As history has shown us, one of the hallmarks of authoritarian and fascist leadership is the concerted effort to ban knowledge. The masses must be kept ignorant to follow the outrageous and dangerous rhetoric of an often maniacal autocrat.
Maya Angelou once said “when you know better, do better.” Well, according to Newton’s Third Law, the opposite can also be true - when you know less, you will do worse.
Painting the racial history of our nation as a guilt-inducing narrative for white people is a tactic to keep people not only ignorant, but fearful. The fear comes from the idea that they are being manipulated in some way, when in fact, the withholding of our nation’s true history is the actual manipulation at hand. How can we be so gullible?
The meaning of “guilt” is a personal feeling of regret for an action. I believe that what we are hearing now about the “guilt” white students feel around the education of the brutality of slavery and Jim Crow is misconstrued and misleading. For instance, they may be using the word “guilt" when what is actually being felt is regret, shame, or compassion - all feelings that would seem appropriate for a white person to experience when thinking about how Black people were treated in our country’s past—and beyond. In this circumstance they also might actually feel guilt because they recognize that their behavior has contributed to the continued oppression of Black Americans, perpetuated stereotypes, and/or feeds an inherent bias towards Black folks.
Knowledge creates a reaction. You now know something and it affects your life—how you think, what you believe, what you expect, and so many other things. Withholding knowledge creates a void that can be filled with anything the withholder wants—fear, anger, doubt. It is not usually a comparable piece of knowledge, it is most often the opposite. The effect of this can be profound. When we ask ourselves “how could we let fascist leaders come into power?” This is how.
It is time for people of good will to stand together to ensure that knowledge and the truth is not stymied in the years to come. Believe what you want to believe - but form that belief from a base of accurate knowledge. History is open for interpretation in its nuances but its facts are clear. If we aren’t able to learn our history, the good and bad, we are bound to repeat it, especially the bad. And what we are reminded more and more today, is that this is often the exact intention. Let us instead take action to keep knowledge accessible and create a different, more positive, future for us all.
Scott Hutcheson
Executive Director, E Pluribus Unum
In June we held our second annual in-person Leadership Convening in New Orleans. We brought together over 50 leaders from across the South who are a part of our Leadership Accelerator programs for a time of learning and relationship building.
With opening and closing sessions featuring NY Times columnist, Charles Blow, and climate justice powerhouse, Heather McTeer Toney, to 14 separate breakout sessions that were tailored to each type of participant - this year's convening left all in attendance with new knowledge, networks, and tools to create a better more equitable South.
Watch the recap video below to see more of the event and learn more about our Leadership Accelerator programming.
Bringing together courageous leaders from across the South has been an important tenant of EPU since our founding. Not only is it important for leaders to be given and share new knowledge, tools, and resources - we know that for this work to be truly impactful, leaders need community, coalitions, and networks to lean on in this hard but necessary work.
A new report published jointly by E Pluribus Unum (EPU) and the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) provides a detailed look at Black and white Southern Americans’ personal opinions on Confederate memorials and the role of religion in framing conversations about race and public spaces. The report, “Two Histories, One Future: The Legacy of Confederate Memorials and the Promise of Public Spaces,” details the findings of focus groups held across the South and profiles grassroots groups working on memorialization in their communities.
Click on the button below to read the full report.
We know that hearts, minds, attitudes, and behaviors are ever changing. Our work to disrupt and shift narratives and behaviors that further interpersonal and systemic racism is reliant on both quantitative and qualitative research that provides valuable insight to Southerner’s views. Reports such as this give us pulse on these invaluable perspectives.
In 2023, EPU’s Policy Team has been actively monitoring the progress of equity-related legislation throughout the South during legislative sessions and will be providing bi-monthly updates that will seek to inform our partners and stakeholders about the policy issues emerging and trending in the region.
Check out this month’s update which provides a glimpse of some of what we saw in 2023 and an idea of what you can expect to find in our upcoming 2023 Southern Legislative Wrap-Up, set for publication at the end of September 2023.
Policy change continues to be an essential pillar of EPU's work to build a more just and equitable South. Our policy team will keep a close eye on what is happening at the state level across our region to better understand the priorities of the communities we serve, and to provide support and resources where necessary.
Between recent Supreme Court decisions, congressional gridlock, and gerrymandering, creating a better South feels challenging like never before. And while national attention often focuses on the figures from our region halting progress, there are so many more people working to make big, positive changes from much smaller stages than D.C., but with no less importance. In partnership with The Bitter Southerner, the features below are the first three installments of a story series turning up the volume on the work done by student, municipal, and state-level leaders across the South building a more equitable and inclusive future through our Unum Fellowship program. Their stories prove extraordinary actions can come from anywhere and anyone—they just might inspire you to run for something in your community.
At EPU, we use stories as tools for change. We want to collect and amplify as many stories as we can - stories of personal growth, difficult conversations, and moments of unity - to move audiences to a place of better understanding and most importantly, action. We are so excited to partner with the Bitter Southerner on this project, where we get to do exactly that, highlighting the stories of our Unum Fellows in particular.
Richmond, VA
The EPU team traveled to Richmond, VA, the former Capitol of the Confederacy, to capture the stories and narratives of faith leaders and congregants who are working on Truth and Healing efforts within their community. Stay tuned for more around this exciting and powerful narrative project!
Questions? Contact us at info@unumfund.org.
