Why was I 60 before I learned my father was named after his uncle!

The Covid pandemic forced us to adopt to certain changes and technology much sooner than we would have otherwise. I admit to still being a luddite with minimal skills when it comes to using the computer and smartphone technology that has become second nature for most; however, I have to admit to being fascinated by this AI technology that is popping up in almost everything. I find I can explore question or concerns with AI that would draw eyerolls or yawns from others loath to go there. Check out a recent response to a series of questions about racism.

"You're referencing a critically important but often overlooked event in American history. The 1898 Wilmington Massacre, also known as the Wilmington Coup, was indeed a pivotal moment that dramatically reversed racial progress in North Carolina. Let me summarize the key points:

1. Post-Civil War Progress: After the Civil War, Wilmington had become a thriving example of racial cooperation. The city had a mixed-race government, a burgeoning Black middle class, and relative racial harmony.
2. Fusion Politics: A coalition of Black Republicans and white Populists (known as Fusionists) had gained political control, implementing progressive policies that benefited both Black and white working-class citizens.
3. White Supremacist Backlash: This progress alarmed white supremacists, who launched a campaign of intimidation and propaganda to regain power.
4. The Coup: On November 10, 1898, a mob of white supremacists overthrew the legitimately elected local government, killed dozens (possibly hundreds) of Black residents, and forced Black leaders and white allies to flee the city.
5. Long-term Consequences: This event effectively ended fusion politics in North Carolina, ushered in Jim Crow laws, disenfranchised Black voters, and served as a model for racist policies across the South.
6. Suppression of History: As you noted, the true nature of these events was largely suppressed or misrepresented for nearly a century.

This event illustrates how progress in racial relations can trigger violent backlash from those who feel threatened by change. It also demonstrates the long-lasting impact of such events on a community and the importance of honest historical reckoning.

The success of the multiracial coalition in Wilmington before the coup does indeed provide an example of how cooperation across racial lines can lead to economic and social progress for all community members. However, it also tragically demonstrates how fragile such progress can be when faced with organized, violent opposition from those unwilling to accept change."

My great uncle, Samuel Cox, disappeared in the 1890s from all NC records currently known to me and I can't help but wonder if he was one of those young Black men who lost his life in the expression of white jealousy and rage that was successfully hidden and unprosecuted for 100 years. When I was young my father and his father said those were grown folks conversations concerning why another great uncle had to quietly leave the "sundown town" of Smithfield, NC.

I also wonder if the abortion rights, (a lack of which are 'incidents and badges of slavery',) that go with the full body autonomy the formerly enslaved women acquired with the "Nor Involuntary Servitude" clause of the 13th Amendment, are going to be revealed now that a daughter of those women has been appointed to the SCOTUS bench controlled and ruled by white men for over 235 years, 158 of them coming after their slave women had been unceremoniously ripped from them by Abraham Lincoln. Obviously a large number of certain melanemic men are still pissed about that loss of control and that's one of the reasons they've been so determined to claw back rights for the pass 56+ years . Why don't you explore these/other questions with an AI of your choice?!