By Al Seymour

The Civil War in the United States, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, is long over, but despite enormous progress over the years there are pockets of people steeped in the hatred that all men were not created equal. And, although all forms of racial discrimination have been outlawed in America, legislation is yet to change the hearts of some who feel this world is mainly for one group of people.

Abolishing the horrible injustice of slavery was at the centre of that epic conflict, and hundreds of years later, with the smell of gun powder replaced by bustling business developments involving blacks and whites in a new era, racial hatred by those who refuse to accept true justice, remains a problem for that nation.

This is always a very painful subject because it touches the very heart of all humanity.

The past cannot be altered, as painful as it is. Yet, we as a people, need to learn from that dark period that saw one group benefit because of skin colour, while another faced difficulties at every turn, again because of skin colour.

It was one of the most tragic post slavery institutional policies that kept America and other nations, along with our Island, from moving rapidly away from a time where social inequality was a way of life for too many.

In dealing with this sensitive subject, too often we forget there were black, and white, heroes in the struggle to seek social justice for all, and many paid with their lives for going up against a system that was reluctant to change.

The successful theatre boycott in Bermuda in the late 1950s, which resulted in the elimination of segregation throughout Bermuda, had support from the white community, although obviously there were some, who were silently unhappy about such progress. It simply means legislation cannot penetrate the hearts of people who hang on to outdated social concepts.

While there is always room for improvement in the area of social prejudice, the world is a better place today because people of all races and creeds continue to seek justice, even with extremist hate groups determined to prevent people from living peacefully together.

Whenever the subject of racism is tossed about I am reminded of the two white students, and a black student, who together set out for Mississippi to help in voter registration in 1964, but were murdered by vicious, hate filled men, who resented any effort to improve the plight of black citizens.

Since that sad time, blacks and whites have joined in a struggle to rid that state of such madness. Things are not perfect there, but it is a much better place as a result of painful sacrifices by good people who were willing to put their safety aside, to create a better future.

Many people who have never been on the receiving side of racism are not aware of what it takes to keep from slipping into a revengeful state of mind which, if one is not careful, could result in having the same attitude of the offender.

In other words, anger and bitterness, if allowed to grow, can be as harmful as any type of racism. It should also be clear that it is perfectly natural for a person to be boiling with fury when treated as though they are less than human.

In America’s deep south there were countless incidents where blacks were beaten and even killed, for simply wanting what was rightfully theirs as citizens of that nation. No one could have envisioned at that time, that one day America would have a black president in Barack Obama.

Ironically, even with that progress there are people who refuse to accept the new day of change when people of all races and religious beliefs are trying to unite in a way never seen before, to carve out a new chapter in the pursuit of justice.

As we approach Remembrance Day observances to remember the fallen of two great world wars, and other conflicts, it seems an appropriate time to recall the courage of one of Germany’s most distinguished military strategist, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who was actually killed under Hitlers orders.

Rommel could not accept the fact that his country had sunk to levels where its leader was killing people because of their race. When he became aware of what was being done, he put his life on the line in plotting to take Hitler down to save what was left of Germany.

He perhaps knew his fate should things go wrong, and they did. The moment Hitler became aware Rommel was involved, it was only a matter of issuing the order to eliminate him. The crafty dictator even had a fake death certificate to indicate he lost his life on the battle field.

However the truth eventually came out, and years later in a spirit of forgiveness and understanding, British veterans who fought against Rommel went to his grave site to lay a wreath for a man who had the courage to say no to injustice and racism.

It will probably take generations to get close to the dream of the late Dr Martin Luther King, one of the world’s greatest advocates for civil rights, but the battle will be won only with each one of us learning to see through our hearts instead of our eyes.

Hopefully when that happens the word racism will be confined to history books, and the dictionary.