There was a great deal of sympathy by white people for injustices toward Black people after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police.

Then came the Kyle Rittenhouse acquittal.

Now Republican state legislators are appealing to the darker angels of white people by pushing racist laws.

“Wokeism” is a racist epithet that is on the lips of Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Matt Gaetz, Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republicans. Florida and Texas are leading the way in barring teaching about racism in schools. Florida now has a law that prohibits any training about racism in schools and businesses that would make white people uncomfortable.

Recently, the Republican-controlled state legislature in Kentucky passed a law that would force teachers to downplay how bad slavery, segregation and Jim Crows laws were. These lawmakers argue that those things were mere blips in American history.

Slavery existed from 1619 to 1865 and 11 Southern states rebelled against the United States over the issue of slavery. Segregation and Jim Crow existed in Southern states from 1865 to 1965. In addition, there was white terrorism toward Black people in the South, which included public lynchings before large crowds. That’s quite a lot of blips.

Now, Republicans are passing voter suppression laws as well. The purpose of these laws is to make white people feel better and increase their voting power and to keep Republicans in office.

The feelings and rights of Black people do not count. White supremacy is now part of the Republican Party platform.

GEORGE MAGAKIS JR.

Norristown, Penn.