History points to the nature of humans to dominate politically, socially, and economically other humans. They do that by forming "tribes, clans, companies or nations".
Politicians in recent years have engaged in identity politics. Each of these identity groups searches history to find evidence supporting their status as "victims". In most cases, those assertions are real... gender, race, etc. As the decedents of victims they feel deserving of "reparations" or other special consideration.
I am waiting for the Irish to rise up and Russian Jews who were abused by the German Jews, and let's not forget all the children of the indentured servants who were abused by wealthy English plantation owners. How about people descended from prisoners shipped off to Georgia when it was a prison colony? Study history long enough and you will find out your ancestors were wronged and you bare the scars of those distant events today.
But in the process of dividing us, those same politicians are laying the groundwork for discrimination and violence not mitigating it. Remember people form "tribes" to dominate other groups not to reconcile with them...
Identity politics won't fix the problems they will compound them... history teaches us that.
History can be used by nations to teach a set of shared values and identity as Americans to overcome the divisive nature of identity politics and past injustices. So my African American grandchildren are just as vested in the "symbol" of George Washington as my white grandchild even if he owned slaves. Likewise, all of my grandchildren are vested in "the Dream" of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Alternatively, history can be used to teach us how each tribe has acted in the past and why each tribe should fight to get their due by (in the words of Malcolm X) any means necessary.
As a grandfather with mostly multi racial and multi cultural grandchildren, I prefer history be used to teach us that we are one people even though we came from different places... not different people living under one roof.
