Cyclical Passage of Time at Parchman: How to Stop History from Repeating Itself

 The Parchman documentary shows the cyclical passage of time, but I’d like to argue that time doesn’t have to pass cyclically. The documentary provides several examples of people in power using their influence to enable the repetition of history since racial reform didn’t suit their agendas. Perhaps the most blatant instance of racism is the “Jim Crow Justice” meted out by the Mississippi courts, where Black people were purposely sent to Parchman so that they could work the fields just like they did before the Emancipation Proclamation. Additionally, the delta blues are very similar to the songs sung by slaves as they worked on the plantations in the delta. Finally, the fact that Parchman was only desegregated in 1972, 18 years after Brown v. Board of Education overruled the “separate but equal” clause of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), shows how intent many people in the south are to continue to oppress Black people. The sad truth is that most white people just ignore or deny the presence of racism. This complicity enables history to repeat itself. We need to speak out against racial injustice, rather than staying silent because it doesn’t directly affect us. If we remain silent, we are facilitating the repetition of our nation’s racist past. Only by taking a stand against racism can we prevent history from repeating itself and eradicate the disgusting disease of racism. If enough people call out those who perpetuate racism (for instance, if enough people in 19th and 20th century Mississippi had said “Jim Crow Justice is unconstitutional because it violates 14th Amendment, which guarantees due process of law and equal protection under the law, which this corrupt court system is denying to Black people”), we can stop the cyclical repetition of racism - at Parchman and everywhere.