In his recent Seattle Times article, days before the Fourth of July and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and national uprisings, Professor Christopher Sebastian Parker has issued a response to White Americans wondering what there is to be done about persisting racial inequality in the United States. He calls on White Americans to take up the task of patriotism, which he argues is not a commitment to a people or a nation, but a willingness to make sacrifices for a common set of values and ideals for all: “In the present context, patriotism is about the adoption of anti-racism on the part of whites. This will require white folks to interrogate their own privilege.” He urges White Americans, “on this most American holiday, one where we celebrate American independence and the values on which the country was founded, ask yourself a question. Is America of 2020, at least for Black folks, really any different than Frederick Douglass’ America of 1852? If you conclude that it’s not, and you’re white, you know what you must do.”
The full article can be found here.
