By Brian Joye
Dear Friends, First, let me thank you for reading my blog and sharing insights and comments. Reflecting on the observable ever-growing meanness and lack of civility currently unfolding in our country, I recently shared two posts to address that concern.
In June, we looked at Robert Fulghum’s, Everything I learned in Kindergarten. In July, I shared “The Rules of Civility,” accredited to a 16th century Jesuit that George Washington endeavored to follow. One of my blog followers, colleague and good friend Brian Joye, a native St. Louisan and retired Public High School teacher at Hazelwood School district, now residing in Philadelphia with his wife Sharon, also a retired Hazelwood High School teacher, felt that George Washington, as a slave holder, should be held accountable despite following “The Rules of Civility.” FYI: Roughly a third to half of the Founding Fathers had enslaved people, most notably besides George Washington was Thomas Jefferson. Those who did not hold slaves were John Adams, his son, John Quincy Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Paine.
With that introduction, I am sharing with you Brian Joye’s blog entry for September, “Whitewashing History. ” The book that Brian recommends by Joseph Ellis is excellent. It is not a long read, but very well written and reminds us of some of the history we may have forgotten regarding the enslaved and the Native Americans.
See you in October.
Bridget
Our first president, George Washington, was a complicated and brilliant man full of contradictions. In many ways he is the perfect human representation of our complicated and brilliant country so full of those same contradictions. As Bridget wrote in her July blog, he was also a man of profound dignity who took civility seriously. Bridget’s words struck me at a time when the Trump administration is whitewashing the issue of slavery at the President’s House exhibit in Philadelphia where I live. I responded to Bridget and recommended professor Joseph J. Ellis’ timely book, appropriately titled The Great Contradiction.
Professor Ellis does not pull any punches as he destroys the myths surrounding Washington and his revolutionary generation. He wants us to see the complexities of the founders; that they were neither heroes nor villains in the choices they made. From the very beginning, Ellis warns us against viewing Washington by making the mistake of “presentism.” In other words, assuming our political and moral values now can be applied to our predecessors.
Should we give Washington a free pass for owning slaves until the day he died in 1799? While a man of his time and a Virginian through and through, did Washington do enough to end slavery since he knew it was wrong? I for one say “no free pass.” In Washington’s time there were many who called out slavery for the evil that it was and called for taking steps towards abolition. I am simply applying the moral light and values of white Philadelphians such as Anthony Benezet or Doctor Benjamin Rush. The existence of prominent Black Philadelphians such as Benjamin Banneker, Richard Allen, Absalom Jones, and James Forten also shows that Washington deserves no free pass. These were men of his “present” generation. Even Benjamin Franklin sat through the Constitutional Convention in that hot Philly summer of 1787 with an emancipation petition tucked in his pocket. Finally, the British abolitionist Edward Rushton is famous for writing Washington towards the end of his second term challenging his hypocrisy.
At the risk of contradicting myself, Washington, Jefferson, and Madison were Virginians through and through. As Virginians, they chose to not expend any political or social capital to end slavery even though they believed it was wrong. They knew any move against slavery would end their political careers and their standing in their communities. This is something that is easier to understand for us today if we can imagine ourselves walking in their shoes. They made a rational decision to support slavery because they were dependent on the labor of slaves, they wanted to survive politically, and they hoped beyond hope that slavery would just eventually disappear. There would be a high butcher’s bill to be paid some 70 years later.
The bottom line for us in 2026 is how much political and social capital do we want to risk to move our nation forward to form a more perfect union? Most of us are not in positions of power and influence like a Washington or Jefferson. But we do have a say in how justice works in our communities. We can challenge our churches and schools to step up and fight racism and discrimination. We do have a vote. Becoming a multiracial America is hard work. Fighting white supremacy was a fight Washington and Jefferson ignored. We have a choice to make as well in 2026. Professor Ellis states, “In effect, we are still living a story about the presumption of white supremacy that had its origins and first chapter in the American founding.” Maybe this is what the Trump administration is trying to whitewash at the President’s House.
The Annunciation Blog 