Shasta Wonder - October 2015
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“America began as an act of violence. America as a nation is rooted in violence which is one of the reasons why it’s one of the most violent nations on earth whether you are talking about Black or white. Don’t let that constitution fool you and all of this democracy stuff deceive you. What are its origins? The origins of America are criminal, and therefore, it’s what I call a crimagenic society in that it breeds criminality because it is rooted in criminality. Why are you surprised? What are the two major acts of criminality that brought this country into being? First one was the criminal destruction of Indian nations. Rape, and robbery, and thievery. Taking of lands and taking of wealth. Destroying people’s cultures and nations. Placing people in prisons called reservations. Slandering their culture and their character as people. This country is built on that and that’s the reality of it. The next major crime was the enslavement of African people; was the destruction of African civilizations. You talk about the disruption of the Black family, as if that disruption occurred since the 1960s and 70s. The disruption of the African family began with slavery. That’s where it started. And the disruption of African culture, the destruction of social relations, and arrangements, and institutions of African people began with slavery, and it has not stopped yet. And yet, millions of our people died in this process and were killed in this process. And we have an endless history of death, damnation, and destruction. The coercion of our people into work, the slandering of our culture and the slandering of our character, the lynching of our people, the physical abuse of our people, the racial discrimination against our people. All of these things with which we are familiar have been practiced from day one in this country. And these practices are criminal And therefore America is rooted in this criminality. But see, America won’t face this reality. And many of us won’t face it. And we won’t come to terms with it.”
— Dr. Amos N. Wilson (via disciplesofmalcolm)