"Racism is one of the things that makes America America"

                                                                                 The Confederate flag that used to fly in Montgomery.
 

     No, I didn't say it, nor did some elected official. It was an academician at George Mason University---Christie Jones--- whom I heard interviewed early this morning on an NPR program called "With Good Reason".

The host asked Jones this question:

"Are you excited about what has been happening this Summer? As more and more people have joined together to fight for social justice? Are you optimistic?"

"(Deep sigh) I would say I am optimistic in seeing a new generation of movement organizers and new, not even new demands, but new ways of making demands for full humanity and citizenship in this country. I'm very excited about the conversations that many of us are going to have regardless of the consequences. I'm very, very excited about that. I'm very fired up about that. I don't know if it will be enough. I don't know what will be enough. I don't know what will be enough. I think racism, I think it's an original sin. I think it is baked into the system that is the United States. We would have to do some serious systemic and systematic restructuring  in order to pull that out. I think unfortunately, racism is one of the things that makes America America. And I think it would take a lot more work. Do I think it will save Black lives, Latinx lives, Trans lives, Queer lives? Women's lives? I don't know. I really don't know. I hope it does. I really truly hope it does. But I don't know if it will."

It certainly got my attention!

It that true? And if it is, does that mean effort to eradicate racism from the U.S. can never succeed?