The past few weeks have seen several high-profile churches damaged by fire on the world stage. The tragic fire that engulfed France’s Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday — by far the biggest news story — resulted in an international outpouring of support for what many consider one of the most beautiful buildings on earth. Notre Dame has received nearly one billion dollars in donations from companies like Gucci, Chanel and Apple, as well as an offer of support from the United States. Just had a wonderful conversation with @Pontifex Francis offering condolences from the People of the United States for the horrible and destructive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. I offered the help of our great experts on renovation and construction as I did....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2019 But Notre Dame is not the only church that has been damaged recently. Indeed, the authors of the dozens of American think pieces mourning the loss of sacred spaces would be wise to look a little closer to home for material. On March 26, April 2 and April 4, three predominantly black Baptist churches were burned down — very much on purpose — in a rural Louisiana parish. Now, a 21-year-old white man by the name of Holden Matthews has been charged with the arsons, which police allege are hate crimes . Matthews also happened to be the son of a deputy officer, who turned him in . Given the history of white supremacy and it’s ties to law enforcement , this connection did not surprise everyone .

It took several days for these Louisiana arsons to gain national traction. President Donald Trump has certainly not offered his support to the citizens of St. Landry Parish who have been deprived of their places of worship because of their black identity. Neither has Trump — or Congress — rushed to offer resources to the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, a building that is over 1,800 years old and which also caught on fire on Monday. (The mosque was not seriously damaged, luckily.)

Symbolism and imperialism keep the wheels of capitalism going, something France and the U.S. know very well.

Symbolism and imperialism keep the wheels of capitalism going, something France and the U.S. know very well. The massive reaction to Notre Dame is the result of many things; the building was an architectural masterpiece and an important space for Catholics around the world . But we can learn a lot from the things we consider important — or which we have been conditioned to think are important. We travel the world, often without truly understanding the historical damage of the sites we’re exploring.

Because France and the U.S. share a lot more than a mutual appreciation for Judeo-Christian landmarks. Colonialism has destroyed black and brown people for centuries, much of it perpetuated by France and the U.S. (among others.) Many of France’s most culturally relevant institutions are filled with artifacts stolen from African nations , never to be returned. If you’re looking for the continuing consequences of France’s colonialism, look no further than Haiti . In 1825, France required the island nation to pay billions in “reparations” to French slaveholders in order to retain its hard-won independence. Haiti’s economy has never truly recovered.

Donations flood in after Notre Dame fire April 16, 2019 01:22 A similar legacy is shared by the United States, where the question of reparations for descendants of Africans continues to be a topic of discussion. (Adding insult to injury, Trump reportedly called Haiti a s--