Dr. Yohuru Williams, Distinguished University Chair, professor of history and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas, joined MPR News to analyze President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. Williams noted the speech missed an opportunity to present an inclusive historical narrative as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, the absence of references to Black History Month and broader themes of diversity and democratic evolution.
From the conversation:
Angela Davis: Do you see this as a different moment in American politics and government?
Williams: It’s uncomfortable for most Americans, Angela, because this is exactly who we are and who we’ve been. We’ve fought to correct those tendencies within our democratic republic and our attitudes about immigration, race, and gender equality.
Anti-immigration has been a cornerstone of American democratic practice. We look at the Statue of Liberty and celebrate it as a beacon, but it was erected in a moment of intense pushback against immigration and some of the most egregious anti-immigration propaganda, rivaled only by our contemporary moment.
And when we talk about corruption, the spoils system after the Civil War, Reconstruction, the age of Jackson, and pork-barrel politics are not foreign to the U.S. experience. We hope we’re evolving beyond that.
As we approach the 250th, it’s not just a celebratory moment. Carter G. Woodson talked about this in 1926 when he started Negro History Week, which became Black History Month. It’s a moment of reflection, looking in the mirror, and asking whether we’re living up to the values we articulate. It’s a stress test for democracy.
