Why can't people move on about slavery?

Question

I know this is shocking coming from a black person but why can't we just accept that slavery occured and move on. We are never going to get anywhere if thats all that one can continously bring up. It was a horrible thing that occured and yes racism still ocurrs and we should deal with that, but alot of people I believe use slavery and "the white man" as a scapegoat for everything. We are never going to get anywhere as a society, if we cannot forgive and move on and deal with the real issues.
P.S: Whatever retalation you throw at me will never change my views, and if that bothers you honestly too bad.

Lottalady: I thank you for not being rude but I do major in history and I know quite alot about slavery.

Answer 1

Wow! I must confess that you have impressed me with your sincerity and intelligence on how you calmly dealing with one of the most difficult and painful chapters in American history. I have an African American friend who is extremely intelligent who constantly throws up about slavery and how his ancestors suffered. Actually, his ancestors never experienced the horrors of slavery because they recently immigrated from Nigeria 10 years ago. It is really sad about how the scars still live on after a century of emanicipation. But, at the same token, it is sad how Native Americans were slaughtered and treated badly as well. They lost their ancestrial homes like African Americans were forced from their homes to be enslaved. Both peoples have been through a lot. I am a quarter Native American and I will confess that we must accept the horrors and move on to better ourselves and our posperity. I really do admire your decision not letting the past influence your outlook. You have my utmost respect. I wish more people were like you. :-)

Answer 2

Why can't you ask about the holocaust? Should Jewish people forgive and move on? Do you know what truly happened during the years that Africans were enslaved? Have you read about the middle passage, and the horrors of the slave ships? Did you know that millions and millions of Africans died during the diaspora? Of course you know about toiling night and day, for free, making someone else rich, and the slaves not earning a quarter. It is a part of history, it should never be swept under the rug, it happened, and everyone should know that it happened and all the atrocities that occurred as a result of it.

I do not personally know any singe Black person who uses slavery as an excuse for their short coming. We only want fair and equal treatment. We do not always get that. Anyway, who said life was fair, we just have to make the best of what we have, and we can achieve, and not dwell on blaming anyone.

I believe that we are moving on, but I don't think that we should ever forget, and I find it difficult to believe that you are really Black.

My intent was not to disrespect or be rude to you, but your question was so extraordinary.

Answer 3

I see what you mean but I can kind of understand from both aspects - not being American. Perhaps there could be some kind of day or marker to acknowledge the horrors that America's black society endured. This is not to say it would be a 'sorry' day because the government will never be seen to be admitting liability in any form and at any rate, blaming white society for the actions of white people hundreds of years ago is not fair either. But maybe society does need to be more honest about past events in order to heal and move on....???? Just a thought.

Answer 4

I'm not black entirely. But being dark skinned, I really identify with what your saying about the black culture.
It's over and done with. With so many problems and issues to deal with "now" that we can work on, why would we be focused on an event that happened outside of our generation, several actually...

Personally, I think not all, but some people use that issue as a crutch. It shouldn't be an excuse for why an individual has been a more productive member of society.

Answer 5

You bring up a very good point.....and the reason is not the issue of slavery.....some people have failed to move on.....and some organization use rallying calls of the past to keep blacks together as a people to keep their organization alive.

Some organization has deep roots in history...and some came from the struggle for the end of slavery and the civil rights movement.....once American society confronted the issue.......changes occurred......but these organization....saw it as their role to guide the progress.................many blacks did move forward and integrated into society they achieve success.......
But many did not

Changes do not happen over night and the past magically gone......even with the change in laws and opening of society to blacks........many black alive today remember the civil rights era and their grandparent who were slaves......that is a generation thing.....it was difficult thing to have live through.....so they have the right to talk of their past and the injustices.....but they also need to say....my life is as it should be now......

The change also put black organizations on a downward slope....because if you can go to a quality white university....a black student is less likely to go to a black one.......these black organizations feel threatened......so unless they change.........the past had made them successful.....because blacks had limited opportunities.....so these changes is difficult for these black organizations........or they will collapse......

Also not very black has the skills to move to the opportunities...if you had very little education.....even with the changes made...you could not get most of the best jobs......color barrier went down but those educated in the old segregated system still suffered.

Blacks who were able to take advantage of the changes did well....those who could not......find it easier to blame the past than doing the things that makes a good life......school, career, and move to different neighborhoods that reflected their new economic class.

As time goes on, the amount of blacks left behind gets smaller as working class blacks see black role models and see how to achieve success........but it will never happen for everyone

America has very poor white people in the mountain of west Virgina, Ohio and Kentucky for decades...whom being redneck would be an improvement

Spike Lee's new movie (has not been shot yet...still in development) is about the LA riots and one of themes is that blacks should move on and quit worry about the blacks who can't move forward due to their own problems and unstable lives.

Many families.....black, white, or whatever are just unstable....

Many blacks are hurt by urban language and pseudo black names....you don't see career employers hiring people with those names and speaking skills......just like they don't hire hippie kids called moonbeam.....nor do you see rednecks hired to run IBM....

But it is more comforting to say I am help back by the past than confront reality........

Answer 6

Though I do feel that we, as black people, should be forever mindful of the history of our ancestors, I also feel that the slave card should no longer be used. Sure, blacks face a great amount of discrimination and racism--as do many other ethnic groups--but slavery no longer applies to the way we live today. Furthermore, and as you have suggested, it is time to let go and move toward a more promising future.

Answer 7

Why should they? That issue is a perfectly good club for Liberals to use, to bash whites with while simultaneously fooling blacks into waiting for handouts when they could be building productive lives on their own. That's a win-win for the selfish liberals that are doing this, DELIBERATELY, to us ALL for their own personal advancement. You're right. This is a truth that nobody wants to hear. But until they do, nothing CAN get better.

Oh, and Kble? there IS such a day. It's called Juneteenth.

Answer 8

The reason you should never forget that slavery occured is because it still exist. Please dont forget the reason for slavery. And I dont believe that everyone use "the white man as a scapegoat". It is obvious that you dont know what slavery did to black people- took their culture away, names, used blacks the same way immigrants are being used today, cheap labor!

Answer 9

Your point isn't wrong, but I think many people feel that we have never fully acknowledged our responsibility for slavery and have never done anything serious to remedy our errors. As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I've seen the same thing with the Germans. Many keep asking when they can move on about it, but they are the same people who have never taken any responsibility for what happened. Many feel that they just want it to go away so that they don't have to face their own role in it. I think the same is true of slavery.

Answer 10

I would like to hear more about the enslavement of the Judaic and Gentile populations back before the time of Christ. The Jews and the Gentiles were first enslaved by the African Kings and the Middle Eastern Eygptians. Why don't we ever hear about how white people were slaves to Africans and Eygptians?? Histories are sadly lacking...............Granted the Slavery that existed in the early U.S. was a horrific time in history. We need to go back further in the annals of time to understand the concept of slavery in the first place? Its an unfathomable concept in this century. That women had their feet wrapped and bound to prevent them from growing normally is shocking to us now once it was the norm in a very advanced society???