Much has been documented about the American past, the racial abuse, slavery, among other human injustices. Nevertheless, when we revisit the country's history, we proudly talk about the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence, and the Civil Rights Movement. Behind these historical moments lay years of torment, racial abuse, moral debt, and economic injustices done upon generations and generations of the American subtribes. As the country marks centuries of liberation, justice, and freedom, experts believe that this is when Americans need to reconcile the ugly past (Bilali & Mahmoud, 2017). Reviewing historical moments where the country made significant choices in implementing policies and practices that promoted equality among all citizens, questions of their progress still linger. Why is the U.S cruel past so painful to discuss? Are there any reparations considered so far? If not, what alternatives should the country take to promote truth and reconciliation? This paper argues that the reconciliation of the American past begins from the grassroots up, incorporating community-based approaches and initiatives.
There is a significant increase in Americans raising their voices to create awareness over a growing epidemic of racial injustices, exposing how deep-rooted these injustices go. Past events that had defined the U.S and its stand on human rights and abuse have remained rooted among its people, with some cases of injustices still being experienced today. Abroad, the U.S is busy fighting the war on human rights abuse. Yet, the same nation cannot resolve the underlying causes of racial violence within its borders. Past injustices, lynching, and other inhumane atrocities done in the previous decades are still being practiced in today's racialized communities, including capital punishment, terror lynching, and police brutalities. Social movements such as the Black Lives Matter, among other contemporary civil protests, denote a heightened urgency to reconcile past mistakes with present human rights. At this stage, the country does not have a truth and reconciliation body to officiate reconciliation programs and policies. Unlike other countries, the cries for justice, freedom, and liberty are spearheaded by people from the grassroots.
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Arguably, reconciling a nation's past is more challenging and dangerous. While there has been progress in promoting human rights, some of the U.S policies present an ever-lasting challenge on human injustices. According to Carter (2012), America's violations of human rights in foreign soil leaves a lot to be desired. Moreover, state laws overlook the unlawful detention of persons from different ethnic backgrounds. Such injustices and policies drag the reconciliation process behind, fueling more violence and stigmatization in a country where "freedom," "liberty," and "justice" are upheld. For instance, drone attacks continue to buzz on the international scene, with America claiming that they are hunting terrorists. However, these attacks have claimed many innocent lives, with the country further claiming that these are inevitable circumstances. Are these not human beings? Don't these actions go against human rights? The country's present policies and actions leave more questions than answers. There is no justification for such actions.
Moving away from the past human injustices, America must first accept its past mistakes and their consequences. Until then, will the country write off its wrongs and build upon a social and economic system crafted from suppression and human injustices. As noted earlier, America's policies violate international human rights, creating a rift between different nations. Yet, the U.S should be at the forefront of strengthening the basic human laws and those stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Psaltis et al. (2017) assert that policymakers and top-level government officials should be bold and honest when engaging in conversations that address issues of inequality, freedom, and human rights. Reconciliation involves telling the truth and encompassing actions that address issues of racial injustices and human rights abuse. Forging new frontiers will depend on the mutual agreement and recognition of one's human rights and place within American society.
Concerned citizens must put more pressure on the government to practice moral leadership that befits the international human rights and norms adopted within the grassroots level (Carter, 2012). Americans must accept that achieving social justice, freedom, and liberty requires a collective approach from everyone. People need to realize that their actions today will influence future generations. Racism and acts of violence towards Black Americans will never stop if the reconciliation process does not incorporate each person (Bilali & Mahmoud, 2017). Moreover, the racial wealth gap continues to create a rift among the American culture's different factions. Initial policies and practices were implemented to benefit the white population, leading to the racial wealth gap. Americans should, therefore, understand that problems currently being faced today were stamped from previous generations (Psaltis et al., 2017). Nevertheless, truth and reconciliation programs' success will depend on the people's willingness to indulge in meaningful conversations and actions.
In conclusion, American history is composed of moments that have defined injustices that still compound modern societies. There is no justifying the past mistakes, but Americans have to accept their fate before making meaningful conversations geared towards promoting equality and honoring universal human rights. Achieving balance means everyone taking part in truth and reconciliation programs and initiatives. Beginning reconciliation at the grassroots level upwards will instill a new frontier to justice, liberty, and freedom. At the same time, policymakers should restructure some of these policies and practices to ensure suppression and past misgivings are not repeated. The country’s leadership must also take a turn in the right direction to spearhead reconciliation to wipe out the cruel and ugly past. Ultimately, America's hope of justifying equal rights, values, and justice for all lies only with reconciliation. Through having the right conversation and taking necessary action, the U.S can forge an alliance that upholds the human rights it once swore to protect.
References
Bilali, R., & Mahmoud, R. (2017). Confronting history and reconciliation: A review of civil society’s approaches to transforming conflict narratives. History Education and Conflict Transformation , 77-96. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54681-0_3
Carter, J. (2012). A cruel and unusual record . The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/opinion/americas-shameful-human-rights-record.html
Psaltis, C., Carretero, M., & Čehajić-Clancy, S. (2017). History education and conflict transformation: Social psychological theories, history teaching and reconciliation . Springer Nature. http://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/27898/1002103.pdf?sequence=1
