Reagan, Racism, and Collective Memory

 

Reagan, Racism, and Collective Memory

            President Ronald Reagan was inaugurated into public office January 20^th, 1981. Seven years later, former President Reagan gave his “Proclamation 5846 - National Civil Rights Day, 1988” speech declaring August 12^th as “National Civil Rights Day”, approximately twenty-seven years after the civil rights movement. Reagan begins his speech by acknowledging the American citizens who “dedicated their lives to the achievement of equal rights, equal opportunity, equal protection of the law, and mutual respect and reconciliation”. I believe that this is an important opening statement because it addresses the civil rights activists in the past who challenged a discriminatory society and demanded equality. However, it was the words that followed this recognition that I believe provides insight to how the past effects the future.

These Americans have reminded us that the promise of the Declaration of Independence is a universal and eternal one – that God has granted everyone alike “certain unalienable Rights,… among these … Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” and that our duty and privilege as Americans is to guard and guarantee this promise always.

 

The very word “always” implies continuous implication, a prospective memory that forever links the past to the future. This speech specifically constructs the past as relevant to the present as Reagan continues by attributing Martin Luther King Jr.’s march on Washington, an event that occurred twenty-five years prior to Reagan’s speech, as the cause for National Civil Rights Day to be declared in August (the same month of the march). In addition, Reagan clearly defined the line that disassociated the United States of America and racism, stating “Discrimination and prejudice have no place in American life”. It is important to analyze this sentence in Reagan’s speech because he is setting up the narrative that; to be discriminatory and prejudice, you are not American. This sentence holds power that associates equality to Americanism in representation of freedom. The lessons of the Civil Rights Movement teach individuals to hold their nation accountable to the injustices taken place and challenge the government to act in protecting their civil rights, an action that the United States government is meant to do. These lessons brought forth the protection of equality we experience today and teaches American citizens that change is attainable for a better future. Reagan took an historic event from the past, dedicated a specific day to commemorate this event, and put forth a connection that will forever link the civil rights movement to August 12^th. In return, individuals can correlate the importance of August 12^th to the importance of civil rights and the civil rights movement. Reagan concludes his speech stating, “I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities, including a pause at noon for a moment of silence in tribute to those who have given their lives to secure civil rights for all Americans”. This initiates the act of commemorating the civil rights movement and all that took part to ensure civil rights and equality. In addition, this welcomes individuals to expand the conversation of civil rights by also commemorating collective stories from the civil rights era.

In conclusion, I believe the format in which Reagan approached presenting this speech represents the importance of the Civil Rights Movement as the cornerstone of implementing equality as a nation. Reagan also framed his speech to negatively portray discrimination and prejudice ideologies in a way that does not align with what it means to be an American citizen. This is an important take away from Reagan’s speech because it effects how future generations perceive discrimination and pushes future generations to always fight for their civil rights.

References

Proclamation 5846-national civil rights day, 1988. Proclamation 5846-National Civil Rights Day, 1988 | The American Presidency Project. (1988, August 19). Retrieved April 3, 2022, from https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-5846-national-civil-rights-day-1988