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Sixteen: Confederacy
The Civil War is likely the most obvious episode in our struggle with Racism. As little as we are taught about so many other pieces of the legacy of slavery, we know and still tour battlefields. We have a lot of towns and landmarks named after the heroes of that war.
There were two sides in our Civil War. The Confederacy—also known as the Confederate States of America--that unsuccessfully tried to form their own country flew their own flags during the war. Images that repeat elements of these flags can be a source of pride to some people with Southern heritage. Blacks and some Northerners see the flag images as representing continued pride in a horrific legacy and ongoing support of oppression towards Black people.
What symbols of your heritage are important to you? Are there any that signify tragedy? Maybe your family lost men in World War II, and you know where they died? Or maybe your family was persecuted on religious grounds in Europe? Or did your family live under a totalitarian regime?
Everyone is familiar with the atrocities perpetrated against Jewish population in Europe during the early 20th century. The Nazi regime in Germany had several symbols that represented their oppression. These symbols persist today and offend not only the descendants of the holocaust victims and survivors, but other caring individuals as well. What do you think people who use those symbols today are feeling? What could be so important to them that they insist on causing others so much pain?
Your practice today is to think about the symbols in your life that you cherish or worship. What would life be like without them? And then think about what symbols you shun as reminders of tragedies that you or your ancestors endured. What would it be like to look out the window at a flag with that symbol? Would you feel safe or welcomed? Have you ever used a Confederate flag image in clothing or decorations? Do you consider it part of your own heritage? Do you feel it represents oppression or merely an area of the nation that you love?
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By Edie Milligan DriskillThe Civil War is likely the most obvious episode in our struggle with Racism. As little as we are taught about so many other pieces of the legacy of slavery, we know and still tour battlefields. We have a lot of towns and landmarks named after the heroes of that war.
There were two sides in our Civil War. The Confederacy—also known as the Confederate States of America--that unsuccessfully tried to form their own country flew their own flags during the war. Images that repeat elements of these flags can be a source of pride to some people with Southern heritage. Blacks and some Northerners see the flag images as representing continued pride in a horrific legacy and ongoing support of oppression towards Black people.
What symbols of your heritage are important to you? Are there any that signify tragedy? Maybe your family lost men in World War II, and you know where they died? Or maybe your family was persecuted on religious grounds in Europe? Or did your family live under a totalitarian regime?
Everyone is familiar with the atrocities perpetrated against Jewish population in Europe during the early 20th century. The Nazi regime in Germany had several symbols that represented their oppression. These symbols persist today and offend not only the descendants of the holocaust victims and survivors, but other caring individuals as well. What do you think people who use those symbols today are feeling? What could be so important to them that they insist on causing others so much pain?
Your practice today is to think about the symbols in your life that you cherish or worship. What would life be like without them? And then think about what symbols you shun as reminders of tragedies that you or your ancestors endured. What would it be like to look out the window at a flag with that symbol? Would you feel safe or welcomed? Have you ever used a Confederate flag image in clothing or decorations? Do you consider it part of your own heritage? Do you feel it represents oppression or merely an area of the nation that you love?