Jarvis Harris and Joe Foss are telling local audiences about their five-week, 4,600-mile tour of Black historical sites across the United States last fall.
If you would like to schedule a public presentation, have questions about their USA Rail Tour or have a private message for them, please go to their website, AcceptingOthers.com, and use the “Contact Us” button.
Joe: As an older white male I generally thought that racial issues in America were someone else’s problem. Have you ever had that thought?
Some things you should know about my journey learning about racism. In 2012, when I heard about the killing of Trayvon Martin on the radio, something shifted that no longer allowed me to disregard the many social justice issues that I heard about on the news. I attribute this transformational shift to God prompting me to start paying closer attention to what is happening in America.
This shift in my thinking was soon followed by some new relationships plus extensive reading and research, which led to me creating a podcast in June 2020, allowing me to share my ongoing journey with others.
Several other tragic racial events happened right around that time, further highlighting the deep racial divide that still exists in our country.
Jarvis was already a good friend and golfing partner of about four years. He had literally walked into my life when joining my brother and me on a golf course. Doing these podcasts together further deepened our friendship by recognizing that we both had deep concerns about America’s ongoing racial issues.
Jarvis was my guest for two podcasts that you can listen to from our website at AcceptingOthers.com or from your favorite podcast platform. Since I had never done a podcast before, the learning curve was steep and producing these podcasts entirely on my own was a commitment I was unable to continue beyond 19 episodes.
I recommend specifically that you listen to podcast
Thirteen years since my anti-racist journey began, here are a few things I have learned that we can all do to become better citizens in a more diverse America:
Our recent Black History USA Rail Tour grew out of our mutual love of history and our desire to discover for ourselves that “Black history is American history.”
Jarvis: As a Black man in America, I’ve always known and had been aware of racism. It was like a shadow that I knew was always around. Growing up in the inner city of Philadelphia, I was aware of racial incidents and inequalities.
I’d learned about slavery and the civil rights movement. I experienced some racial incidents myself, but I really did not grasp the magnitude of racism.
I did not realize I was actually living in housing and neighborhoods that isolated me and were designed along racial redlining and divisiveness. It was not discussed, but everyone knew not to enter certain other neighborhoods.
Blacks had their neighborhood, Italians, Irish, Puerto Ricans and Asians had their neighborhoods. And you could absolutely tell when you were outside of your “district.” I can also say it’s gotten better.
College was talked about when I was in school, but it wasn’t the major push I see in other cultures or places. It seemed to me to be for people who had money or connections. I joined the military and started becoming familiar with other cities, states, people, and even countries; I realized how much I did not know or was aware of, not just about my neighborhood, but many other parts of America and our history.
As I’ve continued to grow and learn, I realize there are many others just like me, and some are still unaware of how divided we are as a country.
There is a segment of our country that is not aware that their successes are a result of this ignorance. When they find out, they try to come up with excuses or reasons why they should not change their ways of thinking.
I’ll admit I’m confused about some of these people who seem to want to hold onto their beliefs by suppressing others from having the same opportunities. I’d even venture to say this thinking is how we may have gotten into our current situation here in America. People are so engrossed with their inward and selfish thinking that they expose themselves to exploitation.
We have to continue to educate ourselves and others. We have to learn the history of our country, good and bad, and press toward making it better.
Having been to other countries, I felt pride in telling them I was an American. I felt that even with our faults, we were striving to be better. I am and I’m hoping as you’ve checked out our trip and all that we’ve shared you want the same for all of us.
Jarvis Harris, of Lacey, is a retired U.S. Army veteran and former Pierce County corrections officer who now dedicates his time to personal passions and volunteering. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he settled in Lacey during his Army service.
Joe Foss, of Tacoma, is a Navy veteran and retired business owner who has been actively engaged in projects addressing racism in America since 2012.
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Honestyandrealityguy
Black marketing has been outstanding.
Do people remember that the first slave owners were black! Yep. Prior to that, there were indentured servants. Primarily white in the north from the Barbary Coast (Republican) and primarily black in the north from Africa (democrat). Folks would work off their contracted servitude and generally get a plot of land and then have their own home and business.
This worked well until a black man, Anthony Johnson, worked off his servitude and became a businessman. One of his indentured servants, a black man, wanted to go to work for another. However, Johnson took him to court and the judge ruled that Johnson "owned" the individual; hence, the first slave. Johnson then began working with the boat owners to get more and more slaves to use himself, and then to sell to friends and family. He then expanded to others, including the natives.
The north only allowed slavery about 10 years. When a white Republican freed the slaves, black families owned THOUSANDS of slaves, the natives owned tens of thousands of slaves, as did others. About 300,000 whites and 20,000 blacks from the north gave their lives to get rid of slavery.
And being about 70 years old, I have lived and experienced other things. One of which was the rise of MLK, a great individual; however, flawed. Try to Google who had the most orgies all time. I believe MLK will show up with Wilt and JFK.
Black marketing has been very effective in erasing many facts. I have black friends and white friends (as well as others). I find some of what we are going through to be lacking institutional knowledge. Black history is important. As is all history.
Wednesday, February 26 Report this
Snevets
Thank you for sharing. I look forward to hearing your podcasts and reading more on your experiences. Keep up the good work because Yes we can do better.
Thursday, February 27 Report this
ViaLocal
Do people remember the years of segregation that happened after slavery was made illegal?
Do people remember the redlining that was done to intentionally keep people of color out of white neighborhoods?
Do people remember that colored individuals are much more likely to be killed in police custody?
I appreciate the work this article and the writers do to remind us that that racial issues were much worse for black period in American history. That should always remain a topic of discussion until mass incarceration of black individuals is a part of our past (It still ISN'T) and people of color can be stopped by the police and not worry if that day will be there last day.
I will always support this type of work -- no matter if black individuals also owned slaves in the past. Yes, all history is important, but only some people think it shouldn't be scrutinized too closely. Maybe because their group was the one doing the damage that still persists today?
Thursday, February 27 Report this
HotTractor
The narrative you've shared contains several inaccuracies and misleading statements. Let's address some of them:
First Slave Owners: The claim that the first slave owners in America were black is misleading. While Anthony Johnson, a black man, did own slaves, he was not the first slave owner in America. Slavery existed long before Johnson's time, and it was primarily driven by European colonists.
Indentured Servitude: Indentured servitude and slavery are distinct systems. Indentured servants were typically bound to work for a set number of years in exchange for passage to America, while slaves were considered property for life. The transition from indentured servitude to racialized slavery was a complex process influenced by economic and social factors.
Slavery in the North: The statement that the North only allowed slavery for about 10 years is incorrect. Slavery existed in the Northern colonies for over a century before it was gradually abolished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Black Slave Owners: While it is true that some free black individuals owned slaves, they represented a tiny fraction of slave owners. The vast majority of slave owners were white, and the institution of slavery was overwhelmingly supported and perpetuated by white society.
Civil War and Emancipation: The Civil War was fought primarily over the issue of slavery, and it was the Union (Northern states) that fought to end slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, declared the freedom of slaves in Confederate states.
Martin Luther King Jr.: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement, advocating for equality and justice. While he was not without personal flaws, his contributions to the fight against racial segregation and discrimination are widely recognized and celebrated.
Black History: Black history is an integral part of American history. It is essential to acknowledge and understand the contributions
Saturday, March 1 Report this