{"id":40064,"date":"2025-02-12T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T16:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=40064"},"modified":"2025-01-26T14:33:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-26T22:33:21","slug":"furedi-vs-history-the-ultimate-showdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/furedi-vs-history-the-ultimate-showdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Furedi vs. History: The Ultimate Showdown"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma.<\/p><\/div>\n

Thoughts on Colonialism<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was born and raised in Oklahoma, otherwise known as \u201cNo Man\u2019s Land.\u201d However, that label was a misnomer because American Indians lived upon this rich soil for centuries before white settlers arrived in the early 1800s. Even more settlers came during the 1830s when the Trail of Tears occurred, which forced tribal citizens to leave their homelands and walk at gunpoint to the territory that is now known as Oklahoma, Land of the Red Man. My son, a Muscogee (Creek) citizen is a fifth generation descendent from this tragedy.<\/p>\n

Colonialism remains to be a dark stain on U.S. history despite attempts to cover it up. It assumes that one group of people have the right to suppress, control, and exploit another, which is inherently out of alignment with Biblical scripture that states all mankind is made in the image of God. In The War Against the Past, <\/em>author Frank Furedi talks about the whitewashing of history to align with accepted cultural norms. \u201cValidating identity through the imaginative rewriting of history is an integral component of 21st<\/sup> century politicization of identity.\u201d[1]<\/a> It allows the cultural leaders to spin the story in a way that \u201cDraws on historical injustices to validate itself.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another example of whitewashed history is the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, which was a violent attempt to maintain a racial hierarchy and suppress Black economic and social progress, much like the broader patterns of exploitation and control seen in colonialism.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until I was in my twenties and lived in Tulsa that I learned of the hidden story of the massacre. In fact, I lived less than 20 miles from the very spot where it happened. Still today, this dark chapter in American history remains glossed over in Oklahoma schools.<\/p>\n

In May 1921, a white mob attacked the prosperous Black community of Greenwood in Tulsa, also known as Black Wallstreet, after a false accusation of assault was made against a 19-year-old Black man named Dickie Rowland. The mob violently destroyed homes, businesses, and entire neighborhoods. Hundreds of Black residents died, and thousands were displaced.<\/p>\n

For decades, however, the event has been minimized by Caucasian leaders and citizens to downplay the death toll and even shift blame onto the victims themselves. These efforts to hide the truth have continued for years. However, there is a renewed push by apologists to reveal what really happened on that fateful day, especially as it is told by the two remaining survivors, ages 6 and 7, when it happened and are 110 and 111 years old today, respectively.<\/p>\n

Theatrics: Control of the Narrative Means Control of the Political Agenda<\/strong><\/p>\n

Furedi, a sociologist, argues that more than ever, modern societies are rewriting history or rejecting it altogether to appeal to what he calls grievance archaeologists. He contends, “Different groups and movements aim to control historical memory to advance their agendas, often by focusing on grievances or past injustices, distorting history in the process.\u201d[3]<\/a> He goes on to say that identity tensions, aversion to risks, and fear, especially excessive fear of things like terrorism, health threats, or environmental disasters, are shaping contemporary politics and culture.<\/p>\n

This phenomenon of bending the truth of history is not new, particularly among film and media personalities. Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan is among many leaders throughout history who have used storytelling and selective memory to shape public perception. However, while fear is a powerful emotion that moves people to take action, Reagan utilized positivity. He was a master at storytelling, evoking a sense of humility, optimism, and individual responsibility. He conveyed these values through themes and by sharing his personal experiences, which gave him a meaningful pathway to share his vision for America and inspire a national identity based on the ideals of freedom and independence.[4]<\/a> To Furedi, the whitewashing of society\u2019s collective memory leads to the loss of a coherent sense of self and community, contributing to the \u201cEmergence of the condition of social amnesia.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

Now What? <\/strong><\/p>\n

After reading The War Against the Past<\/em>, my beliefs opposing colonialism are affirmed by what Furedi calls whitewashing of history, which glosses over the violent exploitation and dehumanization in the name of colonial expansion. In Oklahoma, that expansion included the forced displacement of Native peoples, and the violence used to maintain racial and economic hierarchies among Black citizens living in the Greenwood community.<\/p>\n

These practices are morally wrong, unbiblical, and destructive to the well-being of individuals and societies. I believe that colonialism\u2019s impacts should be acknowledged and addressed by taking a critical look at history from multiple sources and angels to uncover hidden truths.<\/p>\n

History is not just a collection of dates and facts but a living truth that shapes our present and future. By seeking accurate history, we honor the experiences of those who lived it and whose stories may have been ignored or misrepresented. We also help ensure that future generations are more accurately informed by an honest understanding of the past.<\/p>\n

\n

[1]<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0 Furedi, Frank. The War against the Past: Why the West Must Fight for Its History<\/em>. Cambridge Medford: polity, 2024. P 146<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Ibid P. 145.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Ibid. P.144.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Reagan, Ronald. An American Life<\/em>. First Threshold Editions trade paperback edition. New York London Toronto Sydney: Threshold Editions, 2011.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Furedi, Frank. The War against the Past: Why the West Must Fight for Its History<\/em>. Cambridge Medford: polity, 2024. P.208<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thoughts on Colonialism I was born and raised in Oklahoma, otherwise known as \u201cNo Man\u2019s Land.\u201d However, that label was a misnomer because American Indians lived upon this rich soil for centuries before white settlers arrived in the early 1800s. Even more settlers came during the 1830s when the Trail of Tears occurred, which forced […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":193,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3402],"class_list":["post-40064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-furedi-dlgp03","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/193"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40064"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40235,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40064\/revisions\/40235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}