“Blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in endowments both of body, and mind……When freed he is to be removed beyond the reach of mixture.”
-Thomas Jefferson 1787
Necessity is the mother of invention. Great things come out of need. The same can be said however about some of the most heinous inventions of all time, nuclear weapons for example. Racism is one of those horrible inventions bred out of necessity. It seems almost unimaginable that there was a time when race meant less. A time when circumstances were the primary mode of stratification. Unfathomable it is, that people of similar circumstance worked together for common goals, with visual congruity being insignificant in accomplishing those objectives. But men of elevated circumstance have always had eyes upon that which threatens their artificial dominance, financial, and otherwise. But, cooperation could be the single most powerful weapon that exists on the face of the earth. The military, for example, a force that can act with unmatched effectiveness through their internal cooperation. It is of no matter how well they are outfitted because without cooperation their sophisticated weapons are useless. Without cooperation across borders, and races, and socioeconomic tracks, progress will evade us at every opportunity. We all want something to change, and the only way for us to bring about that change is to see through the artificially created barriers that stand in our way so that we can stand together and demand change.
Racism, a product of the architects of our country understanding the immense power and simplicity of working together. It was for this reason that artificial divisions were created between people of similar circumstance. A policy that over the past two centuries has evolved into what we now know as racism. These simple policies enacted centuries ago have grown upon the people like coral. Actions that are inherently foreign to the spirit of human beings have become a part of us like that with which we were birthed.
“What made Bacon’s Rebellion especially fearsome for the rulers of Virginia was that black slaves and white servants joined forces.”
Looking back to the future, we can point to a clear tipping point of our modern day artificially engineered race relations. Bacon’s Rebellion provides us with a historical example of cooperation among people of similar circumstance. Bacon, a disgruntled settler was presented with an opportunity, coupled with an unwavering desire to get his way. It is significant that not just blacks, but “Virginians of all classes” banded together in Bacon’s Rebellion. This was especially unsettling to colonists, regardless of the racial distinctions. Colonists knew not only racial, but more substantial class divides would need to be instituted to limit such cohesion. In Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of The United States”, he highlights the colonist fear of interracial cohesion.
“It was the potential combination of poor whites and blacks that caused the most fear among the wealthy white planters. If there had been the natural racial repugnance that some theorists have assumed, control would have been easier.”
But it was not easy to divide people who saw each other as similar. During this brutally oppressive time for even free men, arguably oppressed by the crown, knowing who was on your side was vital. It would be naive to believe that race was invisible. Sexual desire, friendship, loyalty, trust, freedom, these trumped race. Commonality and kindness grew friendship and cooperation regardless of race. A lesson for us here in modern times. Benjamin Banneker, a free black Almanac Author of the late 1700’s is aware of the deceitful social engineering of the time and goes so far as to call out Thomas Jefferson. “I apprehend you will embrace every opportunity, to eradicate that train of absurd and false ideas and opinions.” As many clear-headed people of the time did. Mainly those not driven by vested interests.
Does race matter? It does matter. It sho