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Author’s Introduction
History is important. We have all heard the saying “those who do not learn from their history are doomed to repeat it”. When we look at history, we must have respect for it and learn from those mistakes. And in an era where the U.S. is banning books that teach the reality of Black and Jewish history, we have to worry about repeating history. A mentor of mine who recently passed away, in the six months I knew him, caused me to have a paradigm shift – a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions- on my views of self care and my image of who I wanted to be. One paradigm shift he caused me to have is one I hope this article will instill in you too: it’s not just about not repeating history; it’s about changing so it won’t occur again.
We often hear the definition of insanity is repeating the same things and expecting different results; but, then why does America consistently resist change, instead embracing the same structural racism it so desperately wants to distance itself from. But it is impossible for America to heal from its generational traumas if it doesn’t discuss them; if we live in denial; if we consistently do the same things, yet are somehow surprised when we have the same results.
In an era where comments (comment # 6, March 23, 2021) are posted in forums that until the movie Watchmen came out, many had never heard of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, things must change. In today’s article, you will find many parallels from 100 years ago to today, from a pandemic to a war to a labor shortage and massacres of Black communities- and I will leave it up to you, reader, to decide if America is repeating the same mistakes. For America to dismantle structural racism, America has to decide to take accountability, process its trauma as a nation, and CHANGE.
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