Recently a state representative, Rep. Karl Oliver, from my home state of Mississippi invited us back to the land of cotton, where antebellum hearts and desires still prevail. He did this with his comments on the removal of confederate memorials located on Louisiana public spaces. In his Facebook post, Rep. Karl Oliver of Winona, Mississippi stated:

“The destruction of these monuments, erected in the loving memory of our family and fellow Southern Americans, is both heinous and horrific. If the, and I use this term extremely loosely, “leadership” of Louisiana wishes to, in a Nazi-ish fashion, burn books or destroy historical monuments of OUR HISTORY, they should be LYNCHED! Let it be known, I will do all in my power to prevent this from happening in our State.”

To say his comments are disturbing is an understatement. I simply can not look away. I noticed he used the word “our”. Who are the people he is referring to? Undoubtedly, he is referring to mostly white, confederate sympathizers. The use of “our” is grossly inaccurate, and it reveals his mindset and the mindset of some of Mississippi’s leadership.

He is focused on the desires and legacy of white supremacy. The thoughts and feelings of minorities, particularly black Americans, are simply not his concern. “The erection in loving memory” comes at the expense of black people, constantly being left in the shadows of men who fought to keep a system in place that held them captive for over 200 years.

The South has the largest concentration of black people in the country. Of those states, Mississippi has the largest percentage, with 37%. I do not understand how an elected official makes a pro-confederate statement using language that includes a large number of black people and assumes we will be okay with it.

It is both “heinous and horrific” that Oliver cannot visualize and consider an overwhelming number of black Mississippians and southerners as fellow Southern Americans. I can only wonder if black people will only be seen as legitimate southerners if we are pro-Confederacy, and we are indifferent towards the dignity and desires of other black people.

What is more troubling about Oliver’s comments is the fact he mocks the leadership of Louisiana, and even compares them to Nazis. His comparison to Nazism is pathetic and insensitive. What is more “Nazi-ish”? A group of leaders who consider other humans who are deeply hurt by the glorification of those who sought to oppress and enslave their ancestors? Or a leader who wishes to commit violent acts against those who disagree with his ideology and promises to do everything in his power to limit their rights to achieve his goals?

As a fellow southerner, I can say my history is not your history, Representative Karl Oliver. Your history is one that glorifies those who supported a system created to enslave; and it carries a legacy of oppression and discrimination against people of color.

It is clear Karl Oliver desires to keep the status quo of white supremacy, racism, and the degradation of black people alive. Karl Oliver can keep his apology; I am not fooled. If he is truly apologetic, then he should advocate for the removal of the confederate memorials in OUR state, and aid in the effort to change OUR state flag. I personally do not accept your apology, Representative Oliver. Just like I do not believe my black brothers and sisters should be apologetic about fighting to change the narrative of brutality, racism, and the glorification of systems designed to attack our status as humans made in the image of God. I do not believe you should apologize for revealing your true self.

As a young black male, living in the state of Mississippi, I am honestly not surprised by his comments. In Mississippi, April is Confederate Heritage Month. The local community college in my hometown is named after Jefferson Davis, the president of the confederacy. Some of my friends endured field trips and weddings at “Beauvoir”, Jefferson Davis’s beach home. Our state flag is one that includes a symbol of hatred and oppression.

As a student at the University of Mississippi, I saw confederate flags everyday, either on car decals or the shirts of my fellow students. There are buildings named after virulent racists. Now living in Jackson, Mississippi, our state’s capital, a popular thing for people to do is visit the Ross Barnett Reservoir. Ross Barnett was a former governor who made it a personal mission to prevent James Meredith, the first black student enrolled at the University of Mississippi, from integrating into the school. All of these examples, plus more, has accustomed me to a culture and state where the ideology like that of Rep. Oliver’s is all too common.

I long for a time when the oppressive norms of the southern culture, and human nature are no more. I long for a time when our leaders lead and govern with the best interest of all people in mind instead of just one group. I long for a time when there will be no more silent understandings that black people should sit back and wait until white people are finished praying and thinking of whether they will treat us with the dignity deserved by those who are created in the image of God.

This longing can only be fulfilled when Christ returns to make all things new. Only then will the south rise again in all its glory. It will rise and there will be no more symbols of hatred and oppression. It will rise and everything below the Mason-Dixon line will be in perfection; where everyone regardless of race will have peace. It will rise, and we will only worship our Lord and Savior in his full glory. I long for that day. Come.

 

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