SLAVERY IS ‘OUR ISSUE’ TO RESOLVE

SLAVERY IS ‘OUR ISSUE’ TO RESOLVE
‘What is a guy like you doing writing a book about Frederick Douglass?’
This person asked me.
I was shocked. I had never thought about that before.
I spent five years writing this book and not once did I ask myself that
question.
It never occurred to me that people would find it unusual for a ‘white’ guy
born in Austin, Texas of Lebanese descent to be writing a book about Frederick
Douglass.
Though I am not African American can’t I write a book about injustice and
this evil scourge on our history that no one seems comfortable talking about?
The reason is simple: I find the history of how we enslaved people to be a
horrific stain on America’s soul – if country’s have them – a tragic part of our
country's history and I don't think we've ever come to grips with it.
In his defense, the guy did not know at the time that The Hunt for Fredrick
Douglass is a story told from the perspective of the Texas Ranger, not
Frederick Douglass.
That seemed to make the person feel better.
Besides, it was not a conscious idea to write a book about Frederick
Douglass.
I was forced to write it by an idea that came to me in such a bizarre way I
knew I had to pay attention. I listened to that intuitive knock on the door of
my imagination that reached across dimensions to see if anyone was
listening.
I was.
Before then, I had very little awareness or memory of who Frederick
Douglass even was.
Except for a brief lesson in eighth grade social studies class, I barely
remembered anything at all about the great man.
Back then, I could not see.
But now I can.
I can see that the history of slavery, is the history of America.
And the history of America, is the history of slavery.
It is a painful thing for us to admit. But it is true.
It is ‘our history’. Our shared history.
And until you acknowledge your mistakes you cannot process them
and this country’s slavery-dependent past is something I have a hard time
processing.
How could the people who wrote ‘all men are created equal’ simultaneously
be building an economy based on slavery?
I have no answer other than to conclude that we need to come to grips with
it.

It is our history.
All of us.
Regardless of race or gender or preference.
Let’s explore the American history with slavery as just a small, first step in
addressing the
stench, shame, horror and resulting systemic injustice left by America’s slave
dependent past.
We need anti-racism education.
We need to make reparations on financial, social, educational
encouragement and accessibility.
We need to embrace our history.
Our united American history.
So we can come clean with God
and come clean with our country’s sacred soul’s past
and move forward without stepping into the same holes again.