Welcome to the Reconstructionist!
Hi, my name is Barrett Holmes Pitner, and this is my Substack, The Reconstructionist. I’m also the founder and executive director of the Sustainable Culture Lab and the author of The Crime Without a Name: Ethnocide and the Erasure of Culture in America, which NPR selected as one of the top books of the year. I also teach journalism at the George Washington University and from time to time, my students will publish articles on The Reconstructionist.
On The Reconstructionist, you’ll find political commentary, historical analysis, stories on culture and race, and all of the work will incorporate my unique approach to philosophy. Philosophy can help us better understand the world, so it should also help us better understand politics, history, race and culture, and more.
Here are some examples of the type of content you’ll find on The Reconstructionist.
On January 6th, America is a Diseased Rogue State
A Civilization Without Empathy
The American Cycle: A Brief Introduction
Why is it called The Reconstructionist?
I chose this name for two reasons. The first reason is because I practice what I call a “reconstructionist” approach to philosophy, and while this approach is uniquely my own, it does draw some inspiration from French-Algerian philosopher Jacques Derrida and his method of deconstruction. The sub-headline on our masthead “the democracy to come” is influenced by Derrida.
The second reason is because I believe that the American era of Reconstruction from 1865 to 1877 built the American democracy that we cherish, and are currently working hard to defend. However, the American people are struggling to defend our democracy, and combat Trumpism and rising authoritarianism because most Americans know very little about Reconstruction and do not even know that they need to defend Reconstruction.
To save American democracy, we must defend Reconstruction and continue the ideals of Reconstruction. Philosophically and domestically I call this “reconstructionism” and I encourage people to be Reconstructionists.
Correcting the Narrative on Reconstruction
When people think about Reconstruction they normally think about the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments that abolished slavery, created birthright citizenship, and extended voting rights to Black men, but this is an incredibly narrow and inadequate perspective. Reconstruction is much more than that and I view it as also being a philosophical shift that redefined, or reconstructed, the meaning of democracy in America.
Most people have no idea that the Bill of Rights was not federally enforceable until the Fourteenth Amendment. This means that the Bill of Rights was basically just a recommendation for the states, but the states could interpret and enforce the Bill of Rights however they chose. An American’s First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights fluctuated from state to state. Regardless of one’s political affiliation I do not think any American would like to live in an America without the protection of the Bill of Rights at the federal level.
Additionally, the word “equal,” with regards to people, did not appear in the U.S. Constitution until the Fourteenth Amendment. Equality and “equal protection” of the law did not exist as part of American democracy prior to Reconstruction.
Unfortunately, due to the Dunning School, much of the 20th century consisted of depicting Reconstruction as a failure that collapsed due to political corruption and the alleged inferiority of Black Americans. What most Americans know about Reconstruction consists of a mixture of inadequate and incorrect information, and this needs to change.
The uncomfortable truth about American democracy is that few Americans, regardless of race, would want to live in America prior to 1865. Also, the violence, chaos, and constitutional crisis that is happening today is due to American society starting to revert to a pre-1865 status quo.
What do you get with a paid membership?
To be totally honest, I have not figured out the best thing to offer people when they upgrade to paid membership. The financial support obviously helps to keep The Reconstructionist alive and gives me additional encouragement to keep on producing content, so as of right now, the main you get is my heartfelt appreciation. Currently, I’ve just started experimenting with using Substack Threads as an exclusive offering for paid subscribers, so that we can have a more in-depth discussion about the work. If you have recommendations about paid offerings that you would like, please contact me and let me know.
