RACISM
Why America's New Year's Resolution Should Be to Confront Racism
There are numerous benefits to turning over a new leaf
If you plan on making a New Year's resolution, you're in good company. In addition to the millions pledging to change themselves for the better in the modern era, the tradition dates back to a 4000-year-old festival known as Akitu in Babylon. Then, people made promises to their gods, sometimes hoping for a fresh start and other times to curry favor for new endeavors. Romans also made resolutions to honor their god Janus, the guardian of beginnings and endings — hence the month of January named after him. The tradition became secular during the Enlightenment, characterized by an individual commitment at the start of the year. However, what if the tradition of making a New Year's resolution could transcend the traditional limits of the personal? For instance, what if an entire nation vowed to improve itself?
If America were to make a New Year's resolution, it should be to confront the legacy of racism within its borders. This would be a natural conclusion after a good, hard look in the mirror. A nation whose capital was built, in part, by slave labor, that once counted its enslaved population as three-fifths a person, whose "electoral college" used to elect the President resulted from a…
