The Tulsa Massacre Speech: Tom Hanks correctly points out few, if any, history books wrote of this slaughter of innocent black people by white racists outside of Tulsa in 1921. He states little was written about black people with the exception of a few famous and or successful blacks like Dr. King, due to the fact most of the history was written by white people, about white people. The historical focus he claims was to minimize the racist parts of our history. It would have been good to put that story in the history books but to suggest it being left out is evidence the history of our country for the past 60 years overlooked, or minimized slavery and post slavery racism, is just simply not true.

“The United States…The History of a Republic ” 2nd Ed 1967 : This was one of my college textbooks at the University of California Berkeley, American History 101. This text was first printed in 1957. The section on slavery was most extensive. The story puts the slavery issue in the context of the historical times providing a good picture of American life before the start of the civil war. The problem with Tom Hanks comments is that he takes this one incident, which was not taught, and suggests it is evidence of the minimizing of the slavery and racism story in America.

America, Not A Racist Nation: The real story of American slavery and racism is not that we were a racist nation, but rather that we overcame these evils and have become a more equal, just, and free nation. America is not without racists, but America is not systematically racist. We are not systematically keeping minorities, and specifically black Americans down. There is no “systematic racism” in America today. If one honestly looks at the American work world you will see Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and minorities of all types, at all levels of our society.

Opportunity For All: Surgeons, Mayors, University Presidents, Military Generals, Astronauts, Police Chiefs, Congress people, a US Senator, a US President, and now a female black Vice President, shout out to all who will see that America is the land of equal opportunity, regardless of race, religion, sex, or color of skin.

Tom Hanks suggestion to teach the Tulsa tragedy is fine, but to claim our university and other educational leaders want to minimize the telling of our history is not just wrong, it fuels racial division and strife. The very thing Tom Hanks says he is against he promotes by misrepresenting not the past, but rather the present. He also does what many on the left do which is to simplify history by evaluating it within the context of our 21st Century life.

Left Wing Hypocrisy: Tom Hanks comments were harmful, if not dangerous, as they suggest a current level of white racism in our country that is just simply not there. All I can say to Tom Hanks is if you want to address a real present day evil being ignored by all then speak up about China’s genocide of the Uyghur people in Western China. Now Tom there is a real story of ignoring the slaughter of not hundreds…. but millions of innocent people. This is a 21st Century Genocide. Why don’t you go after that story Tom….and maybe do a tell all on Chairman Xis role in all of it too? I know it does not fit into your tidy world view of American being a racist nation….so I won’t hold my breath waiting for your outrage.

Michael Hawke