Future Promise—: History as a Guide to Navigate Contemporary Policy

Abstract

Future Promise—History as a Guide to Navigate Contemporary Policy María T. Colompos-Tohtsonie (bio) As we celebrate the eighty-fifth anniversary of the Black History Bulletin, the critical knowledge project of Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, it is salient to link historical trauma to future promise by contextualizing contemporary policies. History has grounded our understanding of our beginnings and has allowed us to move forward toward who our ancestors dreamed of us becoming. In light of reflecting on the sociohistorical and sociocultural aspects of historical trauma, there have been collective efforts in the realm of knowledge building and citizenry constructs through policy implementation. [1] Therefore, the goal of policy production is to recognize how the past has influenced the present and how the present can be used to shape future policies from the traumatic nexus where race, trauma, violence, and white supremacy intersect. Click for larger view View full resolution Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune [End Page 31] History as a Guide The history of the United States outlines systemic racial trauma and white supremacy, which has held as the main policy design for federal and state policies. An extensive societal shift within the United States that streamlined racial trauma and white supremacy was the American Eugenics Movement. The policies that emerged from the American Eugenics Movement throughout the 1900s delineated the relationship between race matters and societal policies that still lingers throughout the United States. The external effects of the American Eugenics Movement shaped the public consciousness concerning white supremacy. This was the common belief of people who lived through the American Eugenics Movement, especially in the eyes of white Americans who were keen on establishing policies to hinder the growth of the Black population. For instance, from 1931 to 1968, the majority of Black people in the state of California were subjected to wrongful treatment from landlords. The Rumford Fair Housing Act, a law passed in 1963, helped ease racial discrimination by property owners and landlords who refused to rent or sell their property to Black customers. [2] Although the law was passed, numerous interest groups collaborated with local and state government officials to ensure that policies were created to avoid compliance with the law. As a result, an increased concentration in utilizing history as a facilitator for change is vital in fortifying future promises within the policy realm. Navigating Contemporary Policy The synergetic relationship between the public and public administrators relies on the implementation of public policies that are not narrowly defined, ambiguous, or radically subjective. “It takes time, effort, mobilization of many actors, and the expenditure of political resources to keep an item prominent on the agenda.” [3] The main determinant that influences positive race relations for Blacks is challenging the prevailing dominant attitudes by highlighting racial undertones in legacy existing policies. By initiating research projects into legacy policies, civic action campaigns become linked to political agendas of the three levels of government. [4] Moreover, the distinction of a policy actor and political actor within different enclaves sheds light on how policy implementation requires technical and citizenry knowledge. Future Promise Symbolic public policies are instrumental in evaluating the efforts made in fulfilling a political agenda and reinforcing attention to race-relation problems, which are enacted by political and legal agents found in public administration. By understanding the social constructs of meanings and values within [End Page 32] social intergovernmental institutions, adaptive sociocultural leaders will be able to effectively articulate acculturated policy initiatives for policy practitioners. The future promise of minimizing the polarization of Black policy agents within intergovernmental matters can be alleviated by cultivating knowledge networks from historical perspectives. María T. Colompos-Tohtsonie María T. Colompos-Tohtsonie, MPPA, is a doctoral candidate studying Educational Leadership Policy at Texas Tech University. Her book Borders, Bras, and Battles: A Practical Guide to Mentor Undergraduate Women to Achieve Career Success earned a 2016 Society of Professors of Education Book Award. María’s research and publications include mentoring students who are culturally and/or linguistically diverse, education policy, historical and contemporary legal procedures, culturally-responsive leadership, and public policy. https://www.amazon.com/Borders-Bras-Battles-Practical...