Lincoln is Not Pro-Negro.

I’m going to assume anyone reading this already understands that former President Abraham Lincoln, known as the person who ‘freed the slaves’, actually did not care about the plight of the Blacks in this country. He entirely only cared about maintaining the Union, and the reaffirmation of government power over state officials. To assist those who are not quite sold on Lincoln’s impartialness to the enslaved population in this country, “I am not, nor never have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races. I am not, nor never have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negros, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people, and I will say, in addition to this, that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality.” This was stated by Abraham Lincoln in Charleston, Illinois, on September 18th, 1858.

His exact words vividly depicting his exact stance on race issues in America. I can remember the teachings of my New York State education, the white savior imagery depicted by my teachers, the pride and respect I was told I should have for President Abraham Lincoln. This man was even at a point in time one of my favorite historical presidents. The gaps in the American education system are conveniently placed during time periods of American wrongdoing, such as slavery, the genocide of Native Americans and Blacks, internment camps for the Japanese population, intervention in the Caribbean and South American states, etc.

Why are America’s worst moments summated in one page in our history textbooks and America’s most prideful moments dragged out? This not only speaks to the narcissistic nature of this country, but this unspoken fear that our government has. Fear that if the American people knew the whole truth of our history, nationalism would strictly be something that white supremacists hold.

America’s refusal to own and retell fully the mistakes of the past, is in the same breath America not growing and moving past those same mistakes.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana, a Spanish-American philosopher.

So, no, slavery wasn’t so long ago it is literally and theoretically still occurring.

No, we haven’t come far we are still where we were at when we were chained to one another, packed onto a boat, and shipped to the America’s as if we were cargo.

No, we do not have equality or the same opportunities because we are still seen as three fifths of a human being.