REMARKS
Addressing anti-blackness and the importance of historical context
0:10:43
ยท
31 sec
Public Advocate Williams concludes his remarks by emphasizing the deep-rooted nature of anti-blackness in American history and the importance of acknowledging this context in addressing current inequities.
- He stresses that anti-blackness has been ingrained in the country from its inception.
- Williams criticizes attempts to erase or downplay this history, which he sees as crucial for understanding current systemic issues.
- He argues that while no one is responsible for the system they're born into, everyone is responsible for the system they pass on to the next generation.
- The Public Advocate calls for honesty about the current system and its historical roots as a necessary step towards creating positive change.
Jumaane Williams
0:10:43
And, lastly, I do wanna say anti blackness is steeped in this country from the beginning, and we have to be honest about that, and one of the reasons they're trying to erase history is that people think somehow we woke up and everything was all about meritocracy.
0:10:57
Lastly, no one is responsible for the system that's born today, none of us, black, white, brown, but I believe all of us are responsible for the system that we move on to our next generation.
0:11:07
In order to move on a better system, we just have to be honest about the system that's here and how we got here.
0:11:12
Thank you so much for this hearing and look forward to hearing some more.