Why Do Some People Insist On Being A Slave To Someone Else’s Past?
We all know that slavery and its legacy held a grip on this country for quite some time. For the life of me, I cannot understand why some black people want to remain in bondage to it. It is a fact that slavery was brutal. It is also a fact that the thousands of lynchings that took place were more than brutal. There is NO reason why black people today, NONE of whom have experienced slavery, should be walking around in that bondage. It is because of this continuing state of victimhood that black Americans fall behind other minority groups including black Africans and Caribbeans. Why are some within the older generations infecting the minds of black youth with constant references to the negatives of black history? How do you think young impressionable black minds feel when they are fed images of slavery and lynchings when all other races are fed the positive aspects of their history? Is there not more to black history than slavery or lynchings? I say yes there is much more to black history than that. With that said, here are my declarations:
The only black people who suffer from the legacy of slavery are those who allow it.
White people do not owe apologies for slavery any more so than the Africans who participated in the slave trade do.
Stop force feeding black children and teens with pessimism and start instilling optimism about their future.
And last but certainly not least, honor the memories of slaves (and victims of lynchings) by unlocking and destroying the chains that you allow to hold you in captivity to a past that you did not experience.
There is nothing you can do about the past, but you can do something about the future.
“White people do not owe apologies for slavery any more so than the Africans who participated in the slave trade do.”
White people don’t, the government of the United States which permitted and participated in the crime againts humanity does…it is simply called repentence.
We should not be bound by the past, but we definately should not forget it. A wise man poet and philosopher George Santayana once said: “: “Those
who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Further, African Americans have an obligation to honor the struggle of our ancestors as well as celebrate their endurence, without which, we would not be here.
I’m just saying…
White people don’t, the government of the United States which permitted and participated in the crime againts humanity does…it is simply called repentence–DJ
The American government doesn’t owe black people an apology for slavery…nor do African governments owe black Americans an apology. In regards to repentance, it isn’t simply an apology but involves an avoidance of the actions committed. If we want to go that route, repentance has already taken since the institution of slavery has been abolished. Should you apologize to others for crimes committed by young black males?
We should not be bound by the past, but we definately should not forget it. A wise man poet and philosopher George Santayana once said: “: “Those
who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”–DJ
I’ve heard of this quote but to me it is nothing more than an opinion. No one is doomed to repeat anything since the US is a lot more progressive today. In other words, there will be no return to slavery whether we remember it or not. I’d say that those who are still living in the past are the ones repeating it…slavery still exists in less developed nations. We should spend more time remembering the positive aspects of black history than the negatives.
Further, African Americans have an obligation to honor the struggle of our ancestors as well as celebrate their endurence, without which, we would not be here.
I’m just saying…–DJ
I believe that African Americans should honor the past by moving forward rather than remaining in bondage to an experience that wasn’t ours directly.
@Lormarie:
You had written:
“I’ve heard of this quote but to me it is nothing more than an opinion. ”
No, that quote has been proven to be a historical truism, a cursory look at history shows that quite evidently.
You also wrote
“The American government doesn’t owe black people an apology for slavery…nor do African governments owe black Americans an apology.”
Now THAT is a matter of opinion, and one we will just have to agree to disagree on.
An apology is an acknowledgement of error. Truly, their isn’t much more that can realistically be done to redress the crime against humanity known as the African slave trade, also, it is historiccally, sociologically and intellectually fraudulent to deny the affect that the slave trade had on ALL Americans, not just Black Americans, both positive and negative affects.
You wrote:
“Should you apologize to others for crimes committed by young black males?”
That all depends, if I in some way and more directly purposely enabled and assisted crimes committed by young Black males, if I truly was repentive of such actions, an apology would be in order (at the least). If I were in charge of or the leader of an organization that had enabled and or assisted in such crimes, I would apologize and attempt to redress those actions.
The US Marshals Service was used to capture runaway slaves, the US Military was used to enforce slave laws, so, an apology is in order from the US Governement, to the AMERICAN PEOPLE period of any ethnic group for commiting injustice in its name.
However, again, on this we seem to disagree, as more than likely are points of reference are different.
Ultimately, I don’t think anyone should use slavery as an excuse for failure, but as a reason to succeed.
Again, we just disagree on this.
“I’ve heard of this quote but to me it is nothing more than an opinion. ”
No, that quote has been proven to be a historical truism, a cursory look at history shows that quite evidently.–DJ
No, it’s just an opinion. As time goes by, societies advance. As you say, we shall agree to disagree.
“Should you apologize to others for crimes committed by young black males?”
That all depends,–DJ
That is entirely up to you. I owe no one an apology for crimes I did not commit. Nor does our government. The institution of slavery was the product of society that no longer exists. Those who championed slavery are long gone. A better argument for an apology would be for the racism that takes place in the more recent past (lynchings, job discrimination, etc) and today. Even if no apology is given, that should not impede the progress of black people.
“The US Marshals Service was used to capture runaway slaves, the US Military was used to enforce slave laws, so, an apology is in order from the US Governement, to the AMERICAN PEOPLE period of any ethnic group for commiting injustice in its name.”–DJ
So? Those who participated are all dead. The US government owes no one an apology for slavery. In fact, such a concept is ludicrous.So as you say, let’s agree to disagree.
@Lormarie:
“I’ve heard of this quote but to me it is nothing more than an opinion. ”
No, that quote has been proven to be a historical truism, a cursory look at history shows that quite evidently.–DJ
To which you replied:
“No, it’s just an opinion. As time goes by, societies advance. As you say, we shall agree to disagree”
That statement wasn’t subjective, objective empirecal evidence supports my assertion that the quote is a historicla truism, from Sumeria, to Rome, to Great Britan, to the Soviet Union to the United States, that quote has been SHOWN to be TRUE throughout history. Your Opinion defies reason predicated on observance of fact.
Let’s just agree that perhaps you haven’t looked at enough of human history to KNOW that statement is predicated on the observance of the cycles of human history OR that you just wish to ignore that empirical evidence in favor of your subjective opinion…
You wrote:
“That is entirely up to you. I owe no one an apology for crimes I did not commit. Nor does our government. The institution of slavery was the product of society that no longer exists. ..”
The United States no longer exists? Our current society did not materialize out of nothing nor does it exist in a vacum outside of the history that developed it.
Nonetheless, I see no reason to continue this discussion, it’s your blog, so I am sure you will get the last word. It appears our worldviews differ even into the secular topics…
The Jewish people to not look back to Germany or the Germany people for an apology or for payment for past wrongs. The Israeli people do not hate Germans or Germany.
They do want people to remember the Holocaust though. I respect the Jewish community for that, they truly are classy the way they currently handle the entire issue surrounding Nazi Germany throwing them in ovens.
@Jorge:
Not wise to start comparing attrocities, and btw, Germany already apologized…
Jorge,
It’s funny, I thought about the Jews before I posted this entry. But yes, they didn’t sit back and wait for an apology before moving forward…they just moved forward. I also would not have thought ill of the Germans had they not apologized. I think bringing the Nazi criminals to justice suffices well enough. It should also be pointed out that the German society that allowed the holocaust to take place was still in existence (some Nazi criminals are still alive as well as Jews who suffered). That is the important difference between apologizing for the holocaust and apologizing for slavery. It should also be noted that not all black people are waiting for apologies or payment for past wrongs.
“But yes, they didn’t sit back and wait for an apology before moving forward…they just moved forward.”
The Jewish people moved forward, WITH the help of the United Nations and the Allies and particulalrly the govenrmnet of the United Kingdom, which helped facilitate Palestine becomeing ISRAEL. That’s one helleva reparation, maybe if we all had have gone to Liberia in the 1800′s you MIGHT have something to compare.
The Jewish people moved forward, WITH the help of the United Nations and the Allies and particulalrly the govenrmnet of the United Kingdom, which helped facilitate Palestine becomeing ISRAEL. That’s one helleva reparation, maybe if we all had have gone to Liberia in the 1800’s you MIGHT have something to compare.–DJ
I’m not sure that’s a good comparison either. Did the UK and the United Nations help facilitate Palestine becoming Israel or did they help steal a land away from Palestinians? That point is debatable depending on which side you are on. But it should be noted that just a few years prior to the significant year of 1947, the world was at war and the main enemy was Germany (that appears to be the case). So it is only logical that the United Nations and the UK would be involved in that (especially since the UK played a major role in WW II.). Still again, the victims and culprits were around. That is not the case with slavery.
A better case for an apology would be more recent forms of racism.
“A better case for an apology would be more recent forms of racism.”
In that logic, I suppose that you would posit that the Catholic Church should not have apologized to Jews and Muslims for its part in the Crusades or the Spanish Inquistion since that was hundreds of years after the fact?
Nonetheless, I see no reason to continue this discussion, it’s your blog, so I am sure you will get the last word.–DJ a few days ago
In that logic, I suppose that you would posit that the Catholic Church should not have apologized to Jews and Muslims for its part in the Crusades or the Spanish Inquistion since that was hundreds of years after the fact?–DJ today
I was unaware that the Catholic Church had apologized to Jews and Muslims. But if so, they were NOT obligated to apologize for the crimes committed by others hundreds of years ago.
Nonetheless, I see no reason to continue this discussion, it’s your blog, so I am sure you will get the last word.–DJ a few days ago
In that logic, I suppose that you would posit that the Catholic Church should not have apologized to Jews and Muslims for its part in the Crusades or the Spanish Inquistion since that was hundreds of years after the fact?–DJ today
I was unaware that the Catholic Church had apologized to Jews and Muslims. But if so, they were NOT obligated to apologize for the crimes committed by others hundreds of years ago. – Lormarie
I’m sorry if that was supposed to be your last word, I was under the impression that the line of discussion had changed, nontheless, at least you are consistant in your logic as you feel the Catholic church was “not” obligated to apologize. Anyway, I thought it was common knowledge (at least in collegiate circles) that the Catholic church apologized for the Cursades and the Insquisition (amongst other things, in fact I believe they apologized for not opposing the African Slave trade also), guess we Liberal Arts / History majors remember more of that sort of thing…
As it were, if that was your last word, I assure you will refrain from engaging you on this topic further, wouldn’t want to “amuse” you and such…
Reparations, Who is to pay? I pondered this question for a while and I say, We as Americans are our government. We are the voice and the pocket book. It is to say that modern man is guilty of the sins of the past. Then shall the descendants of the leadership of any oppressive nation be hunted and forced to repay the descendants of the oppressed for their ancestral opression. We should look at the obvious, lets make everyone a victim of slavery. What of the families who depended on slaves, do we owe them for the hurt caused by emancipating their once so important labor force. Should we forget the economic and social upheaval that was caused by the separation of the states over states rights that nearly destroyed our country. I think not. Slavery gave people a chance, had they never been slaves here, would they be here at all? I don’t think slavery is a way to treat people, but after you consider the efforts of those freed, descendants of slaves should be nothing more than proud of their heritage and thankful that opportunity was made that has allowed for the generations to carry on. These people are the embodiment of why this country came to be, the oppressed freed from oppression. Would they have been given the legacy of their fore fathers that have lead us to the election of the first Black President in US history, this we will never know. I have heard first hand accounts of bigotry in this country from close friends who I feel privileged to have to opportunity to get to hear their lives stories, so that I do not forget the once common bigoted thinking of this country. Its time to be a new generation of Americans, free together, working together to remember the past and not repeat its mistakes. Asking for monies is purely for personal gain, and no amount of money will every remove the marks made by any event of the past.