It has often been observed that progressives are re-segregating some areas of the country, especially college campuses. But Minnesota has never been segregated, so our progressives are boldly venturing to segregate our citizens by race for the first time.
The City of Minneapolis has scheduled a series of “sacred conversations” with the city’s staff. The series goes under the title, “400 Years of Resistance and Liberation. Remembering, Recovering, Reimagining.” Here is the flyer; following, my comments on it. Click to enlarge:
The mind boggles. I understand that these “sacred conversations” have been postponed because of internal controversy over the segregation of “Black Bodied Staff” and “White Bodied Staff,” which is not just offensive but painfully stupid. But the project is risible in other ways.
* Why is the City of Minneapolis (incorporated 1867) commemorating the 400th anniversary of “African people being brought to Jamestown, VA”? Is there some relevance here that escapes me? Minnesota joined the Union in 1858, just in time to volunteer the first soldiers to fight for the Union in the Civil War. Many Minnesotans did so, in units that are renowned to this day.
* The City’s assertion that Africans were “forced into slavery” upon their arrival in Virginia is false. They were enslaved in Africa; sub-Saharan Africa had a slave economy at that time and for centuries after. As of 1619, slaves had been an important commercial commodity in much of Europe, Africa and the Middle East for 2,000 years. But slaves have never been bought or sold in the State of Minnesota.
* Meanwhile, most Africans have come to the United States voluntarily as immigrants, not as slaves. In Minnesota, a large portion of our black population has arrived in recent years as refugees from Somalia. They have eagerly come to this country to be rescued from poverty, oppression and civil war.
* These events are to be led by “the City’s Racial Equity Coordinators.” Plural. How many are there?
* Why, exactly, are these “Sacred Conversations”? I think because endlessly beating the rest of us over the head with race is sacred to the Left.
* Why is the City of Minneapolis doing this? “Come take part in the conversation to have a better understanding of our role as City staff.” But what does a “sacred conversation” about 400 years of racial experience have to do with the job responsibilities of city staffers? It is hard to imagine how such conversations could be helpful.
* This is awfully lame: “Each session will address the theme for this work remembering who we are (May), recovering our narratives of liberation and oppression (June), and re-imagining a future without harm.” This is moronic liberal mush, obviously, but I especially the enjoy the concept of “re-imagining a future without harm.” Does that mean we can forget about global warming? Sadly, I expect not.
* Then we get to the segregated meetings, with “Black Bodied Staff” attending one set, and “White Bodied Staff” another. You might be tempted to think this is a joke, but it isn’t. Also: we have quite a few Asians and Hispanics in Minneapolis. Where do they fit? Nowhere, I guess. Asians in particular are best forgotten as they never seem to advance the narrative. But here is a serious question: if the purpose of these sessions really is to create “a better understanding of our role as City staff,” what possible excuse can there be for racial segregation? Do black City employees have different jobs or job duties from white employees? Are they expected to discharge their job duties differently in some way? Is there any excuse for this segregation other than naked racism on the part of those who planned these “sacred conversations”?
* Finally, check out the very bottom of the flyer. I assume this is standard across a wide range of City of Minneapolis documents. Click to enlarge:
No, I don’t have any idea either. The one thing we know is that the City of Minneapolis may be segregationist, but is is definitely inclusive.
Notice: All comments are subject to moderation. Our comments are intended to be a forum for civil discourse bearing on the subject under discussion. Commenters who stray beyond the bounds of civility or employ what we deem gratuitous vulgarity in a comment — including, but not limited to, “s***,” “f***,” “a*******,” or one of their many variants — will be banned without further notice in the sole discretion of the site moderator.