Doyou think Africans deserve an apology for slavery and racial discrimmination?

Question

Yes,lemme ask a really sensitive question and get you all hot and bothered! I don't believe an apology would really change much but it would show that Western governments really are sorry for the atrocities of the past.No to mention that the 'slave mentality' still affects a lot of black people today.Ideally this apology should be done by the UK,America,Portugal,France,Germany,Holland and all the other European countries that divided up Africa like a turkey and carted it's people away.And if you call me a racist,you are a....

Answer 1

Africans deserve an apology as much as the thousands of other ethnicities which have been slaves to others. I really wouldn't care though. I'm afro-brazilian and first of all it didn't happen to me, if the apology was directed to the specific victims of slavery then that be fine. Second of all blacks in Brazil have forgiven the whites it seems only the US blacks like to dwell on the past.

Answer 2

Well I'll put it to you like this. We deserve an apology for the discrimination that we are receiving now in 2007. I can't believe some of these answers with "get over it" and "it was a long time ago" blah blah blah. Just shows you how screwed up some people are. Granted it may have been over a century ago(for African Americans) but racism still exists for blacks. If you say differently than you are naive with your head in the sand. To be honest, though I don't think an apology would matter. The damage has already been done. And to the chick that said "get over it Affimative action is your apology is" is ignorant. AA exists because of racism. AA is only a band aid to the problem. Basically, somebody had to force this government to do right by its own citizens. How sad. And yes an apology is owed to other countries that have suffered at the hands of slavery and racism.

EDIT

And stop using the excuse that the Africans enslaved each other. Anybody that can read a book knows that slavery in Africa and slavery in the western world differed greatly. American slavery was more barbaric. Also stop using the excuse that Africans sold their own kind. Yes this did happen but it does not rid America and other European nations from their hand in the slave trade.

Edit

You can thumb me down all you want. I can't help it if you don't like the truth. Sorry, but sometimes the truth hurts.

EDIT

To AFDEE- What a great way to talk around what I initially stated and put words into my mouth. That I did not say. If you actually read my statement you would have noticed that I said “we need an apology for the discrimination that is still going on today (in 2007.) And believe me real racism does exist whether you want to believe it or not. Nowhere in my statement did I say I was AN ACTUAL SLAVE... You cannot really come up with a real counter argument to what I said so you just throw in that downright ludicrous statement. You have some kind of comprehension problem that you need to deal with. Also I never said African slavery was any less slavery that American or European slavery. I was saying the conditions of the slavery were worse. But yet again, you put words into my mouth.

Before you try to make an attack on me, you need to know how to atleast spell the word RACISM. Furthermore, you still have not stated how the fact that Africans sold their own into bondage somehow justifies America and other European nations for their part in the slave trade. Nowhere in my statement did I say the Africans were exempt from the slave trade. either. So Sir/ Madam it seems to me that you are the one ranting and not making too much sense

Its also quite laughable that you would say I hate whites just because I am stating the truth. Like I said the truth hurts. Instead of trying to justify past and present atrocities, you need to make sure. that you don’t hold the same sentiments as your forefathers did.

Answer 3

I'm not sure an apology would really do that much since most of the slaves and slavers are long since dead but if the US/UK/The West really want to make amends for the past they can make sure that slavery never happens again.

The reality is the slavery still exists and in fact it has made a come back in places like Darfur, and Africa, and Eastern Europe. FYI, Saudi Arabia & many gulf states just banned slavery in the 1960's. The reality is that the trafficing of men, women, and children still goes on and there's no excuse for it.

There's no way to change the past but ensuring that people remain free is a good way to start making up for the past.

Answer 4

I do feel bad when I see discrimination, but discrimination is not limited to ethnicity or race. Even if you look at strictly at racial discrimination, it goes in all directions, including people of African descent who judge each other on the lightness or darkness of their skin.

And slavery has been around since before recorded history. Native Americans (especially those from Alaska and Canada) regularly enslaved the tribes they conquered. Some of the first Irish settlers in America were sent here as slaves, as well.

As for the need to apologize, I'd be more inclined to apologize to the people who actually were/are slaves (check out the current situations in Africa regarding the following industries: gold, diamonds and chocolate). I rarely agree with the views of my parents or brother, so I can't understand why I'm expected to answer for people two hundred years ago, that I never even met! (I had ancestors from both sides of the issue.)

Here's a question that troubles me: my grandmother was born without the right to vote. Women were "chattel" or "property" of their fathers or husbands. Does that mean I expect every man in the world to apologize for how my foremothers were treated? No, I don't hold you responsible.

My response to the sad history of slavery and other discrimination is GRATITUDE for ALL the people, of every color and gender, who took a stand and said "This is WRONG." There were consequences for all of them to be outspoken or to help an escaped slave, but they did what was right. I want to express my gratitude by telling the stories of people who do the right thing regardless of the cost.

Answer 5

I used this A. earlier for a similar Q. Same applies here.

I think that Governments like US, UK, Spain and France might be worried that by apologizing they admit guilt which may make them open to compensation claims through the courts,

This would bankrupt them...

While no individual is alive who was a slave keeper.....

There are many large companies and Banks around today that profited from slavery...They should still be held accountable

Also the Irish might expect an apology and compensation from the UK..

I heard that the Native Maori of New Zealand have got some kind of compensation and privileges..

More money should be invested to help the families/descendants of Slaves and Exploited people.

The Jews were handed Palestine on a silver plate.

Also what about compensation for the Palestinians?

Answer 6

Slavery was a way of life for every nation since man first appeared on earth including all these African countries some were just better than others, the Europeans could not have done it without the help of Africans, then we the good old Brits. had the courage to put a stop to it at the cost of many lives and a lot of money. now do we get any thanks no, just the same old winging black Africans who's only real interest is to try and screw as much money as possible from us, and divert the attention away from there own failures as leaders and put the blame on the past. They should be thanking us for what we did for them cut out the corruptions in there own countries start by giving their people freedom and food not guns, but they won't because they would loose there own comfortable life. I as a British subject am not going to apologise for something my ancestors did in the long ago past i am not proud of it but i am proud that we as a nation put a stop to it and if the black Africans don't like it they know what they can do! then let them show us what contributions they have made to freedom and human rites?

Answer 7

The short answer is no.To ms-chito I would question a lot of what you argued.First you admit slavery was practiced by the African nations but it was different to the slavery practiced by other nations.HOW, slavery is slavery whoever practices it.You say your own people sold the slaves to the white man and this is fact yet I dont hear you ranting for your own people to appologise for their involvment only the white man.You say in your rant WE DESERVE AN APOLOGY when were you a slave and who enslaved you as I for one will do everything in my power to have you freed.I would also ask which part of Africa you are residing at the moment as I again will press my government to put pressure on your government to stop the racizm which still exists there.I think it is you who needs to get your head out of the sand and concentrate on issues like modern day slavery of young girls being brought over to western countries and sold as sex slaves and at the risk of sounding racist a lot are being run by Black and Asian gangs but I suppose like everything else this will go by the way and you will continue fostering your own hatred of everything white
To qwerty great answer hope it gets top answer it is the only reasoned argument I have seen on this topic for a long time.I for one would love to see racizm and bigotry wiped off the face of the earth although it's going to take a long time and we probably wont be here to see it happen.

Answer 8

I apologize for any wrong any white person has ever done, is doing and will do. For white on white crimes, I do not apologize because I am sure some where down the line they deserved it.
Do you see how ridiculous that is? Are you placated with words?
Nothing that has been done can ever be healed with an apology, only with action. I can apologize up and down, but I think it would make more sense to acknowledge past wrongs and find ways to not repeat them. I have had black ancestors as well. Aren't I really just apologizing to myself?
I think Africans deserve to be treated with equality, not merely apologized to.

Answer 9

I personally don't think an apology would do anything but make race relations worse.

As you can see from the answers here, whites don't think that they were responsible for slavery, which is true, but neither do they see that its effects still hinder many blacks from succeeding economically.

I'm not making excuses, by all means, I'm just trying to get people to stop it with the defensive attitude and just think for a minute.

If your great-great-great-great grandfather was a slave and was set free with no money in his pockets, laws making it okay to discriminate against him in housing, job opportunities, and most importantly, education and the children that he had were forced to deal with the same thing, do you think it would be easy for this man's family to get out of poverty? I think that slavery and the legal discrimination that followed stuck blacks into a hole, and I will tell you, that hole is difficiult to get out of.

We're a lot better off now than our ancestors were, but we still have a long way to go. I don't think we need an apology.

All I ask for is that they understand.

Answer 10

Yeah, I know it's a hot-button issue. I think they do deserve an apology, at least an apologetic attitude at the atrocities that happened whether your ancestors had something to do with it or not.

I'm comparing this in my mind to my trip to Germany. The German people are very apologetic about the Nazi period. They say "it happened, we don't deny it, and we're very sorry. We're going to remember so it never happens again." That's basically the national attitude. They don't tell Jewish people to "get over it." It doesn't matter whether they were alive during that time or not.

I think that's the attitude that all Europeans should have about colonization and slavery. "We're sorry it happened, we don't deny it, we won't do it again because we recognize the horrible repercussions."

I don't understand the hostility in above answers, but I guess you predicted that, huh?