War in Black and White

Dear Toni Morrison,
American society is undoubtedly at war (as it has been since the eighteenth century), and its people have only two options: black or white. It’s a war that holds complete disregard for class, gender, or any other facet of identity, including the fluidity of race. And it’s a war futile for the black side, as all of America is pitted against it. As you so eloquently say, “only when the lesson of racial estrangement is learned is assimilation complete.” It’s a requirement to be accepted into American culture to join the fight against blacks, against “disorder,” as they are perceived. As author Liz Lin suggests, immigrants in particular must “keep [their] head down and [their] mouth shut… to be welcomed and accepted” in America. With these societal expectations and inclinations, do you believe this is a war that can be won or, ideally, end in a truce? Or will fire never cease?
Sincerely,

Lucy Sandeen

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