Trump hit the lowest moment of his presidency when he blamed “both sides” for the murder of anti-racist protester Heather Heyer in Charlottesville. But understanding how a neo-Nazi sympathizer got into the White House requires breaking apart the myth underneath the glorified story of the foundation of the United States in 1776.
Dr. Gerald Horne is the Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston and is the author of over 20 books on slavery and the Black liberation movement; most recently “The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States”.
From 1776 to Trump – White Mobs, Racist Heroes & Hidden History
In a recent and disturbing live press conference, Donald Trump blamed “both sides” for the events leading up to the murder of protester Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia. He went so far as to remark that the press had been treating neo-Nazis and white nationalists “absolutely unfairly” in the media coverage of the events, adding that doing so is “changing history” and “changing culture.”
Neo-Nazis and white nationalists gathered in Charlottesville to protest the removal of Confederate monuments, undeniably blatant symbols of white supremacy. But unknown to most of these protesters is the fact that most monuments were constructed long after the Civil War. In fact, the many of these statues were constructed during the height of the Civil Rights movement and the Jim Crow era — a significant point in history when their construction was clearly meant to send a strong political message.
Why is the country littered with these symbols of white supremacy and how did we end up with an unashamed neo-Nazi sympathizer in the White House? Abby Martin breaks down the myths and misrepresentations surrounding the creation of the United States, with Dr. Gerald Horne, Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston. Dr. Horne is the author of more than 20 books on slavery and the Black liberation movement.
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