We’ve come so far in our quest to the stars. For millennia, we have stared at the skies, wondering what they hold for us. In the 1960s, we landed on the moon, and soon, NASA will be launching the next rover in 2020 to Mars, taking with it some names submitted to them. Furthermore, in a short time, we will be sending actual people, and not just their names, to the red planet. This is why we must plan for the event now, rather than when they call for people to sign up. I’m talking, of course, about the inevitability of the colonization of Mars.

Yes, this is a significant event in our soon-to-be history. We are faced with the decision of who, exactly, we will be sending to Mars, and why. Colonialism has a history of being just rich white men and their slaves, taking land from indigenous societies, and deeming it now “discovered” and owned. We must not repeat this in the future.

Considering that we have many strong POC communities willing to go where their families go, we could easily send some to start a new life on Mars, to get the opportunity to colonize a new planet without the white man’s interference. We could send POCs with all the supplies they might need to terraform, money for trading and living, and essentially, everything the white man came with when they traveled to the Americas.

READ: It’s time to admit that NASA’s “Black Hole Picture” is racist and problematic

READ: NASA Warns Saturn’s Rings Disappearing: “Worst Case Scenario”

They would have the opportunity to have their own lives, surrounded by people who love them, and supported by us back on Earth. White people would only be allowed to travel to Mars if requested.

Other colonization strategies are also being considered, as well. Another idea is to send white people first, to get societies set up in advance, and then to send a second wave of POC settlers behind them, to take over as true colonizers would. They would benefit off the backs of those before them, and we might be able to consider the score settled, depending on how it all plays out. This isn’t to say that the white people would be taken as slaves, but it isn’t up to myself. It would be at the hands of the POC settlers.

We are very interested in how the future will play out, and would like to hear from our readers to determine which option they believe would benefit us the most. Please leave a comment below and tell us what you think!

Stay safe, and fight back.

Quinn