Thomas Jefferson, Slave Owner

"If there be an object truly ridiculous in nature, it is an American patriot, signing resolutions of independency with the one hand, and with the other brandishing a whip over his affrighted slaves." --Thomas Day

Slave owner. That's not ususally  what first comes to mind when we think of Thomas Jefferson. This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home, near Charlottesville, VA. Jefferson made all sorts of advancements for this country, being the principal writer of the Declaration of Independence, the President for two terms,  and serving in other public offices. He also founded UVA, sent the Lewis and Clark expedition, and studied health, science, and architecture. As a founding father, this country was built on his principals and values-- including the one that states "all men are created equal."
Yet, Jefferson was also a slave owner. While a tour guide at Monticello will tell you that Jefferson was "different" than other slave owners, and he was so nice to his slaves and kept their families together as best he could and provided food for them all, slavery is still slavery is it not?

This country has a racist foundation--it was built by enslaved men, women, and children. And now we wonder why everyone just can't get along, why racism still exists, why we need affirmative action, and why we have such significant portions of our minority population in prison, in poverty,  and without education, jobs, and other resources.

 All men are still not equal in the US. Can you right a wrong that is written into your history books? That your country's values are based upon?
Can we recover from the evil that was done here? Some people can't trace their families lineage because last names were changed, families were split, and children were born without ceremony--no birthday recorded or family tie remembered.
Other people can--straight to slavery, and that's where it stops. Where did their families originate from?

Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers created a nation, but they left us with all the baggage. The discrepancy between Jefferson's words and his actions should be admonished.  What sort of men did he mean when he said "all men"? What message was he sending as a leader?

 This history impacts our lives everyday. It affects the way we interact, what sort of status we have, how we grew up, and our social class. This history continues to hold people back from their full potentials, and it continues to hold our society back from any sort of progress. What can we do about it?

I have no answers there, except that we can't ignore it. So many white Americans live their day-to-day lives not once thinking about their race or complexion. In fact, many don't even identify with their race--it's not a way they describe themselves to others, and it's not something that adds or takes away from their life (from their perspective, at least). Not so for the minorities and people of color in this country, who are always aware of their race. By living a more mindful life, allowing your race to be part of your identity, and being fully aware of what has happened in this country.

--Megan