of treatment is the foundation of democracy. Until this is accomplished, it will unfortunately be as Langston wrote.