Next Tuesday at 9 p.m. the topic for “Mouthwash,” the FB podcast hosted by John Scmitz, will be Critical Race Theory (“CRT”). Florida says CRT teaches racism is not a product of prejudice, but “is embedded in our society and legal systems to uphold supremacy of white persons.”

If not accurate as a description of CRT, it is accurate as a description of the USA’s history. Only euphemisms describe slavery in The Constitution (“three fifths of all other persons” (Art. I, § 2); “Importation of such Persons” (Art. I, §9).)

Times were happy on the plantations, only if one ignores history. “Between the 17th and 19th centuries, enslaved Africans and African Americans in British North America and the United States staged hundreds of revolts.” (Nat’l Geographic, 11/8/19.)

Pro-slavery politicians acknowledged the fears of white slave holders in the South. President Buchanan, in his last address to Congress, blamed agitators for abolition who produced a malign influence on the slaves and inspired them with vague notions of freedom....

“Hence a sense of security no longer exists around the family altar. This feeling of peace at home has given place to apprehensions of servile insurrections. Many a matron throughout the South retires at night in dread of what may befall herself and children before the morning.”

Alabama’s Commissioner wrote to Kentucky’s governor: “new theory of Government destroys the property of the South ... inaugurates ... horrors of a San Domingo servile insurrection ... her wives and daughters to ... violation, to gratify the lust of half-civilized Africans.”

Patrick Henry never said “Give me liberty or give me death,” but if he had, his sentiments only went to white people. Slaves, apparently, were supposed to understand their lot was as divine authority had destined. If slaves fought for liberty, it was not as “god” wished.

A delegate said Alabama’s language was honest: “American slavery is to stand before the world as it is.... We have sought by no euphony to hide its name. We have called our negroes 'slaves', and we have recognized and protected them as persons and our rights to them as property.”

This acknowledges what was only euphemism in The Constitution. It also demonstrates that from 1789 until the end of the Civil War, racism and prejudice were “embedded in our society and legal systems to uphold supremacy of white persons.”

There is a timeline for slavery in our history, from 1619 to 1776 (and The Declaration’s clear statement that all people are born free with the rights to “life liberty and happiness); then from 1776 to the 1789 elections under The Constitution.

Then followed the 76 years until the end of The Civil War and emancipation. We whitewash these 237 years of the most evil of institutions if we think (the lesser total of) 156 years after saw equality for former slaves and their descendants.

The right wing has been clever in its branding. We should not teach “Critical Race Theory. We need to teach history. If Indiana AG Todd Rokita has his way, we only will learn of the happy slaves on plantations. And kids only will learn euphemisms. Prejudice will endure.