The world’s most brilliant scientist is also a kindly, lovably bumbling, grandfather figure: Professor Genius combined with Dr. Feelgood! Opinion-molders, looking down from their ivory towers, may have concluded that such an appealing icon will help the great unwashed public feel good about science, about history, about America. Why spoil such a beautiful image with stories about racism, or for that matter with any of Einstein’s political activism? Politics, they argue, is ugly, making teeth grind and fists clench, so why splash politics over Einstein’s icon? Why drag a somber rain-cloud across a bright blue sky? Einstein might reply, with a wink, that without rain-clouds life would be very, very short. Or he might simply say that a bright blue sky is a fairy tale in today’s war-weary world.
Yet, despite Einstein’s clear intention to make his politics public – especially his anti-lynching and other antiracist activities – the history-molders have seemed embarrassed to do so. Or nervous. “I had to think about my Board,” a museum curator (who doesn’t want his name used even today) said, explaining why he had omitted some of the scientist’s political statements from the major exhibition celebrating Einstein’s one hundredth birthday in 1979.
When it came to how to handle Einstein’s ashes or his house on Mercer Street, everyone involved meticulously adhered to his wishes. But when it involved his ideas, and especially his concerns about what he called America’s “worst disease,” the fact that Einstein wanted his views made as public as possible seems to have slipped past his historians.
—Fred Jerome and Rodger Taylor - ‘Authors’ Preface To Einstein On Race And Racism’ (via kenobi-wan-obi)
An example of how historical erasure continues today, and how trying to reverse it is both difficult and necessary.
More from the preface:
Americans and the millions of Einstein’s fans around the world are left unaware that Einstein was an outspoken, passionate, committed anti-racist. “It is certain – indeed painfully obvious – that racism has permeated US history both as idea and practice,” as the historian Herbert Aptheker states. “Nevertheless,” he adds, “It always has faced significant challenge.”
Racism in America depends for its survival in large part on the smothering of anti-racist voices, especially when those voices come from popular and widely respected individuals – like Albert Einstein. This book, then, aspires to be part of a grand un-smothering.
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I’ve reblogged this seven trillion times but I don’t even care.
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i just have one hand hanging in my hamsters cage every once in a while shell take a break from running on her wheel to come boop me with her nose
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Anonymous asked: Please let me lick your asshole.
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i went to this little gallery and this was an artwork, the artist had hired people to steal individual chinese letters from different neon signs around the city. he then used these stolen letters to spell out the 2 most important people in his life: his deceased father and the most famous porn star in asia. i thought the story was kindof interesting
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![fanofphan:
“ rnarkiplier:
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“ I live in Chastity Pop HaHa
”
well thats better than living in corn [loud sigh]
”
i got Ray Charles
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5](https://64.media.tumblr.com/c9f8acd61373ef3bc00819de34cf5b39/tumblr_mtvbbvYmpF1s59a36o1_500.jpg)
I live in Chastity Pop HaHa
well thats better than living in corn [loud sigh]
i got Ray Charles
yes
5
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“honk if u love hope” komaeda punches straight through the steering wheel
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