Proving Jefferson Wrong

 THOMAS JEFFERSON, an inveterate racist, in the only book hew ever wrote, "Notes On the State of Virginia", said that black people, (he called them "Negroes"" were intellectually incapable of sophisticated reasoning, incapable of writing poetry, that black women prefer to mate with gorillas, and that black men prefer white women. Yes, he really wrote all that. As Casey Stengal used to say, you could look it up. Jefferson was no less a victim of his times and cultural environment than the rest of us, brilliant though he was. Don't judge him too harshly. Our descendants will doubtless think that we were barbarians, and they will doubtless be correct, by their own standards. An African-american with a doctorate in mathematics from Harvard wrote to Jefferson, begging to differ. Jefferson was duly impressed, and decided that the gentleman was simply the exception that proved the rule. Jefferson, brilliant, but imperfect, not entirely open minded. On inauguration day a brilliant young African-American poet, Amanda Gorman, who reads Jefferson and begs to differ will read her original poem a poem which mentions Jefferson, and proves him wrong. Jefferson would have approved.Normally, he did not mind being proven wrong, and relished the challenge of intellectual discussion. He loved to learn. He wa so open minded that ht had six kids and a forty year relationship with one of his slaves, taught the kids employment skills, and freed them all shortly before his death. His common law wife was one eight black, looked white, but black enough to be a slave for life. By eighteenth century standards, Jefferson was noble, magnanimous. We have come far since Jefferson lived, but only because Jefferson lived, and were he alive today, he would doubtless congratulate us on our progress, but admonish us that we have not come far enough. he was an apostle of progress who was so confident in the abilities of the common man that he radically believed that they should be allowed to govern themselves. Nobody else believed in such a crazy idea as democracy, not even James Madison, the author of the constitution. Thomas Jefferson would probably be happy to hear the poem by the young black woman on inauguration day, would probably agree that she was talented, and, probably would, we can hope, not ascribe her beautiful poetry to her being the exception which proves the rule.