The racism that Blacks suffer from in American society is literally sewn into the fabric of the country. For over 400 years, when Blacks were brought to this country as slaves, the violence perpetrated on them had been inhuman. The end of slavery was supposed to be a turning point in American culture where Blacks were supposed to begin being treated as equals. It never happened.
Then came the civil rights movement. Blacks, again, were promised things would be different. They did make considerable gains during this period despite efforts to hold them back. But not enough.
It’s now 2023. Blacks have been free for over 200 years. The civil rights movement is over 50 years old. Blacks have never been in a better position in society. They hold top political positions. They run some of the world’s largest companies. They are more educated than at any point in history. Yet, if you ask the average Black person how they feel, you’ll get the same answer as in 1960. How is that possible?
The answer to that question is all around, hiding in plain sight. But it’s not lurking beneath the surface, it smacks Black people in the face every chance it gets. Blacks understand that the election of President Donald Trump was a course correction based on the Election of President Barack Obama. But things have gotten to the point where Blacks are losing some of the freedoms they once enjoyed.
This is the course correction: Black history being pulled from schools, election laws reducing the Black vote, affirmative action no longer protected, Roe vs. Wade overturned, and finally police brutality is socially accepted among society so much so that Blacks have to teach their children how to survive it.
These corrections could have been eliminated if Blacks had simply never integrated into the American culture.
Separate but equal was a way of life for the Negro during the early part of the late 1800s into the 1900s. Blacks had their own banks, their own doctors, and their own communities. If the two races interacted, Black people used their own water fountains and bathrooms. Blacks had their own restaurants and schools, and when traveling, they had their hotels.
Their communities were whole. The doctor lived next door to the plumber. The Black family was the backbone of the community, and the church was the backbone of the Black family. The Black community flourished due to neighbors being responsible for neighbors. Because the educated lived in the same community as the uneducated, everyone mattered.
There was no ghetto. Pride was taken for the entire community because everyone lived together. Respect was paramount because they only had each other to rely on. Everyone knew each other. You could not create problems in this community because they policed themselves.
Blacks even had their own sports leagues. Since they weren’t allowed to play sports with whites, they formed their own sports franchises. They traveled and played each other and stayed in Black homes and hotels when they played in different cities.
The music market was Black, too. Blacks played music in Black-owned establishments. They traveled on what was called the chitlin’ circuit and they played to crowds in each city. The Green Book was used to help Blacks understand where to stay when they traveled. The Green Book was literally a book that highlighted different places that were Negro-friendly.
During World War II Japanese Americans were imprisoned in camps to due Japan attacking America. After the war ended, America gave each Japanese person who had been imprisoned $52,000 as reparations for what the country had done to them.
Blacks often wonder how life would be if Blacks got any reparations for being enslaved for over 400 years. There was once talk of Blacks getting 40 acres and a mule as reparation. But that never happened. Today, one can only wonder about the value of what would be owed if Blacks did get any compensation to right the wrongs of slavery. Black desegregated communities would have thrived with that kind of stimulus. Integrated communities of color would thrive from an economic boon, but one can only wonder how the money would be used.
What if Blacks hadn’t integrated? What would life be like in 2023?
The Black community influences trends all over the world. Blacks are responsible for the latest fashions, music, movies, and culture. Those influences impact the global economy. The Black community would be directly impacted by the increase of revenue staying in the Black community.
Life today would include major sports teams owned, managed, and played for Blacks only. The music industry would have Black-owned labels, playing music on Black-owned stations. The music would reflect the community, instead of the music that is made in poor taste today.
The businesses of the Black community would be owned and run by Blacks. To sum it up, the Black dollar would stay in the Black community, thus making the entire race stronger more interdependent, and self-reliant instead of letting billions of dollars slip out of the Black community annually.
The transfer of wealth would remain in the Black community because the children of older Blacks would understand and create wealth better than they do today. And finally, there would be less violence in the Black community because Blacks would do a better job of treating each other with respect.
These examples of how the Black community would have benefited from never having integrated leaves one final question: How would Blacks be treated by white people when they left their Black communities?
Would they be able to go about life when they are in areas where the two races intersect? If Blacks shopped in white areas, would they be followed? Would they be allowed to walk around freely without intimidation and being profiled? Would they be stopped and harassed for doing everyday simple things like driving?
Which life would you choose? A life where you are harassed outside of your community, but once you get back you have wealth, respect, and peace? Or a life where you still struggle for equality, you quite often are isolated and must deal with bias on a daily basis? One can only imagine how life would be in a segregated America. ●
