When will Americans realize that they will never forget about slavery?

Question

Many white Americans continue to tell Black Americans to "forget about slavery, get over it, it was so long ago" and all that stuff but to forget about slavery would be like forgetting your birthday. The truth is America like many nations were built off of slavery. You can't just wipe 400 year off like it never happened. If someone told you "Forget your birthday so what you were born but that doesn't mean every year you celebrate it just get over it" how would you respond. Blacks will forget about slavery when whites admit that their ancestors did a horrible thing, and the fact that many of them still benefit from it.

Answer 1

Yes, Slavery HAS to be remembered so that the horrific tragedy can never happen again and so we all can move on as a people. I feel that once it is recognized that the ancestors of black Americans built this nation making them as much American if not more so than anyone else here who's ancestors were immigrants. If you take an African-American and put him in Africa, the Africans don't see him as an African but say, "look at that American" same if an Irish-American in Ireland. Once we all start looking at what identifies us as Americans, not it's subcultures, THEN maybe we can all get along. Yes, it needs to be realized. I hope it's soon.

Answer 2

My ancestors were slaves too. The Romans kidnapped, raped, murdered, and sold them into slavery. Much of the ancient world was built on the back of the tribes across Europe that were destroyed thanks to expansion and the concept of manifest destiny.

It isn't that white people want blacks to "forget" about slavery. It is simply that every people on the planet, no matter where you came from have been someone's slaves at sometime in history and their civilization and economic prosperity were derived from that slave labor. Do I have the right to go back to Italy and demand reparations for the pain that my ancestors went through?

You also seem to be forgetting that blacks were involved and profited from the slave trade too. Warring tribes rounded up their conquered neighbors and sold them to the highest bidder. If you want to give blame fairly, why not investigate the tribes that sold their neighbors into slavery and hold them accountable too?

I also want to know what whites are still benefiting from slavery. The south was devastated economically and socially and are only really rebuilding over the past twenty years. Towns were burned to the ground, people lost their land and homes, families were destroyed by the war. So where are all these people who benefit?

What is it that you really want? If my ancestors had slaves (they didn't by the way...they were indentured servants from Ireland) what do you want me to do about it? I think that most whites feel that they have acknowledged it, tried to put programs into place to equalize opportunities and want to move on.

You weren't a slave and I wasn't a slave owner. So what is it that you want me to do about something that happened before I was born? If you were a slave, released in your lifetime, fine think of it as a birthday if you want. But I don't "celebrate" the rape and pillage that the English inflicted on my ancestors which was roughly the same time period. There is a difference between embracing your history and living in it.

Answer 3

It is not an issue for me. My ancestors never owned slaves and immigrated from Europe long after slavery was abolished in this country. I will never admit my ancestors did anything wrong to the black race because they did not. I do not owe them anything. I treat everyone as equals and judge them on their own merit. How do I benefit from slavery over 140 years ago?

You make it sound like the United States is the only country in the world to have slaves. Other countries were "built" on slavery but they do not seem to have the problem with ancestors of slaves asking for reparations or claiming that their economic condition is caused by their ancestors being slaves over 140 years ago. How long does it take to get your act together?

I am not saying that racism doesn't exists, it does. But using the excuse of slavery is weak.

Answer 4

Yes it was a horrible era that happened. And who knows how life would've been if black people were never slaves. But we'll never know. I don't blame white people of this decade or any people at that. It's something that happened that was horrible. Yes there was slavery in other countries but this is our country and racism is in America because of it and that's why the amount of racism needs to decrease. It's not openly prevalent but in the inside it's there but anyway. I just want an apology from anyone. That's it. I didn't get my acres and mule but I'll take an apology. It won't be forgotten but it will be forgiven.

Answer 5

Ok, my white ancestors were wrong and slavery was a terrible thing for them to do. And, you are absolutely correct that none of us should forget it. Now, what??? Well, let's take a closer look at this "slavery" issue. First, it wasn't all whites who had slaves. It was actually only a minuscule percentage who owned slaves and who benefited from it directly. Most whites at this time were poor farmers trying to scrap a living for themselves and were in competition with the slave owners. And, what about all the whites that wanted to end slavery? What about the hundreds of thousands of whites who fought and died to end slavery? Now, I am not trying to diminish the severity and atrocity of slavery, what I have issue with is the complete conviction of every white person just because they happen to be white! Sounds like "stereotyping" to me. As far as current benefits from slavery,i n some shape, form, or matter, all of us white, black, hispanic, chinese, indian, or whatever are benefitting from slavery just by living here in the states. Note: I have been reading some of the answers and I noticed people are referring to the "Jews" as slaves. Recent evidence is supporting that they were employed/contracted by the Egyptians.

Answer 6

I do for the most part do not believe any one disagrees that slavery was a heinous crime committed in this country. Many whites I know do admit that is was quite the atrocity but there is nothing that "white America" can do to make up for it. So for the most part I do believe it should be a horror of our past that is trying to be forgotten. One thing is that many white people in America do not have ancestors that were part of the slave trade and you can not condemn them like you do others. My family did not arrive in this country until well after slavery was abolished (1922). So why do I have to be resented. My family had no part in what happened?

Answer 7

Repeat them?? Do you easily think of presently slavery might take place back? Come on. Slavery replaced into an awful subject in spite of the shown fact that it is not taught wisely interior the colleges. they don't tell how blacks had slaves themselves, how they bought their very own human beings into slavery, or that different races which includes Latinos additionally had many slaves and taken care of them horribly. They blame all of it on the white human beings and say how evil they are. it particularly is drilled into newborn's heads in school, 3 hundred and sixty 5 days after 3 hundred and sixty 5 days, each 3 hundred and sixty 5 days, in English and historic previous training, from an early age via severe college, and all it particularly is doing is starting to be hatred and greater racial divide.

Answer 8

Yes, I agree that slavery was immoral and cruel. I have never heard any one say 'forget about slavery'. Who said that???

Millions of whites today DO agree that slavery was horrible and inhumane! In fact, I don't know one white person who thinks differently! What do you want ???

You can't just clump all white ancesters as one group guilty of participating in slavery. I venture to say that the percentage of people today with white ancesters who had slaves is probably on the small side.

What about ancesters of whites who were opposed to slavery and helped slaves escape via the underground railroad and other 'safe houses' risking their own lives???

My ancesters did nothing wrong as far as slavery goes because my ancesters were in Europe the whole time. I wasn't even born in the U.S. I am an immigrant and a naturalized citizen.

It seems that many blacks try to assign guilt to ALL whites for slavery even when they had ZERO ancesters in the U.S. during slavery. Mine were ALL in eastern Europe.

Also, what about white ancesters who lived in the north during the slavery period and were against slavery on morals grounds! Are to be held accountable too???

And even the whites who did have ancesters in the south who owned slaves. How can they possibly be accountable for their ancesters behavior if they weren't even born for another150 years after the fact!

Who do you know who still benefits from salvery????

Answer 9

Lets start with the fact that slavery existed in many other countries not just he US. Many of these countries have little problem with the after effects. We were one of the last to get rid of it and therefore we will remember later than others.

Should we forget it is a better question. Those who don't remember are doomed to repeat, right? I think that we need learn how to move past it, but we should never forget.

Answer 10

Ive never been affected by slavery. Every race has been a slave at some time, most of them for way longer than 400 years(like the jews who were enslaved by black Egyptians for many centuries).By the way, the USA hasnt been here for 400 years, how do they get all the blame? Im over it, too bad most of my race prefers to cry and whine and get government handouts. Im ashamed to be black sometimes.