PHOTO: Rev. Torli H. Krua, Founder, Universal Human Rights International (UHRI)
Open Letter To Senator Scott-R-SC
Yes, America Is Racist-Old Racist Laws Still Harm!
April 28, 2021
No American should be ashamed of or deny America is racist-We didn’t do it-Let’s make new laws that mitigate old racist laws!
Dear Senator Scott,
Greetings and best wishes. I write to respond to your speech of April 28, 2021. While I agreed with a lot of what you had to say, I disagree with your statement: “America is not a racist country.” Your proof, “I’m an African American who has voted in the South my entire life. I take voting rights personally,” As a Liberian fighting for Liberian Refugees who were denied access to humanitarian assistance and work permits since October 1, 2002, I strongly disagree with Senator Scott because there are three racist American Aparthied laws of 1790, 1819 and 1830.
Can Senator Scott point to one act of Congress that mitigated the harm the racist laws caused and continue to inflict on descendants? Neither the American Civil War nor the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment or even the 1965 Civil Rights Law attempted to address the harm of America’s old racist laws. I know of no efforts aimed at mitigation of the ongoing harm of racial and economic violence unleashed by those racist laws enacted by Congress. America is a superpower worldwide but until racist laws enacted by Congress are mitigated, its delinquent homework is long overdue. “United we stand. Divided we fall.”An independent TRUTH Commission is a good starting point to initiate public confession, repentance, restitution and reconciliation that might mitigate ongoing racial atrocities.
Here’s the evidence that America is a racist country. Firstly, on March 26, 1790, racism became legal when Congress passed a law signed by President George Washington, a slaveholder until his death, making the color of a person’s skin a requirement for U.S. citizenship. The United States became the first country in modern history to adopt officially sanctioned racism or aparthied; because only “white persons” could become citizens of the United States. While this law is no longer on the books, the harm it caused and continues to cause have never been discussed or mitigated. Senator Scott, America’s official racism is true! Welcome to West Point, Liberia to smell and see for yourself.
After the 1790 racial citizenship law, the U.S. Congress, dominated by white supremacists went further to remove, colonize and banish all Americans with “inferior skin color” illegally disenfranchised by law. This is an ongoing crime against humanity! On March 3, 1819, Congress passed a bill signed into law by another slaveholder president, James Monroe, which appropriated $100,000.00 of American taxes to fund colonization of Americans (free Blacks) disenfranchised by the 1790 law.
The law specifically was to “provide logistics for a colony in Africa” and authorized the U.S. Navy to facilitate American Colonization in Africa. Later, in May 1830, Congress passed another racist bill signed into law, The Indian Removal Act, signed by yet another slave owner, white supremacist and president, Andrew Jackson.
On April 21, 1821, 86 Americans of color left America on board the ship Elizabeth and escorted by the U.S. Navy ship Cyanne. They landed at the port of Freetown, Sierra Leone in search of a suitable place to build a colony for Americans with “inferior skin color.” Of the 4,571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia between 1820 and 1843, only 1,819—40%—were alive in 1843. American Colonization was deadly for Americans as it was for Africa tribes in Liberia.
Senator Scott said America is not racist but in April, 2021, 6,000 Liberian refugees in the United States are at serious risk of infection and death due to Covid-19. Since October 1, 2002, the federal government has denied many Liberian refugees access to humanitarian assistance and permission to work, without any explanations or justifications. The health risks of these refugees put all Americans at risk.
In contrast to the treatment of Liberian refugees, Congress passed a law in 1992 that allowed 52,968 Chinese nationals granted Deferred ENforced Departure (DED) work permits after the Tiananmen Square incident to adjust to permanent residency status. The Chinese were not alone. Congress also passed legislation that allowed 150,000 Nicaraguans, 5,000 Cubans, 200,000 El Salvadorans, and 50,000 Guatemalans to adjust to permanent residency status.
Article 1 of the 1824 colonial constitution of Liberia reads: “All persons born within the limits of the territory held by the American Colonization Society in Liberia, in Africa, or removing there to reside, shall be free and entitled to all the privileges, as are enjoyed by the citizens of the United States.”
While admitting one million new immigrants yearly, racism keeps Liberians who built America and are “entitled to all privileges” banished forever. According to the Bushchicken News (www.bushchicken.com), 70% of Liberian visa applicants were denied visas in 2016, earning the U.S. Embassy US$1.73 million dollars that year. In fact For 200 years, America has falsely claimed that “freed slaves” founded Liberia.
The deception of “freed slaves” founded Liberia is a hoax because the purpose of Liberia wasn’t hidden:“...the colonization of the free people of color, will render the slave who remains in America more obedient, more faithful, more honest, and, consequently, more useful to his master, is it proper to regard this happy consequence to both, as the sole object which the Society (ACS) hope to attain…” “… to get rid of a useless and pernicious, if not dangerous, portion of our population.”Speaker At Congress: Henry Clay.
Perhaps Congress isn’t aware that in 1990 the US State Department instructed US Embassy staffers to illegally deny visitors visas to Liberian Applicants, in violation of the “equal protection clause” of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, but granted visas to foreigners including Lebanese and Indians.
Only 30 years later, President Trump signed the Liberian Refugee Fairness Act and President Biden signed an Executive Order to renew DED work permits for Liberians. Even so, 100 days into the Biden Administration, 6000 Liberians denied access to humanitarian assistance and work permits since October 1, 2002 still languish across America with no end in sight.
The Liberian Refugee Fairness Act remains unfair as it imposes a $1225.00 filing fee on long term unemployed Liberian refugees. Section 245(i) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act exempts all refugees from paying filing fees.
Racism is still ravaging the lives of descendants of Americans both in West Point, Liberia as well as, in the Covid-19 Pandemic ravaged America. Meanwhile, America is protecting cats and dogs, not Liberians. The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, was signed into law by President Trump, according to the New York Times article published on November 25, 2019.
To conclude, it’s crystal clear to me that the seeds of racism sown at Congress on March 26, 1790, March 3, 1819 and May 1830 and codified into laws signed by American presidents who were white supremacists and who owned slaves didn’t die when the slave masters died.
Racism blossomed and continues to bear the bitter fruits of unspeakable racial and economic atrocities against millions of human beings, including Americans of color such as mixed race Americans, African Americans, Native Americans, Liberians of American descent and indigenous Liberians. These Americans made contributions to the United States that predated the American Declaration of Independence but their humanity was denigrated because their skin color was considered inferior by white supremacists.
Americans living in the 21st Century shouldn’t be ashamed of the past racist laws of the United States or current pains inflicted as a result of past laws because we were not alive and didn’t contribute to the harm. However, because we can mitigate the harm, we must not make excuses or claim falsely that America isn’t a racist country.
Together, let’s mitigate officially sanctioned racism codified into law because racial violence and the economic atrocities of official racism are deadly and real in Liberia and within the borders of the United States. Indeed, “all persons born in Liberia…are entitled to all privileges enjoyed by citizens of the United States.”
Sincerely Yours,
Rev. Torli H. Krua, Founder, Universal Human Rights International (UHRI)
30 Gordon Street
Boston, MA 02134