By Ray Cardello for February 5, 2024, Season 24 / Post 32

I have often opined that I feel there are groups of people who foment the belief the country is ripe with systemic racism. They do this for power, relevance, and, of course, money. I always point to the Rev. Al Sharpton as proof of my theory. There has never been an incident involving people of different colors that the Reverend did not insert himself into the middle of. It is the sole issue that keeps him in the public eye, for without Racism, Al would be another talking head hiding on MSNBC. Jesse Jackson drew the blueprint for Sharpton to follow, but Sharpton never ran for President as Jackson had. Black Lives Matter has proven to be a money laundering pyramid scheme, but the Department of Education maintains its support of BLM, and BLM reciprocates. Their mutual efforts keep both relevant in their eyes.

Every February, all of these groups and individuals band together to convince Blacks, Browns, and Reds they are oppressed and Whites that they are the oppressors. They use media and classrooms to push their agenda and work tirelessly to convince the current generation of students that the country was built unfairly on the backs of people of color, remains systemically racist, and that all White people are supremacists by heritage. This message is untrue, unfair, and unsafe for White students who bear no responsibility for the actions of their ancestors. I remember the feelings of guilt I had as a child, being of German heritage. Whenever WWII, Hitler, or the Holocaust was discussed in school, I had feelings of responsibility. I grew out of this state, but it influenced me greatly. This is the guilt that is being exerted on our caucasian children. They do not deserve it, and it is unfair to subject them to it. Children are not born racist. They do not see color as an issue. They may be taught to see the differences in a person’s skin color by their parents, friends, educators, or society. This exposure and education of racism is what I see happening in our schools and media during Black History Month.

When doing some research for this article, I came across the following:

The Center for Racial Justice in Education website contains a subsite called: A RACIAL JUSTICE GUIDE TO THE WINTER HOLIDAY SEASON. The following is just one of the segments.

Christian Privilege, Hegemony, and the Winter Holiday Season:

• 5 Ways Christian Privilege Shows Up During the Winter Holiday Season – Miri Mogilevsky
• 30+ Examples of Christian Privilege – Sam Killermann
• Don’t Believe in Christian Privilege? These 15 Examples Will Leave No Doubt – Maisha Z. Johnson

I confess I had to look up hegemony and found:

hegemony

he·?ge·?mo·?ny hi-?je-m?-n?  

1

: preponderant influence or authority over others: DOMINATION

battled for hegemony in Asia

2

: the social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group

They took a season of joy that belongs to no particular race or color and turned it into a study of White Supremacy. Even our President takes frequent opportunities to rally his core by touting his perception that America, and specifically the Republicans, are systemically racist and filled with white supremacists. This is a dangerous message coming from our leader and a person who says he was elected to unify us. Talk and lessons like these are pure evil and divisive. They do not belong in our schools or culture. Singling out groups to celebrate them, such as Black History Month or Gay Pride Month, has the reverse effect of their intent. Or, as is the case of the Reverend Sharpton or Joe Biden, maybe creating issues and division is their true intent. It all comes down to power, money, and relevance.