Let’s Stop Gaslighting Future Generations

Did you know that the day now known as ‘Memorial Day’ in the United States, was in fact originally a day created by enslaved Black people as a means to celebrate Black liberation and honour the Black soldiers who had died in the Civil War?

Originally known as ‘Decoration Day’, this day characterized the struggle for Black emancipation and the ongoing fight against racism. Yet - much like soooooo many other points in history, both ancient and modern - this original day/movement was co-opted and whitewashed into something palatable for white people. **Hey guys, Jesus is on line 1 📞**

Now, we are not blaming anyone for not knowing Memorial Day’s original origin - chances are you were never taught it! Yet now that you do know the history and origin, what are you going to do with that information?

There has been a palpable drop-off in people talking about systemic racism and the very real notion of white supremacy, with conservative pundits and influencers playing bingo with their reactionary talking points. “Identity politics”, “virtue signalling”, “white supremacy boogie man” - BINGO, Janice yells!

Yet the realities of historically-caused systemic oppression have not diminished - even if some people’s vigour for justice has been (hopefully temporarily) hijacked. If we do not deal in whole truths and allow instruction from our past to dictate our future, then we will just continue to perpetuate the same regressive and oppressive shit, forever.

To our wonderful, progressivist community: let’s give our future generations the leg-up we perhaps did not receive and commit to teaching them accurate, objective history and the real-time repercussions of these events. After all, it was the delusional avoidance of our recent past that has left that same future generation with climate change. So let’s stop pretending they’re incapable of managing truth - it is insulting and patronising - and instead support them with instruments for progressive betterment and change.