Forgetting is not an option, and so remembrance becomes the reality. In our discussion Elizabeth Cole brought up the race riots of Tulsa in the 1920s in Oklahoma, even though it was not long ago, it is almost forgotten among certain groups. An interesting point came up that it is important to remember history so the past histories are not repeated.
We also talked about the importance of commemoration in remembering history. We watched the movie “Lynching in America” by Eji of past lynching of black Americans. Brian Stevenson in this project has collected soil from lynching sites to not let the history be forgotten.
This project seems like a good first step in remembering the history and remembering what happened. But the reconciliation process needs much more than that. It is not easy to reconcile when there is accumulated victimization by denial of such events.
Lynching in America: https://youtu.be/3BWTh4p6QEk
In our discussion of denial, Lorna pointed out to an interesting issue that denial is the use of force and power to suppress victims and so making it worst for victims in the reconciliation process. When there is a denial of past, for reconciliation, a structural transformation is necessary.
Humanity has come along way, but we look back and cringe at past terrible events like lynching or genocides of not long ago. We get angry and uncomfortable. Will we look back at this time and get uncomfortable to all the unjust and ugliness happening in today’s world?
