The prevalence of one ethnic and racial group over others has always been embedded in the global psyche of populations throughout the long history of its development. Thus, white supremacy represents a controversial issue as it is defined as an unnamed political system that transformed the society in what it is today. Through incorporating the forgetting of events that pointed to the prevalence of Europeans over other nations, white supremacy was a fundamental principle that differentiated between the civilized and the savage population. In its political, social, and historical ideologies, white supremacy encourages the enjoyment of various structural advantages, privileges over other ethnic groups on both individual and collective levels (Perez and Hirschman 2).
However, as cleverly mentioned by Charles Mills, white supremacy in the context of historical studies has been treated with a certain degree of “historical amnesia” and “conceptual blindness,” both of which refer to the forgetting of facts and the failure to admit the implications of such facts, even in cases when they are remembered (120). Thus, I would like to argue that the concept of white supremacy has not been put at the forefront of historical studies and was intentionally hidden or veiled in order to avoid explanations of its origins, development, and social impact.
The information pertinent to white supremacy has not been taught before, as it could have encouraged opposition from learners, especially those of white race. Today, the domination of the white race over others is seen as such that has never existed as well as represents a tribute to the self-transforming success and the rewriting of the terms of public discourse. Because of this, many white citizens fail to acknowledge their past, which cannot and should not be overlooked or changed to fit the current narrative of liberal democratic politics. What many fail to understand is that the history of white supremacy can teach the modern world that overcoming gaps between ethnic groups is imperative for reaching a great degree of unity and respect both in specific regions and worldwide.
White supremacy issues have been hidden from the mainstream narrative to shield people; however, it is imperative to include them into the discussion because racial division continues to persist, especially as the United States moves geographically from a white-majority to a nonwhite-majority society and the discontinuity between the First and Third world countries continues to deepen (Blow). The demands of social justice grow louder and more intense, which is why it is imperative to acknowledge the existence of white supremacy, communicate its implications, and move forward as a society that is free of inequality and judgment.
The global polity throughout the centuries has been white-ruled, which allowed white supremacy to flourish. Learning the information about how racial dichotomization shaped our society is imperative for facilitating the discussion on the morality of supremacy and its adverse impact on the development of nations. While this information has not been taught before, it is opening new opportunities of historical exploration and the shaping of a worldview in which there is no place for the dominance of one race over another. Therefore, naming global white supremacy and acknowledging its historical impact can become an imperative prerequisite for the issues concerning inequality to be honestly addressed. Another essential point to understand is that until populations of white race admit the history of their supremacy over other races, they will continue to be complicit with it.
Works Cited
Blow, Charles. “White Supremacy Beyond a White Majority.” The New York Times, 2019, Web.
Mills, Charles. “Global White Supremacy.” pp. 120-126.
Perez, Anthony Daniel, and Charles Hirschman. “The Changing Racial and Ethnic Composition of the US Population: Emerging American Identities.” Population and Development Review, vol. 35, no. 1, 2009, pp. 1-51.