Following the violent Trump inspired assault on Congress, David Brooks’ column in the New York Times (7 January 2021) asks the reader to look to history to be reminded of the dark forces in America. Yet he thinks that this is a turning point in history, a reversal of the trend toward white supremacy and know-nothingness. Well, I doubt it.
After the horrors of the civil war and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the vile President Andrew Johnson began to turn back the clock and revive the racist policies of the South. Johnson defied the will of Congress, yet Congress failed to remove him from office. Despite the efforts of Ulysses Grant to insure the civil and human rights of the newly freed slaves, the South succeeded in its intent to “rise again” or in contemporary terms, to “make America great again.” The result was segregation and the nearly complete disenfranchisement of the African-Americans. Black elected officials were driven from office and sometimes murdered.
One hundred years later, the Voting Rights Act restored the political powers of Blacks. After the election of Barack Obama, a wealthy publicity seeker realized he could awaken the racists and know-nothings with the insane birther movement. Even though the birther claim was so obviously false, many, in fact millions bought into it. And riding on this racist renewal, Donald Trump rode into the White House. When the election of 2020 again showed the power of the Black voter, the dark forces were enraged. Inflection point? No, the newly found good sense of the politicians who jumped aboard the Trump train does not demonstrate a return to an fair and tolerant nation. The attack by Trump supporters only showed that we can repel the dark forces, but they will remain in the shadows.
Two Strikes 