Great piece! These are very important realizations and crucial for educating others. Throughout my life, I have also learned more and more about the endless horrific aspects of American history and have been a victim of the current neoliberal reality. I have tried to communicate with others that "America was never great." It's a hard pill to swallow for many, but I believe it's a necessary component of eventually moving past America and building a better world. I wrote about these sentiments last year:

Coronavirus and American Exceptionalism