Shamelessness comes to mind when one fathoms the issue of slavery in the USA, both historically and currently. This shamelessness reflects in the primary source Anderson (1865), a letter by Jourdon, a former slave to his former master. Similarly, there is a tinge of shamelessness reflected in Philimon et al. (2020), an article about the removal of Confederacy monuments in 21 st century America. The two articles reflect a desperate and shameless effort by a segment if the US populace to hold on to the element of the Antebellum period.
In Philimon et al. (2020), the effort to hold on to the Antebellum period is in the form of the confederate flag and monuments. As per the article, “ African Americans have been fighting against the use of the flag since the Civil War ” (Philimon et al., 2020). The Civil War ended over one and a half centuries ago. Yet, the Confederate flag remains a monument to African Americans of their inferiority, based on a quote from Mark Pitcavage, an expert on the subject. Despite the negative impression created by the monuments and flags, many influential Americans, including the current president, have moved to defend the monuments as part of the American heritage and failed to condemn the flag.
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Philimon et al. (2020) reflect the same attitude towards racism that Anderson (1865) depicts. The primary article is a letter by Jourdon, a former slave, to Colonel P. H. Anderson, his former slave master. The letter depicts the shamelessness of Colonel Anderson. Col. Anderson worked Jourdon for thirty-two years and probably raped his daughters Matilda and Catherine. Finally, Anderson tried to shoot Jourdon as reflected by the words, “ Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me ” (Anderson,1865). However, he still has the temerity to request Jourdon to come back to the plantation and work. It is just as painful to read about Jourdon trying to be polite towards his killer, as it is to read about African Americans having to explain why confederate monuments are racist and wrong.
Reading Philimon et al. (2020) alongside Anderson (1865) does reflect that America has come a long way since the days of slavery. However, there is still an element of shamelessness for those who still hold the notion of white supremacy. The shamelessness of Col. Anderson calling Jourdon to come back to his service mirrors that of white supremacists trying to protect the Confederate flag and symbols in the 21 st century.
References
Anderson, J. (Aug. 7, 1865). Jourdon Anderson Writes to His Former Master. (Letter). http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/reconstruction/jourdon-anderson-writes-his-former-master-1865/
Philimon, W., Hughes, T. and della Cava, M., 2020. [online] Usatoday.com. Available at: <https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/12/confederate-statues-flags-banned-black-lives-matter-movement-grows/5346701002/>
