“Hide Enslavements”

This afternoon I was in the Des Moines Register (a Gannett newspaper) archives and I noticed a new option in my filters. In addition to being able to hide marriages and obituaries, subscribers can now hide enslavements.

This is a pretty clear example of systemic racism and systemic erasure in action. Who benefits from being able to filter out old newspaper ads and articles which documented one of the United States’ original sin, the “peculiar institution” that was American race-based chattel slavery. People who are descendants of slavery, generally speaking, already know it. Is it a source of pride? Not really. It’s not our shame to bear, either. Who is served by being able to filter out any and all references of slavery? White supremacy benefits, that’s who.

It seems contradictory to the purpose and ethics of journalism to cater to those who are committed to ignorance. We deserve better in our media.