Is the Statue of Liberty Blindfolded?
By Dr. Mario D. Wallace
In recent years, it feels like the United States is rolling back progress made in civil rights and inclusion, leaving many African Americans, myself included, feeling lost and voiceless. The dismantling of affirmative action, attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, and the rejection of Critical Race Theory (CRT) highlight a disturbing trend. In some cases, these events mirror the behaviors of Southern whites who resisted the abolition of slavery, fought against Reconstruction, and undermined the progress of African Americans for generations. This conservative pushback against laws meant to protect Black voices and lives is unsettling, reminiscent of darker times in our nation’s history.
African Americans have endured centuries of systemic oppression, starting from chattel slavery during the transatlantic slave trade, through the Civil War, and into the era of Reconstruction. Despite winning freedom, Black Americans faced a society structured against them—one that resisted equality at every turn. The rise of groups like the Ku Klux Klan, the violent opposition to Black towns and businesses, and the lynching of thousands of African Americans during Jim Crow further exemplified the uphill battle for civil rights. The Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century led to some hard-won victories, but it seems that the legal frameworks protecting these gains are now under threat.
Personally, I’ve faced this erasure in my own career. As a Black man with a doctorate in business administration, I’ve climbed corporate ladders, only to encounter discrimination and racial bias that sought to undermine my achievements. Leading strategic initiatives at high-performing organizations, I quickly found myself sidelined after successfully implementing my expertise. My knowledge became a threat, and I, like many African Americans in corporate America, was cast aside because of it. The story of Dr. Claudine Gay, the former president of Harvard, echoes my experience. Despite her qualifications, she was forced out for merely upholding policies in the face of controversy, a clear casualty of the same conservative crusade against Black excellence and leadership.
The conservative activist movement, which has gained steam in recent years, targets not only prominent African American leaders like Dr. Gay but also systemic frameworks like Affirmative Action, DEI initiatives, and CRT. Affirmative Action, established to level the playing field for minorities, has been gutted by recent decisions, claiming it’s no longer necessary. However, with only 1.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs being Black, despite a 14.4% African American population in the U.S., it’s clear that racial disparities remain. DEI, once a beacon of hope for inclusivity in workplaces and institutions, is now being labeled as “racist” by conservative figures like Elon Musk, sparking widespread attacks on these programs. And Critical Race Theory, an academic framework designed to understand the deep-rooted impact of racism in American society, is being vilified and removed from schools and libraries.
This coordinated crusade feels like a resurgence of the same mentality that resisted African American progress after the Civil War, a kind of modern-day Reconstruction rollback. It raises the question: What is the future of Black America if the very laws and policies meant to protect us are dismantled? Like many African Americans, I feel we are in a fight for our lives, with shrinking spaces to have our voices heard or our rights protected. Organizations like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) exist but often feel powerless in the face of these sweeping changes.
As I reflect on these trends, I return to the question: Is the Statue of Liberty blindfolded? If the foundational principles of liberty and justice are being systematically eroded for African Americans, what does that mean for our future? If we do not act, we risk slipping back into a state of lawlessness and oppression that could resemble a form of recolonization. The time is now to question, to resist, and to demand that our voices remain part of the American narrative.
To learn more about the history of black folks in America, follow me on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@drmariowallace?_t=8qBYyIdq1N5&_r=1.
2 responses
This post really made me think about what’s happening with civil rights in the U.S. Your personal stories show how these issues affect real people, which is so important. I was surprised by how you connected past events to what’s going on today. It’s clear that we need to stand up for Black voices and rights now more than ever. Thank you for sharing this important message! I can’t wait to read more from you on this topic!
Thanks for responding. We as a people need a conversation about all the things that affects us as a people. It is not about the few but the many. And for years, we get trapped into who’s winning and who is not. Let’s change the conversation to how to we advance as a people.