What They Don’t Want You to Know About U.S. Presidents
A conversation on the American obsession with revering the deeply immoral "founding fathers."
Freedom Friday · Ismael Jimenez, Sharif El-Mekki, Chris Stewart
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Show Notes
Summary
What is the significance of the American presidency to the Black community? What about to our society as a whole? Let's explore the delusion of revering presidents and the need for truth-telling in education. As "President's Day" approaches, this Freedom Friday conversation highlights the dark history of presidents and the importance of teaching the complexities of American history. The discussion touches on the luxury of ignorance and the concept of dual consciousness. Chris, Sharif, and Ismael explore the American consciousness and hypocrisy, the challenges of parenting and teaching ethics, the mythology and reality of the American presidency, and the responsibility of the governed.
Takeaways
President's Day should be an opportunity for truth-telling and teaching the context of the day.
Teaching the dark history of presidents is essential to understanding the complexities of American history.
Ignorance is a luxury that perpetuates the delusion of revering presidents and ignoring the truth.
Dual consciousness, the coexistence of two distinct mental states, is a psychological condition that reflects the American problem. The cure for dual consciousness lies in resisting it through education, information, and connecting the dots. Being conscious of one's own hypocrisies is the first step towards change.
Parenting and teaching should involve creating a space for children to question and engage in conversations about the world.