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The Dream is built on the oppression of black people from "summary" of Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Dream is built on our backs, the bedrock of this country. We were the foundation upon which it was built, the bricks that constructed it. Our bodies and labor were the building blocks of this nation, the very essence of its existence. And yet, we were not meant to partake in the fruits of our own labor. We were oppressed, marginalized, and dehumanized to uphold the Dream for others. The Dream was never meant for us, the black people who toiled in the fields, the factories, the homes of the white elite. We were kept in chains, both physical and mental, shackled by the belief that we were less than human. Our worth was measured by the color of our skin, our value determined by our ability to serve the needs of others. The Dream thrived on our suffering, feeding off the pain and anguish of black bodies. It was sustained by the blood of our ancestors, the tears of our mothers, the cries of our children. The Dream demanded our silence, our obedience, our submission in order to maintain its power and privilege. But despite the centuries of oppression, despite the brutal legacy of slavery, segregation, and systemic racism, we have not been broken. We have survived, we have resisted, we have fought for our freedom and our humanity. We have risen up against the Dream, challenging its authority, exposing its lies, and demanding justice and equality for ourselves and our children. The Dream may be built on the oppression of black people, but it is not indestructible. It is not impervious to change, to revolution, to the power of a people united in their struggle for liberation. We must continue to rise up against the Dream, to dismantle its structures of racism and inequality, and to build a new world where all people are truly free and equal.
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