What myths are shattered with his newest work?
The current political moment compels a clear analysis of history to understand the forces shaping today's material and political conditions.
Dr. Horne’s analysis, research and intellectual production bring clarity to a moment defined by uncertainty, confusion and chaos. His diverse body of work includes over 40 books as settler colonialism, (racial) capitalism and white supremacy became the focus of his scholarship in recent years.
He is frequently interviewed as a recurrent guest on several radio shows and podcasts to share his observations and analysis of recent developments in national and global politics.
Dr. Horne recently visited Sista’s Place in Brooklyn, New York to discuss his newest book, “The Capital of Slavery: Washington D.C. 1800-1865”. The book is another installment in his body of work, highlighting the counter-narratives and contradictions dispelling those strongly held myths of American history, particularly around the nation’s founding.
For over two hours, Dr. Horne framed the discussion around his long-standing thesis/analysis, incredible insights from the book as well as his observations and analysis of current events in both national and global politics.
Book insights
He points to the “cyclonic burst of propaganda” already in motion in preparation for next year's 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, “...It's already begun…with regard to some of the attempted distortions of the history of this country up to and including circumscribing the Smithsonian Museum, action our history of Washington DC, to it including trying to remove photographs of beaten Africans with scars on their back because it doesn't comport with the historic narrative of the founding of the United States…”
Dr. Horne describing Raoul Peck’s 2021 documentary, “Exterminate All the Brutes” as a “sweeping castigation of settler colonialism”, allowed him to segue to his long-standing critique/thesis on the setter colonialism and class collaboration question where he calls out the white left.
“...Interestingly enough, this is rather disheartening that the term settler colonialism is increasingly being used to describe historic Palestine but I'm sure the Israel patriates and the Israeli lobby in this country are prime to accuse those who used that descriptor for historic Palestine, don’t use it for America. They start to shout anti Semitism, in terms of using it for Israel but not the United States of America…”
Dr. Horne extended his analysis to include the connection he typically makes between anti-Black racism and what has happened in the Israeli West Bank settlements. “...Those of us who examine settler colonialism know that inherent in settler colonialism is class collaboration, Horne continues, “Look at the settlements in the West Bank, for example…there is a kind of parallel between what's happening in the West Bank, and what transpired in the United States of America. I would likely think that the proliferating movement into this country, in solidarity with the Palestinians has to do with the parallelism between these two movements.
In addition to Peck’s work, Prof. Horne recommended similar works of counter-narratives such as, Tyler Stovall’s, “White Freedom: The Racial History of an Idea", Ishmael Reed’s, The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Belle, the 2013 movie depiction of Dido Elizabeth Belle, and “The Book of Negroes”.
This is where Dr. Horne directs attention to the large population of Blacks in the DMV area, the Haitian revolution that ignites not only a crisis of the entire slave system, but slave revolts as well.
He highlights a contradiction - one grounded in fear, such as in the post office where there was a “real nervousness” of Black postal workers using the postal system to send, abolitionist literature, anti-slavery literature, and seditious literature, “...and as I point out in the book, there was a real fear of this population that the enslavers were depended upon. so that obviously a toxic combination when you're fearing those who were propelling your economy. On the one hand, you want to exploit them to their last breath, on the other hand, you want to get rid of them….”
Dr. Horne also outlined several of the ugly realities of slavery - the exploitation and treatment of black women, the afterlife of slavery, that includes rape culture, sex slaves, house of prostitution and breeding. To underline his analysis, he points to Amrita Chakrabarti Myers' book, “The Vice President’s Black wife; The Untold Life of Julia Chinn” a study on the life of Julia Chinn, the Black enslaved wife of Richard M. Johnson, who served as vice president under President Martin Van Buren.
Recent developments
He went on to discuss the precedent set with reparations being paid to owners of the enslaved to England’s colonies like Jamaica and Barbados while highlighting the connection of uncompensated expropriation of private property, to the rise of Klan terrorism. Dr. Horne amplified the parallels between the collaboration between liberals and conservatives enabling anti-communism and the Red Scares of the past to today’s iteration that now includes a "Blue" Scare.
This is where Dr. Horne transitioned from discussing his book to sharing his acute observations and analysis of the recent developments on both the national and global stage.
He began to outline what he described as the “graphic of crisis” - a montage of threats that paints a picture of American imperialism in crisis, seemingly centered on the rise of China.
Dr. Horne’s analysis this October evening is both an example and a critical reminder of the analysis needed today to inform our political life. His analysis compels a different discussion about American history, American imperialism, racial capitalism and fascism.
Dr. Horne's work reminds us that understanding our history is a weapon in the fight against fascism.
Additional Reading
Notes from Around the Horne, weekly updated list of articles reviewed by Dr. Horne for his weekly show.
Around the Horne, You-Tube channel from the Activist News Network
Gerald Horne's interviews, De Facto Podcast
