75 Years Ago Black Activists Accused the U.S. of Genocide: What We Can Learn Today

In December 2021, Alex Hinton published “70 Years Ago Black Activists Accused the U.S. of Genocide. They Should Have Been Taken Seriously.” Instead, "We Charge Genocide” was not taken seriously, as “The New York Times and Washington Post mentioned the petition in brief stories buried in the back pages. The Chicago Tribune condemned it for ‘shameful lies.’ Raphael Lemkin… publicly disagreed with the whole basis of the petition, saying it confused genocide with discrimination.” The basis of Lemkin's dismissal of "We Charge Genocide" also helped shape the establishment of the UN Genocide Convention. The Global South tried to introduce more progressive and expansive legislation to the Genocide Convention. including forced displacement, Apartheid, and cultural genocide.  This paper explores “We Charge Genocide,” the establishment of the UN Genocide Convention, and their contemporary ramifications, including our understandings of structural racism in the United States, ongoing structural genocides, and the erosion of international law.