Crimes Against Humanity in the Land of the Free: Can a Truth and Reconciliation Process Heal Racial Conflict in America?

Imani Michelle Scott

Aug 2014 · ABC-CLIO

About this ebook

This vital book considers the compelling and addictive hold that racism has had on centuries of Americans, explores historical and contemporary norms complicit in the problem, and appeals to the U.S. government to improve race relations, rectify existent social imperfections, and guard against future race-based abuses.

Despite an assertion by the founding fathers that "all men are created equal" and the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that guarantees "equal protection," the race-based oppression that has characterized most of America's history shows that in practice our society has rarely measured up to principle. Why has deep-seated racial conflict in America continued for so long? This unprecedented examination into the topic explores the evidence and consequences of what seems to be an "addiction" to racism in the United States, analyzing the related disconnect between our nation's stated moral principles and social realities, and assessing how U.S. citizens of all races can take individual action to start the long-needed healing process.

The contributors to this work present interdisciplinary perspectives and discussions on American history, politics, philosophy, and 21st-century psycho-social conditions as they relate to the oppression, social injustice, and racism that have occurred—and continue to occur—in the United States. The discussions allow readers to grasp the serious challenges at hand and direct them towards recognizing the potential for conflict transformation and reconciliation through a non-conventional co-created Truth, Reconciliation, and Peace Process (TRPP) to begin resolving America's dysfunction. This is essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand the sources of perpetual racially based conflict, disparity, and hatred in the United States; identify the social injuries of exposure to centuries of racism; move America towards harmonious interracial relationships; and improve its international standing as a peace-building nation that is truly committed to human rights throughout the world.

Presents the inescapable evidence of persistent social violence, inequalities, and injustices perpetrated against blacks within America's borders prior to and for centuries since the nation's founding

Identifies the negative psycho-social consequences and harmful impact of "transgenerated trauma"—based on the experiences of living in an overtly oppressive society for centuries—on both the oppressed and the oppressor in America

Emphasizes the necessity for all American citizens to share the responsibility for exposing historical truths, working through painful memories and realities, engaging in long-avoided dialogue, and implementing systems to assure a more just America for all its citizens

About the author

Imani Michelle Scott, PhD, is a consultant and speaker on the topics of conflict resolution and domestic violence as well as professor of communication at the Savannah College of Art and Design.