Vestiges of Supremacy Abound

  I retired from federal civil service after working 40 years at Fort Lee, Va.

   Fort Lee, originally known as “Camp Lee” prior to 1917, and later renamed in 1950, is located 25 miles south of Richmond, Va. During the Civil War Gen. Ulysses S. Grant prosecuted the nine month “Siege of Petersburg”, Va., to cut a major supply line for the Confederate Army.

  Fort Lee was named after Gen. Robert E. Lee, the paragon of southern nobility and the consummate confederate military leader of the Civil War— a heroic symbol. The pervasive countenance of his stately persona is a constant reminder of the general acceptance of the nobility of the Lost Cause, and the redemption of those southern ´heros’, that propagated the War of Northern Aggression with their northern neighbors. Hmm…enough history let me get to the point: the heritage that is so sacrosanct to the southern mythology of their righteous cause was SLAVERY. The abject subjugation of Africans, born here, or brought here, to feed the economic development of the southern aristocracy way of life. The unapologetic ignorance of those claiming “states rights” as the overriding factor underlying the cause for succession from the union of states was/is a lie. The inherent objective of states rights” was the free domination and exploitation of a human beings; to do what you want with that valuable piece of property [read slave].

   Why is this so hard to understand in today’s highly communicative mindset? Is it because we’re comfortable in our ignorance; agreeable with the omission in our history books; complicit with our silence of apathy & complacency; socially castrated from our moral authority. Or recipient of the privilege it bestows upon the psychic of those it benefits

Fort Lee as well a many other military installations names are an anachronism in today’s reality. I worked at there for 40 years in a constant state of resentment and subliminal rage pertaining to the honored vestiges of dehumanizing racism and slavery. Everyday there was a metaphorical tiny stone in my shoe rubbing. I became accustomed to turning a blind eye and ignoring it. There are portraits of previous General Officers both Black and White occupying halls in honor, and none more prominent than Robert E. Lee’s, in a place that he never served, but is widely honored, Why?

   Secretly, I would stared at his massive portrait and desired to cut the mutha…. I didn’t , but I wanted too! I´m sure some Black officers that served and visited the Officers Club wanted to cut the mutha… too. As a matter of fact everyone (Black) that worked there wanted to destroy that offensive massive portrait and others. We walked in our Black skin with that passive dichotomy in the back of our minds everyday.

Across Fort Lee’s campus in many conference rooms and hallways there are countless portraits of the noble cause—and that mythical supremacy. Gray outfitted images of confederate soldiers portrayed gallantly in battle with the northern aggressor. (Why?, Really!) Take them all down and tell the whole story— not a lie of omissions. Reassess and readdress what they stand for or against.

    I wish I were in the land of cotton—.look away, look away… stand back while I cut this mutha…

BTW, My first job after college, I worked as a Public Affairs Officer for the City of Petersburg. I was removed from the city hall office and sent to sit in the Siege Mueseum, until they could get rid of me when the position money ran out.—-my own little siege.

[Disclaimer: No painting were harmed by the author, but he wanted to….]