The author reflects on a childhood visit to Clarksdale, Mississippi, recalling two vivid memories—overwhelming mosquitoes and a 'whites only' drinking fountain. The chilling realization struck when the author understood that the fountain, emblazoned with the exclusionary message, was a dormant symbol of historic segregation. The memory is highlighted by a broader context of ongoing racism, drawing a parallel to the present under the Trump administration, where the remnants of white supremacy eyes a resurgence. The narrative illustrates how past injustices linger and resurface in contemporary society, manifesting in political ideologies and actions.
The sign was just... dormant. I didn't know then about the 'Lost Cause'... but it was clear to me that the people who made the original sign hadn't given up.
They were just waiting for their opportunity to refurbish the fountain and once again exclude Black people from using it.
Under this new regime, all of their white supremacist and neo-apartheid ideations can be realized again. Literally.
My mother wasn't allowed to drink from the same fountain, yet here I was, experiencing both the scars of history and an unnerving sense of continuity.
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