This came to me in an email today. I believe it must be shared with and among those who seek racial justice and racial reconciliation in America. Something deeper than politics is dividing our nation. It’s been our political fault line for 236 years.

A wise man once said. 
“We may not have it all together, but together we have it all”


Many people wonder why Republican legislators, Tea Patriots, “birthers” and other wingnut resisters are so unrelenting in their visceral disregard for President Obama. Frederick Douglass gave us the answer many years ago.

“Though the colored man is no longer subject to barter and sale, he is surrounded by an adverse settlement which fetters all his movements. In his downward course he meets with no resistance, but his course upward is resented and resisted at every step of his progress.

If he comes in ignorance, rags and wretchedness he conforms to the popular belief of his character, and in that character he is welcome; but if he shall come as a gentleman, a scholar and a statesman, he is hailed as a contradiction to the national faith concerning his race, and his coming is resented as impudence. In one case he may provoke contempt and derision, but in the other he is an affront to pride and provokes malice.” 

Frederick Douglass September 25, 1883