A simulation models a real-world process or system. I propose that “assimilation” in America works similarly—testing whether imitating American behavior, appearance, and lifestyle leads to acceptance and elevation to American status.

When the so-called founding fathers named the land “America,” Indigenous people were already here. Rather than the folks showing up from a foreign land and assimilating into the Indigenous cultures, European immigrants forcefully imposed their customs, language, and dress. Sad to say, the plight of Indigenous kids remained a major assimilation program that uprooted children and removed them from reservations and their families to attend draconian assimilation schools to erase their “Indianness” and make them good Americans.

This pattern was the same with the forced arrival of African slaves in 1619. Traumatically kidnapped from the homeland, separated from language, culture, history, and tribal identities! 

As the nation grew, waves of immigrants came and reported being discouraged from speaking their native language and changing their names at Ellis Island to hide their ethnic origin.                

Fast forward, a few hundred years of the simulation of assimilation and what have we learned? If we are being honest, we have learned there is a stereotypical American but if you are a person of color, it is not you.

The recent dismantling of D.E.I. initiatives shows that assimilation has not succeeded. What are the options for those who have benefited from these so-called programs and now face expulsion or exclusion from opportunities? Should we give up or complain? While both actions are possible, they are impractical and not enough.

Growing up in the ’70s, I attended a segregated elementary school staffed by teachers with degrees from HBCUs. The principal was an Olympic contender in track. My mother, a Langston University alum, taught a 4th and 5^th grade combined class. Several teachers were award-winning orators, and my fourth-grade teacher was a FAMU beauty pageant winner. Our southside community involved parents and churches in education. People from various professions and economic backgrounds lived together, knowing each other well. We were a connected community.

Like many in my generation, I was part of a cross-town busing experiment to desegregate public elementary schools. The simulation appeared flawed from the beginning, as more affluent Southside Black children sent by bus to wealthier white schools, while less affluent Southside children attended schools in poorer white neighborhoods. As an adult, I had conversations with my mother about why the process was implemented in this manner, and she explained that it was important to prove to the white educators that the Black children sent to the affluent white neighborhoods could perform as well as any other children. The cohesiveness of the Black community in my small town began to deteriorate with desegregation efforts such as busing and lifting of real estate covenants restricting home ownership in certain neighborhoods. 

Social scientist, Robert Putnam seems to support my opinion in his book “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community,” here Putnam examines how the decline in face-to-face social interactions has affected American society. He argues this reduction weakens civic engagement, essential for a strong democracy. Reflecting on my childhood in a close-knit community where neighbors knew and supported one another, I agree with Putnam. 

When the Southside was in its original state, election days were marked by long lines at the church polling site. Here people chatted as they waited to vote, and it would not be odd to experience a fish fry fundraiser at a neighboring church across the street – it was a memorable rite of passage experienced with my father and my first voting experience. 

Sadly, we are plugged into The Matrix, a 1999 movie, depicting the world as a simulation where people unknowingly live their lives in ignorance and bliss. The simulation’s purpose is to use human bodies as energy. Humans are harvested and kept in pods connected to the Matrix, keeping them calm and unaware of the harsh reality. Metaphorically, the Matrix surrounds us, and we cannot assimilate in this simulation. We can take the blue pill and stay ignorant or take the red pill and embrace the truth. Be aware the truth is a pill with many side effects. Side effects of the red pill include opening your eyes to reality and understanding that it’s not all about you but also your community, truth may cause empathy for those less fortunate, and truth may also cause one to engage in activist activities and act out with radical behavior like supporting Black business year-round. A side effect of Red Pill Truth is teaching children comprehensive American history when not offered in public schools, joining local networks to help businesses grow, share resources, and invest in education and businesses in your local community, or in a community that is economically challenged. 

What will you choose — Blue Pill Ignorance and Complacency or Red Pill Truth and all the powerful side effects?

If we are to rise above the current climate, blowing winds to decimate public education, business opportunities, and professional access we must work to engage people placed on the outside of the process. This means young people, economically disenfranchised people, especially less than college-educated Black men, immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and any other group that has been ‘otherized’ and pushed to the perimeter.

Be collaborative and stay determined. It is time to decide whether to take a blue pill and stay plugged in or take the red pill, unplug, and see just how far we can get in making forward progress.