Racism

Racism The history of the United States is one of duality. In the words of the Declaration of Independence, our nation was founded on the principles of equality in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, long before the founders of the newly declared state met in Philadelphia to espouse the virtues of self-determination and freedom that would dubiously provide a basis for a secessionary war, those same virtues were trampled upon and swept away with little regard. Beneath the shining beacon of freedom that signaled the formation of the United States of America was a shadow of deception and duplicity that was essential in creating the state. The HSS 280 class lexicon defines duality as “a social system that results from a worldview which accepts inherent contradictions as reasonable because this is to the believer’s benefit.” The early years of what would become the United States was characterized by a system of duality that subjugated and exterminated peoples for the benefit of the oppressors. This pattern of duality, interwoven into our culture, has created an dangerously racialized society. From the first moment a colonist landed on these shores, truths that were “self-evident” were contingent on subjective “interpretation.” This discretionary application of rights and freedoms is the foundation upon which our racially stratified racism, chinese, states, united, rights, english, system, native, americans, society, institutional, africans, smith, race, provided, north, economic, colonists, affirmative, address, white, puerto, people, one, land, civil, british, american, america, right, privilege, early, duality, capitalism, african-american, action