More black history museums have been vandalized recently; yesterday’s vandalism took place in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
1/23/2024 Vicksburg, MS – In a shocking act of vandalism, two historic Civil War attractions in Vicksburg, Mississippi, were defaced with pro-Confederate slogans in the early hours of a Tuesday morning. The city, known for its pivotal role in the Civil War, saw Charles Pendleton’s museum, which presents a narrative inclusive of African American experiences as enslaved people and soldiers targeted by vandals. The neighboring Illinois Memorial Mural also suffered, spray-painted with the phrase “Dixie Forever.”
Despite these attacks, museum owner Pendleton remains resolute in his mission to educate on the true history of the Civil War, undeterred by attempts to silence his narrative. The community has since swiftly removed the graffiti, and Pendleton continues preparing for an upcoming Civil War Gun & Relic Show in Vicksburg (Emery, 2024).
1/18/2023 Philadelphia, PA – Surveillance footage captured a man, believed to be a homeless repeat offender, dumping trash at Philadelphia’s Horowitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza, only days after a large swastika was spray-painted nearby.
The foundation’s executive director managing the memorial expressed distress over this new wave of hate. However, she does not see a direct connection between the two acts of vandalism, considering them part of a more significant trend of rising antisemitism. The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating both incidents, which have stirred the community and raised concerns about hate crimes in the area (Farberov, 2024).
1/20/2024 Memphis TN – A significant cultural site suffered a fire on Saturday, prompting an emergency response from the Memphis Fire Department at 2 p.m. The fire, which originated from an unattended “ignited object” in the front room, resulted in no injuries but caused substantial damage estimated at $40,000 to the building and $30,000 to its contents. Consequently, the museum will remain closed until further notice (Moore & Kennin, 2024).
In recent memory, vandalism has impacted the southern states more than once.
12/8/2023 – Atlanta, GA – In a concerning event, a woman was arrested for attempting to commit arson at Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home in Atlanta (DeLetter & Yancey-Bragg, n.d.). The incident, which occurred on a Thursday evening, was thwarted by vigilant citizens, including off-duty NYPD officers and tourists, who detained the suspect until police arrived. The King Center acknowledged the efforts of those who intervened, emphasizing the significance of the historic site as a place for reflection and education on both Black and American history (Staff, 2023).
There have been several incidences of vandalism on the rise, and the war on the black community is multi-layered and increasing.
Thoughts On The Future Of America
The Pew Research Center highlighted the recent increase in the black population (Moslimali et al., n.d.). Interestingly, the illegal immigrant surge is also taking place, maybe as a last-ditch effort to thwart the population growth of black Americans.
Whatever you believe, there is no denying that illegal immigrants will initiate instability, and with their increasing war drums beating, the time to prepare is short. When you systematically hurt a group of people to practice your religion of racism and white supremacy, you have to handle the consequences of those actions.
From a bigger perspective, America as a superpower is rapidly declining, and I expect we’ll continue to see events like these unfold. Judgment is not coming; it is here. The leaders have been co-opted, the debts have grown immense, and the obligation to the American black descendants of the enslaved people has not been paid. I believe all of what was happening was not planned, and those who benefited from an oppressive system didn’t think they could be turned on.
Make your final preparations, and prepare your flight or fight response because America has been set up to fail. We are at the judgment hour, and the pain inflicted upon those who provided a country with free labor and are still denied their reparations claim must be judged.
We’ll be back for more in a moment; in the meantime, make peace with an old friend/family/ or colleague and stay strong.
Reference
Emery, H. (2024, January 24). Two historic tourist attractions were vandalized in Vicksburg.
Moore, J., & Kennin, L. (2024, January 23). Slave Haven temporarily closes following fire, sources say.
Moslimali, M., Tamir, C., Budiman, A., Noe-Bustamante, L., & Mora, L. (n.d.). Facts about the U.S. Black population. Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends. Pew Research.
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/fact-sheet/facts-about-the-us-black-population/
Staff, T., & Staff, T. (2023, March 21). Vandals desecrate Black history trail in Delaware weeks after it opened. TheGrio.
https://thegrio.com/2023/03/20/vandals-desecrate-black-history-trail-in-delaware/
Trash thrown at Holocaust memorial in Philadelphia just days after swastika vandalism. (n.d.).
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