STAY WOKE SERIES:

This is “Good Tea”

Submitted by: Sandra F. Beckard,SON Writer

Huntsville, AL…”Racism Is So American That When You Protest It, People Think You Are Protesting America.” These are the words that I saw on a T-Shirt. This phrase introduces the first “known” racist person to occupy The White House.

In the East Room, on February 18, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson, members of his family, and members of his Cabinet  attended the showing of the movie Birth of a Nation  which is regarded as one of the most offensive films ever made. Titled The Clansman for its first month of release, the film provides a highly “subjective” history of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. This racist propaganda portrayed the emancipated slaves as heathens, unworthy of being free, uncivilized, and primarily concerned with passing laws so they could marry white women and prey on them. (Hide Your Wives, Hide Your Children!) After viewing this movie, Wilson said “It is like writing history with Lighting. And my only regret is that it is so terribly true.” 

The movie portrayed blacks in political office as fools. Such as one member taking off his shoe and putting his feet on his desk and others drinking liquor and eating fried chicken (these were white actors in black face) and the KKK as heroes. On Election Day blacks would find armed Klansmen outside their homes where they are intimidated into not voting.

Like Wilson, the individual who currently occupies the White House and members of the GOP uses political ads suggesting that people of color should be feared. Along with other tactics to sabotage the democracy of the country to gain power, they convince members of their party they have their best interest at heart.

Former President Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) a Democrat from TX, was once asked why poor, white Republicans repeatedly vote against their own best interests, this was his response: “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better that the best colored man, he won’t know you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him someone to look down on and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”

The Next “Stay Woke: This is “Good Tea” – Do Not Trust the Polls You Must Vote!