Conservatives say Frederick Douglass was optimistic about America. His words say something different. - The Washington Post

This a great takedown of a white guy mansplaining black history. Note, the author of this piece is also white, and I'm white. After watching Ansari last night, I'm thinking a little more about the circle of white people talking about race. But this piece has some great points:

Cruz’s selective reading of the illustrious freedom fighter is emblematic of the modern conservative co-optation of Douglass and other civil rights leaders’ radical challenges to white supremacy. His call for deeper contextual consideration of Douglass’s words is welcome, but probably not for the reason Cruz intends. Douglass’s major public remarks during the last years of his life — the 1890s — show that Cruz dramatically overstates his optimism that the United States will ever be willing to repair the generational damage it has inflicted on black people.

The Republican Party, Douglass said, had become “a party of money rather than a party of morals, a party of things rather than a party of humanity and justice.”

“Put away your race prejudices. … Recognize the fact that the rights of the humblest citizen are as worthy of protection as are those of the highest.”