I noticed a local museum in my area named The Black Holocaust Museum. Considering the word Holocaust actually is Greek for 'Burnt' 'Whole' or roughly 'Death by fire' and was used only after WWII to describe the experience of the those in the Concentration camps, is it fair to apply the word to the Black experience in America? Obviously what the Jewish, African Americans and Native Americans have suffered is awful, but is Holocaust the best 'label' for the African American experience? I ask this as a serious historian looking for serious answers only.
2007-09-05 12:30:12 · 6 answers · asked by tsalagi 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
it's becoming thrown around way too much lately.
YES holocaust does mean exactly 'destroyed by FIRE". It's used for the jews because of the crematoriums.
Being whipped and chained has nothing to do with cremation which makes the term invalid in the situation.
People really need to pick up a dictionary and use proper terms.
Mass murder does not equal Genocide.
MY people are victims of Genocide, as the system they used is STILL in place.
2007-09-05 21:24:57 · answer #1 · answered by Mr.TwoCrows 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
This is really a very good question and one I believe that can only be honestly answered by the people who experienced this so called black holocaust. I have heard stories of german soldiers throwing babies up in the air and catching them on the end of a sword, but I don't think that those stories would comfort a black man surrounded by the clan on a deserted road late at night.
The unfortunate thing here is, you may get some young blacks
or even some dilusional black adults who believe that we are still experiencing some of this so called holocaust, which is false, people like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King were so noble becouse just by standing up could have got them killed, literally, and there really was no law to defend blacks, sure it was written but not enforced. I have lived a very charmed life as far as not being discriminated against for being anything other than short, so I can't really answer this question but either can just about everyone else who will. Peace
2007-09-05 19:58:36 · answer #2 · answered by Mc Fly 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
NO, it is not . to label the black experience a holocaust is like saying the Indian wars was only a local scuffle..
Granted they ( the Blacks of America) suffered.. but not in the same extent as the Jewish people of Europe. Hitler was basically trying to wipe out an entire race and ethnic group.. as justification for only a pure white race to be the supreme RACE in Europe.
A Black Holocaust?? No
A grave Injustice??? Yes
2007-09-06 08:40:34 · answer #3 · answered by mina 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Holocaust is reserved for the Jews and a few others who experienced the Holocaust. Would it be correct to refer to the Trail of Tears as the Red Holocaust? The Mexicans crossing the border as the Brown Holocaust? A term referring to slavery or discrimination would be much better.
2007-09-06 04:57:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word holocaust is used to define any mass killing of human beings, and since as Africans were captured and enslaved, not massacred (though this does not lessen the fact that they suffered miserably for no reason aside from greed and ignorance), so I'm not quite sure it would apply in the right way. The genocides presently going on in some parts of Africa do, however, qualify as holocausts. A better word to describe the period of slavery could perhaps be found, or you could use the obvious, like mass enslavement, etc.
2007-09-05 19:47:19 · answer #5 · answered by Rach 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No. Definately not. Six million blacks were not killed in America.
2007-09-05 19:38:48 · answer #6 · answered by Taylor G 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋