During the inauguration of President Joe Biden, he introduced us to the poet Amanda Gorman, which catapulted her and her amazing talent to new heights. Overnight, Ms. Gorman became a sensational phenom that many people around the world embraced with affection and admiration. But like every story, there is always another story that lurks behind that many people don’t realize or ignore. Amanda Gorman represents everything White Supremacists fear and hate. Her intellect, her talents, and her beauty, indirectly, neutralize the word “supremacist” in those little white racist minds. Gorman, to those scoundrels, is testimony that they are neither supremacist, nor worthy of their self-titled folly.
Recently, news broke out that a white security guard tailed her at night as she headed to her house. In doing so, the mindless ignorant perpetuated a fact about how much black people endure just for being black. Even when they accomplish far more than any white person would ever accomplish, some white people embedded racism is too much to overcome.
Their fear of Amanda Gorman uncovers a truth: Black Americans, if given the chance, can not only succeed and prosper, but can also surpass the contributions of white America.
HOW MANY GORMANS HAS AMERICA LOST
I cannot but reflect on an idea that spans the centuries of this country’s history. How many Amanda Gormans has America lost because of racism? How many Amanda Gormans, who could have been writers, artists, doctors, or scientists, have we lost as a country because of slavery? Instead of writing the history of their accomplishments, the Gormans of the past languished in slave labor unable to contribute to this country’s prosperity. This is, in my opinion, the real tragedy of racism. It kills hopes and talents, and it kills potential and merit. All because some white person deems their actions to be justified because of hate or fear.
America has lost so much because of its racist roots, and continues to waste much today because of the small-mindedness of people like Senator Ron Johnson who probably could not muster a rhyming couplet, let alone logically explain his hate of proud black Americans. Their fear of Amanda Gorman uncovers a truth: Black Americans, if given the chance, can not only succeed and prosper, but can also surpass the contributions of white America. That, ladies and gentlemen, strikes fear in the hearts of White Supremacists who cannot muster the notion that a black person can achieve more than a white person can.
Just imagine all those literary novels that have never been written, or the sculptors that shined in the minds of their artists never to be chiseled, or the laboratory achievements that never saw the light of day. Imagine how much America wasted of its human treasure because of racism.
Racism has cost our nation $16 trillion in 20 years. That’s $800 Billion a year.
ERADICATING RACISM MAKES AMERICA GREATER
Here is an eye opener that White Supremacists could not even come close to understand. Last year, Adedayo Akala wrote an article for NPR, in which he cites a study by Citigroup.
Racism has cost our nation $16 trillion in 20 years. That’s $800 Billion a year. But hey, don’t tell that to all the racists in this country or the White Supremacists who fear and hate Amanda Gorman because she represents a threat to their “supremacy”. They would probably dispute it, ignore it, or call it fake. They cannot help themselves because their gray matter flowing has been oxygenated by beer and gun powder.
Eradicating racism starts with education. Better education for the black communities in this country to expose their talents to the world, and better education to the racist whites in the deep south to explain what shooting one’s foot means.