Regarding slavery during the inception of the USA, and the feelings it invokes in modern times?

Question

I'll start off by saying that I am not trying to make light of what those people who were enslaved went through, and I recognize that it was a very bad thing that occurred.

The intent of this question is to ask why it is that presentday African-Americans feel so strongly towards the enslavement of their ancestors. That is something that I can not understand. I could understand being angered by being enslaved oneself or having a close family member or friend enslaved, but ones ancestors are none of these things. In being angry and cursing those who did it, they are failing to recognize that had their ancestors not been enslaved, they probably never would have been born, and their ancestors and their present day descendants would probably still be living in Africa.

Personally, I can't say that I would care if my ancestors had had to endure some hardships so that I could have a better life in a better country (though I don't even like my living relatives much).

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

unfortunately some people like conflict and need that type of anger and hostility in their life. many use it as in excuse to act a certain way or to treat others a certain way. IMO, it's a complete waste of energy.

yes, slavery was horrible. but horrible things have happened to many races and cultures since man first walked the earth. human beings do terrible things to each other for various reasons. my heritage is African-American and Native American, personally I don't have the time or energy to waste on such things as slavery. I focus on today and tomorrow not what happened in the past that nobody can change. slavery is over and it will never happen again, it's time to get over it and move on. my mother just came back from Africa, she was there for a month. she said we should be glad some of our ancestors where brought over.

Answer 2

White people grew to power and gained their wealth from the enslavement of others. That's what years and years of free labour does. Then suddenly you give them freedom and tell them to get over it... c'mon now! Just because you one day decide to give these people "freedom" doesn't mean that they truly are free. Black people have been suffering injustice for years even after they were free. They were oppressed and still are considered inferior by many people to this day!

Just imagine working for free and owning nothing and having everyone tell you you are worthless and then suddenly the government says you are now on your own. You still have nothing and can't get a job because nobody will employ you because the same mentality still continues on with the population despite what the government says. Clearly, you will live in sub-par conditions and even resort to a life of crime just to get by. It takes years (generations, even) before you can even get on your feet when everything was taken away from you and nobody was giving you the opportunity to get back up until very very recently. You have to realise that these are immigrants who were brought here by force, not by choice.

When you say you wouldn't care if your ancestors had to endure hardships doesn't even make any sense because you are not in that situation so you cannot say how you would feel. When you say they have a better life in a better country doesn't make sense either because you don't know that they would have had a worse life. If slavery and colonization didn't take place, Africa would have been MUCH better off than it is today. You're not comparing apples to apples.

Answer 3

First of all, why do some people assume that all black people just sit around and complain about slavery. Are you really serious with that? Second of all, if the past affects the present then perhaps that is why there are SOME people that still feel strongly about slavery. It is the reason that race relations in the US are so f*cked up right now. I could see if blacks and whites were all getting along peacefully but from the looks of these answers you should be able to see how the after effects of slavery still cut deep to this day.

Answer 4

Well I dont think that the anger you hear from many Blacks is all about slavery. There are 3 things to consider:

1. The current state of Black America - the numbers are troubling and while I do believe in personal responsibility - I also believe that a portion of the problems seen is a direct outcome of this nations treatment of Blacks and the ingrained self hatred that occurred. Same could be said for Native Americans.

2. As in my own family, many Blacks who did a mas wealth after slavery was over had their property and wealth stolen during Jim Crow. That was my granparents generation - not that long ago.

3. Some White Americans like yourself seem totally oblivious to how the historical actions of this country have built the reality which we see today. It's easier to just say "it's because their Black".

That is why folks get angry.

Answer 5

I'm getting tired of this question so I'm going to say a theory and then leave at that

There is a theory that if slavery had not happened the world would be a better place

P.S. Stop making it seem as though black people sit around talking about slavery all day; it seems it's the non-blacks that need to get over it

Answer 6

I think what happened was wrong but i also know that it wasnt the modern day white ppl who did it(duh). I think your question is a good one but you just have a misguided view on history. Most present day black ppl such as myself just wish racism could have ended when slavery did..but it didnt. It took an additional 100 years for us to get equal rights(from our emancipation 1865 to the civil rights movement in 1965).

Answer 7

My husband is white/asian btw before you get your mouth ready to call me a racist or whatever.....

My thoughts is that it is digusting how the European Settlers treated the Africans back then. Slavery in Africa was more humane, if that's possible, than it was in the New World. The Middle Passage was brutal. Blacks were chained together below the decks in their own feces, vomit and died from inhaling that unclean air. Maybe you should see the slave ship layout to see how they packed them in. It's beyond inhumane. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence stating all men were equal and the whole life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, he conveniently left Blacks out. Africans were purposely seperated from their families and forced to lose their native tongue. They were not allowed to learn and you know the rest.

As a black person, I find it troubling that the Whites during that time lacked the basic moral character to view Blacks as human beings who deserved basic human rights. It pisses me off but I don't dwell. But i'm informed of what occurred and it is quite troubling.

I am also enraged and how they treated the Indians. They burnt their villages down and murdered them when they did not conform to their standards. The Europeans also brought a crapload of diseases that killed off a lot of the Indians too.

All the hypothetical what ifs you are saying is moot. The bottom line is that my ancestors were treated less than wild animals and it was not right and they were treated that way in an alleged Christian land.

Whites during that era did a lot of evil things under the pretense of Christianity - The Salem Witch Trials for one.

The bottom line is the large majority of White Men during the colonial period, into the era of the New Republic and the American Renaissance were devoid of humanity and used people as means to an end which is morally wrong.

If it pisses us off, it's our right. No one said you did anything so please don't feel the need to feel guilty.

Answer 8

I totally agree with Bonny. Slavery was a way to degrade our people. It is the most demeaning thing you can do to a human being. We weren't even granted basic rights that any human should have because we weren't viewed as human. Blacks were snatched up from their home and were brought here to be raped by slave masters, beaten, and made to work until our hands bled. How disgusting that was!

And what also is angering is that the aftermath of being an inferior being still remains! For years Black women have hated their black skin and their kinky hair because it reminds them of being black. Looking closer to White is still far more acceptable than looking like a true black person. There were laws set in place for black people Jim Crow Laws and Black Codes that didnt allow any White person to marry a black person, curfews for blacks etc! To this very day we have to put up with racism and the N-word still hurts because it reminds of of our slavery roots. A whole race of people treated like garbage.

And I totally dont agree with dwelling about the past. It happened and it is done. And I dont agree with blacks now blaming others for our problems. I dont always think the white man is keeping us down, sometimes we keep ourselves down. We have grown as a people and have many opportunities in front of us. But slavery still hurts and there is no denying that.

Answer 9

The feeling that slavery invokes in modern times is not much with Black people, but to many whites there is still much feeling, and that feeling demonstrates itself either by white guilt (shame) or white arrogance (superiorty complex)

What invokes people of African descent is the continuation of being looked down on, or being made fun of, or the constant demonization of us. The continual telling us that we are ugly, or stupid, or a mistake of god. The persistence in pointing out that we are less than, or not enough.

Whenever a person of color has to deal with a white American, that person of color has to also deal with their insecurities, their fears, and also that person of color will have to put up with that white person constantly attempting to rewrite the person of color's own personal experiences.

Slavery isn't an issue for most of us because those events, and all the horror that came with it is in the past. What we are dealing with today is the white superiority complex, and all the fears, and insecurities that come with it.

Its really interesting that whites always are telling other races to take responsibility for their actions, but it is very rare that whites follow their own advice.

Silly world we live in.
I'm glad we all die one day.

Answer 10

Africa is not a savage place and Not to sound racist but if the white man never went over there i assume most of their dire diseases & conditions wouldn't exist.
Not only that, even after slavery it took decades for any minorities to receive fair treatment and equality.
In the late 1800's there came to pass the 'Jim Crow Law' and the 'Lynch law' in which caused segregation with most venues and the slightest upset of a white person would send a black person to be hung without question.
So it's not just about slavery.Its also is about the on going racial war centuries after that.

Answer 11

When the blacks are kept reminded of their enslavement what do you expect should they pocket this insult easily and forget the history. Why don't you folks get rid of this color syndrome.