Learning From History

• In Event: History, Hate, and Hope

Abstract

The first presenter believes that in order to dismantle racial and other injustices, and to move from discrimination, violence, and even hate to the possibilities of acceptance and love it is necessary to understand the long history of sanctioned separation, discrimination, discovery and enslavement of minoritized peoples. Shilliam argues that historical events still impact what occurs in our world today and bluntly asserts that

Our current world order, in some ways, is still being shaped by the impact of the crusades-perhaps the first consolidated attempt by European powers at imperial expansion-and the ways in which the crusades were justified by a set of Papal Bulls which divided humanity into those who could be saved-that would be the Catholics-and those who were idolaters who had rejected the word of Christ-which would be the Muslims, Jews, the "Heathens," and especially Africans. (Shilliam, 2021).

Too often scholars begin their accounts of injustice with what happened in their country, (thus, in the US, often with slavery), without going farther to the roots or origins of such policies and practices. Nevertheless, if one looks to the Crusades, beginning in the 11th century, one finds that the desire to rid Holy lands of Muslims, often then called “infidels” was the overriding motivation. Later, the Christian Church (first Roman Catholic and then others) sanctioned wars against both Jewish and Muslim rule, as well as the acquisition of lands and the condemnation of their inhabitants to perpetual enslavement in order to convert them to the” use and profit” of the Church.. Thus, the Doctrines of Discovery, originating from these early events not only affected Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and US, but many countries in Africa and South America.

Although Pope Francis finally repudiated the Doctrines of Discovery in March 2023, there can be little doubt that centuries of entrenched discrimination in which peoples were villainized, believed to be animals, savage, or sub-human, must be understood in order to be eradicated. This history will be the basis of the argument of the first presentation and will undoubtedly spark strong response and discussion.

Author

• Carolyn M. Shields, Wayne State University