Point Black: Unearthing Institutionalized Racism - From Smithsonian Exploitations to Historic Cemetery Preservation

We're peeling back the veneer of respectability that cloaks our revered institutions, and what lies beneath is a narrative of exploitation and racism. We start with the Smithsonian and its sinister collection of human artifacts, particularly of people of color. The tale of George Stanford, the late Surgeon General, who unethically transferred an astonishing 2200 Native American brains to the Smithsonian without consent is bone-chilling. The disconcerting fact that these ill-gotten artifacts were used to propagate theories of racial superiority adds to the remorse.
But the narrative of disrespect for the dignity of black lives doesn't stop at the Smithsonian. We traverse through the chilling history of the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis where Filipinos were displayed as a human zoo. The story takes a darker turn as we uncover a golf course built over a graveyard in South Carolina and the appalling discovery of a Bethesda African cemetery in Maryland. We expose how these narratives contribute to a culture that undervalues black lives and discuss the effort to undo the damage.
Our last leg of the journey involves advocating for justice and respect. From the fight to preserve historic black cemeteries to reparations and legislative changes, we spotlight the relentless efforts of advocates trying to right these historical wrongs. The African American Burial Grounds Network Act, and how it can play a crucial role in preserving these sacred spaces, is worth noting. We’d like you to join us in this journey into the past as we work towards envisioning a just and equitable future.

Share our episode with a friend.