White Supremacy or Rainbow
By Xiaoyan Zhang, Ph.D.
June 6th, 2020
In the shadow of “Making America Great Again” hides an underline tone of “Making America White Again”. The implication is that America is no longer white enough; they (the color skin minorities) are taking over the country.
This them vs. us mentality was what propelled Donald Trump’s victory in 2016. This same poison pill is dividing the country today.
The brutal killing of a black man George Floyd by a white police officer revealed the structural racial discrimination is escalating under the current administration. The aftermath broken out into demonstrations and riots over 140 cities across the nation further demonstrated the great divide generated from the perpetuation of white supremacy.
The ongoing population structural change will make America a nation without a majority race in the coming decades. Americans must face a fundamental choice of whether resist or embrace the American rainbow with a multi-ethnic democracy.
People from all corners of the world come to America because of two promises: The American Spirit that “All men are created equal” and the American democracy with check and balance that enables American people to resolve racial, social, and political conflicts through a transparent, participatory, democratic, and peaceful process of evolution.
While the promises are far from fulfillment, they give us hope and light. Let’s remember Dr. King’s words: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that”.
