Selective historical forgetting about racism is an American tradition

Evidence

Every conversation with Mike was an exploration of complex legal strategies, which was intertwined with his profound understanding and acknowledgment of the historical struggles caused by chattel slavery. He also understood the irony of the role Harvard played in this evil institution and the racism that has marred this country ever since. In one of our many meetings, he said, “Historical amnesia, particularly where racism is concerned, is an American tradition. But Harvard’s transgressions run much deeper.” He went on to summarize precisely what Harvard has done to protect the role they have played in that history: “In 1976, Harvard discovered that the daguerreotypes were stored on its campus, realized their incalculable value as the earliest known photographs of American slaves, and commenced a decades-long campaign to sanitize the history of the images and exploit them for prestige and profit.” — Tamara Lanier, From These Roots, 778

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: American exceptionalism abroad requires forgetting domestic conquest and subjugation — Rob Nixon, Slow Violence and the Environmentalism…, 255