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Capitol Rotunda is an example 'structural

Sam06Sam06 Member Posts: 21,244 ✭✭✭✭

Raysism!!!

C&P

  • The National Archives' task force on racism published a 100-plus page report on how condemning the elegant rotunda of its Washington DC HQ
  • It said the rotunda, which houses historical documents like the Magna Carta and Declaration of Independences, is an example of 'structural racism'
  • The authors of the report say paintings displayed there depict the Founding Fathers and other historical, white figures in too positive a light
  • It finds fault with the famed Faulkner paintings and suggests that the Archives stage performative art or dance that portrays other sides of history
  • Another recommendation involves adding 'trigger warnings' on famous texts

National Archive officials set up the task force which produced the report in October 2020, in the wake of George Floyd's murder. Ferriero - who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, is allowed to serve as archivist indefinitely.

Included in the task force's report is a spreadsheet of terms that it describes as 'legacy descriptions that use racial slurs and harmful language to describe BIPOC communities', which it claims are further examples of structural racism. According to the spreadsheet, words like 'crippled,' and 'illegal alien' should be removed and avoided being used again.

lt also highlights the use of offensive anti-Asian slurs used throughout the archive, and recommends adding a 'trigger warning' about texts containing words, to 'forewarn audiences of content that may cause intense physiological and psychological symptoms.'

'Providing an advisory notice to users gives us an opportunity to mitigate harm and contextualize the records,' the report reads. 'It creates a space to share with the public our ultimate goals for reparative description, demonstrate our commitment to the process, and address any barriers that we may face in achieving these goals.' 

In addition to adding 'trigger warnings,' the report suggests that the Archives 'rewrite or discard' online material in sources like OurDocuments.gov and Docsteach.org.  

According to the report, OurDocuments.gov 'often uses adulatory and excessive language to document the historical contributions of White, wealthy men.' It cites the specific descriptions of Thomas Jefferson and his contributions to American history. 

What the report suggests adding, however, are details about the harm it says Jefferson caused to Native American communities with his westward expansion policy. Furthermore, the report says, figures like underground railroad heroine Harriet Tubman are discussed with much less reverence.


I think I am going to puke now.

RLTW

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