If you plan on making a New Year's resolution, you're in good company. In addition to the millions pledging to change themselves for the better in the modern era, the tradition dates back to a 4000-year-old festival known as Akitu in Babylon. Then, people made promises to their gods, sometimes hoping for a fresh start and other times to curry favor for new endeavors. Romans also made resolutions to honor their god Janus, the guardian of beginnings and endings — hence the month of January named after him. The tradition became secular during the Enlightenment, characterized by an individual commitment at the start of the year. However, what if the tradition of making a New Year's resolution could transcend the traditional limits of the personal? For instance, what if an entire nation vowed to improve itself?
If America were to make a New Year's resolution, it should be to confront the legacy of racism within its borders. This would be a natural conclusion after a good, hard look in the mirror. A nation whose capital was built, in part, by slave labor, that once counted its enslaved population as three-fifths a person, whose "electoral college" used to elect the President resulted from a compromise with pro-slavery politicians would be remiss to avoid such a critical analysis. Refinement is impossible when imperfections are glossed over, as the so-called "patriotic history" lessons often do. Any nation that aspires to greatness must shed its old habits, especially those that don't serve the greater good.
According to a 2020 analysis by Citigroup, "if four racial gaps for Blacks — wages, education, housing, and investment — were closed 20 years ago, $16 trillion could have been added to the U.S. economy. And if those gaps were closed today, $5 trillion can be added to the U.S. GDP over the next five years." You would think, given the financial cost of perpetuating racism and the benefits of addressing disparities, the country would readily commit itself to this change. However, the nation has always been politically divided on the topic of racism. Not everyone is convinced that it should be a national focus.
Indeed, debates over the enslavement of Africans once led eleven states to secede from the country and launch a Civil War. Efforts to cast aside nearly a century of racial segregation led to domestic terrorist groups using violence and intimidation to target Black Americans. For instance, four members of the Chaba Boys, a splinter group of the Ku Klux Klan, bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, killing four African American girls and injuring 22 others, a pivotal turning point in the civil rights era. This tragedy illustrates that racism will not go quietly. Nor should its victims be expected to whisper about injustices.
Civil rights leader Harry Belafonte once noted, "Slavery may have been abolished" in this country, but "the crippling poison of racism still persists, and the struggle continues." Sadly, fostering this level of self-awareness outside of the black community has been an uphill battle. We should consider that no one will commit to quitting an unhealthy habit like smoking cigarettes or starting a healthy habit like jogging twice a week without acknowledging that tobacco increases respiratory diseases in smokers or that they need more physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The first step for an individual, or in this case, a nation, to improve is to acknowledge what needs to change. Without such an understanding, any commitment would ring hollow. And just as many casual resolutions individuals make are quickly abandoned, so are many pledges to challenge racism.
Even recognizing the odious smell of anti-black racism is not enough to foster positive social change. It's the equivalent of noticing a foul smell without trying to locate the source, whether it's an old sock under the bed or a rotting apple near a waste bin. Such a pungent order can ruin the reputation of any home, or in this case, a nation. Even Thomas Jefferson, the third president, realized this, referring to the chattel slavery system as a "moral depravity" and a "hideous blot" on the conscience of the nation. Yet, the irony isn't lost on the black community that Jefferson enslaved at least 600 people during his lifetime. His quotes highlight a significant gap between publicly acknowledging an unjust system and committing to making positive social change. It's a bridge we would undoubtedly have to cross if America were to turn over a new leaf.
The lifespan of Black people is significantly shorter than White people because of diminished access to quality preventative healthcare and treatment. Generations of racial redlining have left black communities vulnerable, as indicated by their increased exposure to environmental toxins and their increased rate of developing chronic diseases. Widespread poverty and the associated stress and trauma of this daily struggle have had lasting detrimental effects. Black people are disproportionately punished in the criminal justice system and kept at a lower standard of life through institutional and personal racism. If our nation made a New Year's resolution, it would stand to reason that confronting racism should make it on the shortlist. Some people are shy about calling America a racist nation as they do not want to offend those individuals who are not. And yet, such politeness only robs citizens of an opportunity to consider all we must change to live up to our ideals, this notion of "liberty and justice for all." Being a racist, after all, is not a life sentence, a conviction with no return.
Victor Schœlcher, a French abolitionist, once noted in 1842, "Justifying servitude in order to preserve the colonies is the politics of a brigand. A crime must not be a necessity. Let our colonies die, not our principles," he argued. To oppose slavery, abolitionists would first have to stop the public from providing fertile ground for justifications. They'd have to reject the narrative that racial discrimination is defensible. Indeed, they would argue that no amount of profit is worth depriving other people of their lives and liberty. A parallel can be seen in the modern era, as some people believe that talking about racism is just as harmful as perpetuating it. Take, for instance, Tina Descovich, a leader of a conservative organization, Moms for Liberty, who told the Washington Post that schools describing "in detail about how slaves were treated, and with photos" is a step too far for the classroom. Such a position seems to argue that while slavery is wrong, talking about it is worse. Americans should commit to facing these injustices head-on.
Not that it's likely for Americans to collectively wake up on January 1st and declare that they're swearing off racism, but it would be a worthwhile goal. It would be a step in the right direction, acknowledging the danger racism presents. While the black community is not holding their breath in anticipation of this happening any time soon, it's food for thought. If America wanted to, the nation could commit to change and shed its old skin, so to speak. However, creating lasting change would take more than a flashy announcement or fly-by-night "black square” activism. There are no shortcuts in that respect. Making this resolution would mean following up with steady, consistent action. Like any pledge made on the individual level, success would require steadfast commitment.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of Dr. Allison Gaines' work on Medium.