Are you really that UPSET about Slavery?

Originally posted by EyesWideShut
Personally that makes ZERO sense to me. That's like I start punching you in the face repeatedly , then after a while I decide to stop (not because I want to but because the neighbors start looking and telling me it's not cool to punch you in the face) Then after punching you in the face , I scoff... "well you didn't even say thank you for not punching me in the face anymore!?!"

Your scenario is not valid. To make it more accurate, it would be more like:

I start punching you in face, as do the neighbors, the guys from the next block, folks from the nearby towns, and, well, pretty much everybody on the planet. Then, I not only stop punching you, but make everyone else stop, too, and make it illegal for anyone to start punching you again.

Would that not deserve a thank you?

Originally posted by EyesWideShut
reply to post by jeasahtheseer

 

I've never heard of a Melanin Enhanced person as yourself refer to "African Americans" as "Blacks' as much as you do... That's usually a term used by "Whites"... dunno just strikes me as odd.

Is blacks considered offensive? lol. No one I know is offended by it. HOWEVER I'd be offended if some white person said, you blacks do this and that and if they were saying it in a derogatory way. But normal saying it is just short for black people. Sometimes I say black people sometimes I say blacks. Who cares . And I checked before I posted this, I've said it like one time lol. I refer to white people as whites often too. . Also I am part white but I dont look white at all so I just call myself black so people dont say "well you dont look white" when they meet me and stuff like that. I detest the word bi racial for many reasons, but mainly because I hate my mother who was white because she was a evil and mean lady and abusive and I dont acknowledge her as my mother. My father was abusive too but my mother was satan.

I've said many times on this site that I HATE political correctness or whatever the term is.

I am black and I'm a american. I'm not from africa, never been to africa, have no desire to go to africa. How is the word black offensive? When I say it I'm refering to myself too, why would I insult myself? Makes no sense. People on the news and everywhere use that word, are they racist? If it was a racist thing they wouldnt allow it on tv, especially in this day and age.

If you are implying that I'm lieing or something, I'm a 26 year old grown man, I dont need to lie on the internet.


[edit on by jeasahtheseer]

The only history American blacks have IS slavery.

People who grip about black peope griping are not practising empathy.
See, I can trace both sides of my ancestory back before the revolution, I can become a DAR.

I know where some of my relatives are in Italy.

I can trace my Dutch ancestors. (I am a mutt, lol)

now if I was black, I could trace my ancestory back 400 years, and that was it. A very very few can actually trace their ancestors back that far, much less further. We defined and created their history for them.

And yes there was a lot of slavery at the time. There was also a lot of child labor and child marriage but it still doesn't make it right.
Killings like in the Rome coloseum were quite common too. Doesn't make it right. That is just a sad excuse.

So not only did we define the history of an entire population, we kept them as second rate citizens. ANd we STILL do.

If you think life is any easier, your just deluding yourself.

So imagine having to live an among an majority that defined who you and your people are, and still like to remind you that you are a second rate citizen.

HOw many black families do you see on tv? not including BET channel?

How many lead stars that are black on the movies? 4? How many of them are female? 0?

Black women have it the worst. Not only that, they helped black men get the right to vote, then the black men turned around and kept women from getting the right to vote.

It is theorized that the only reason white women were given the right to vote was so they could vote to keep black people from having the right to vote.

How many commercials feature a white family? Living like a white family, or a black family living like a white family?

I think the problem is that they still are trying to find their footing. And that has to be horribly disconcerting. And they are still mad at the people who made them stumble.

Now for the flip side. While things are not equal, they are still much better. IN Africa women have no rights. There are far more opportunities for blacks here in the US. And the tables have turned enough now that they have opportunities to start taking.

Obama's speech at the NAACP meeting was SPOT on, it was a brilliant speech:

We've got to say to our children, yes, if you're African American, the odds of growing up amid crime and gangs are higher. Yes, if you live in a poor neighborhood, you will face challenges that somebody in a wealthy suburb does not have to face. But that's not a reason to get bad grades -- (applause) -- that's not a reason to cut class -- (applause) -- that's not a reason to give up on your education and drop out of school. (Applause.) No one has written your destiny for you. Your destiny is in your hands -- you cannot forget that. That's what we have to teach all of our children. No excuses. (Applause.) No excuses.'

But all these innovative programs and expanded opportunities will not, in and of themselves, make a difference if each of us, as parents and as community leaders, fail to do our part by encouraging excellence in our children. (Applause.) Government programs alone won't get our children to the Promised Land. We need a new mind set, a new set of attitudes -- because one of the most durable and destructive legacies of discrimination is the way we've internalized a sense of limitation; how so many in our community have come to expect so little from the world and from themselves.




It also means pushing our children to set their sights a little bit higher. They might think they've got a pretty good jump shot or a pretty good flow, but our kids can't all aspire to be LeBron or Lil Wayne. (Applause.) I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers -- (applause) -- doctors and teachers -- (applause) -- not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court Justice. (Applause.) I want them aspiring to be the President of the United States of America. (Applause.)

The second part is very telling and important. Part of the problem with the black community is success is only defined by a sports or rap career. Everyone wants to be a football player or rapper. Not doctors, lawyers, and politicians. And their energy needs to be re routed to encourage the children in school that those things are possible. I watched a friend get emotionally battered trying to become a football player, even at the age of 27. But he was so smart, and easily could of become a scientist in the field he was already in at a lower level. But he wanted to be a football star.

NO one tells them the odds:

Professional Athlete Comparison
Number of Males in Baseball, Basketball & Football Level
2,000,000 High School
68,000 College
2,500 Professional

That means that less than .13% of high school athletes will ever make it to the professional level

link

reply to post by jeasahtheseer


Ok, got it

It actually irks me too that we do hear about Former slavery so much, yet the only people I see going over to help the african child slaves are white people.

This is a topic I tried to stay away from because where I live all I hear about is slavery and how it ruined their lives. I got into an argument with a co-worker over this once. She went on about slavery and how she is repressed and all that crap and I looked at her and said well I have family traced back to the Holocaust who were killed and that is more recent than slavery and you dont see me complaining and thinking I deserve something because of what was done to my family members.. Lets just say she never said a word after that. I get sick of hearing this as an excuse for everything! I could go on with stories about this but I wont, its pointless. I agree with you!

Originally posted by mblahnikluver
This is a topic I tried to stay away from because where I live all I hear about is slavery and how it ruined their lives. I got into an argument with a co-worker over this once. She went on about slavery and how she is repressed and all that crap and I looked at her and said well I have family traced back to the Holocaust who were killed and that is more recent than slavery and you dont see me complaining and thinking I deserve something because of what was done to my family members.. Lets just say she never said a word after that. I get sick of hearing this as an excuse for everything! I could go on with stories about this but I wont, its pointless. I agree with you!

This is what I tell all my friends who complain about slavery. I also say there were slaves other than black people and you never hear them complaining. I also tell my friends that by them saying this stuff they are enforcing the negative sterotypes of black people. I hate stereotypes. It saddens me that my own people are still stuck on this slavery thing, but we all arent like that, matter of fact tons of black people arent like that. My mothers side of the family is jewish and and I'm not close with my mother but I was with my grandfather (rip) and grandmother (rip) and they were both holocaust survivors and have told me stories about it. Its sad and scary stuff.

Like I said in my posts before, theres nothing wrong with acknowledging slavery happened and to learn lessons frm it. But I think dwelling on it is bad.




[edit on by jeasahtheseer]

I don't know anything about my family before my grandparents, but I'm pretty sure my ancestors were all lower-class Europeans. I mean for one, if they weren't poor I'd probably know more about them.

So the way I see it, they were all slaves of European monarchs. Then they came to the US and (as far as I know) worked in coal mines and on farms up here in the north, so I highly doubt any of them owned slaves.

The way I see it, we're all slaves now, so we should be [expletive]-ing about the current state of affairs together, rather than worrying about the past that most of us know almost nothing about.

Edited to add: I've never actually heard any black person say anything about slavery or 'reparations' or anything, except on TV...

[edit on 8/15/2009 by eMachine]

reply to post by jeasahtheseer


You have to understand that almost all white people have been taught to use the AA term.

At this point, we are so confused we don't know what to say.

reply to post by nixie_nox

The only history American blacks have IS slavery.

Not true.

A slightly truer statement would be

The only history *some* American blacks *want to focus on* is a *limited history of slavery*.

Their ancestors, of course, existed before slavery.

And only a very small percentage of American blacks can trace their roots back to slavery.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by jeasahtheseer

 

You have to understand that almost all white people have been taught to use the AA term.

At this point, we are so confused we don't know what to say.

Well see, like I said in my post the word "blacks"can be used offensively. Like if someone is saying "all you blacks are the same" for example, thats using it in a derogatory way. But generally refering to someone as black isnt offensive, unless you are meaning it to be offensive. Get what I'm saying?

I dont know who started the african american thing, I think it came about in the politically correct 90's. But I have always found it funny because I've yet to meet someone who calls themself that. We just call eachother black, and in my opinion its fine for others to say it too, unless they mean it offensively.

Peace

[edit on by jeasahtheseer]

reply to post by jeasahtheseer


Off topic, but who is taht in your avatar? The picture looks familiar but I can't place who it is.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by jeasahtheseer

 

Off topic, but who is taht in your avatar? The picture looks familiar but I can't place who it is.

Robert Johnson. One of the greatest blues artists of ALL time. Hes generally regarded as the grandfather of rock and roll. Most of the best artists of all time from Bob Dylan to Led Zeppelin place him as one of their greatest influences. He died in 1938. He doesnt have tons of music though, because he died at only 27 (he was the first artist I believe in the "27 club", since then tons of artists have died at 27 like kurt cobain, jimi hendrix, janis joplin, its kinda creepy) I love the blues



[edit on by jeasahtheseer]

Originally posted by jsobecky
reply to post by nixie_nox

 

The only history American blacks have IS slavery.

Not true.

A slightly truer statement would be

The only history *some* American blacks *want to focus on* is a *limited history of slavery*.

Their ancestors, of course, existed before slavery.

And only a very small percentage of American blacks can trace their roots back to slavery.

Oh good heavens.

And exactly how would they find out who their ancestors are? From all those records that were kept?

reply to post by Southern Guardian


Agree Guardian ..My mother was taught about the actions of slavery, slave owners and our family members that took part in building this great country for FREE. I was often told that I must not forget where I (my family) came from. Why is it that I am always told that I need to get over it?? Get over what? Get over my ancestry, slavery, or the fact that some people don't want to talk about what happened? If I didn't read slave narratives from former slaves or listen to my great grandparents when they would talk of their sharecropping days, I can't say I would think much about slavery...

There are thousands of families that would NEVER think of admitting their ancestors owned a single slave. Well someone's great, great something or other had to have owned some slaves some where down the line.

Just like the stories I heard as a child from my family members, I'm sure there are many white kids that were sat down and told about stories of how their families wealth came about. How the family worked hard by owning, working, breeding, and beating lazy slaves so they (the little white children) could have a future, you know what they call OLD money.

Yea, I have decided not to get over it or forget it. I don't have that choice ..I have two children that I must pass these stories along to so that it is never forgotten how America was really built.

Who in their right mind would call the atrocities of slavery that took place "a little card" Forgive me for not remembering the posters screen name..but MY heart bleeds just as much for the plight and pillage of your people as well. I would never tell you to get over it or ..move along and stop complaining. I would love to hear some of the stories that were passed down to you my friend. It is not my make up to belittle such things.

Not Forgetting what happened here in America, Europe doesn't take away from the slavery of today.

reply to post by nixie_nox


I do believe that the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Egypt Yemen, etc., also keep records, don't they?

Not all blacks were brought here by slave ships.

Well, my ancestor's had a large plantation and slaves. They came to America from France in the late 1500's. We don't know if the slaves were brought with them or if they were purchased after they arrived.

My 8 times great grandfather sold his "house woman" to his brother and shortly thereafter freed all the other slaves. Many of them stayed with the family, as did some of their children. And that was before the Revolutionary War.

The brother and his wife had 10 children and kept all their slaves. When he passed away, his fortune was left to his wife and children and it stayed in the family until all was lost in the Civil War.

Those that were former slaves of my direct ancestor's and stayed with the family, became the servants and were not only provided for in every way, but also given a salary. They were free to leave if they wanted to and a few did, but most stayed because they loved the family and the family loved them. They were never mistreated. They were taught to read and the family patriarch even built a school for all the local slaves. So, they were also educated. When I was there about 25 years ago, there were still a few bits and pieces of the plantation and school still standing. Probably long gone now.

I know that there were slaves that were treated horribly, and I am sorry for that, but I bear no guilt. My family was honorable in their treatment of their slaves, and when they were set free, they were treated honorably as family servants. Many today carry our family name. Heck, they were basically family, as were their children. I refuse to feel guilty for something my family had no part in. And, if any one of the descendants of our former slaves/servants are of the opinion they are owed something, then they need to do a bit of research on their family history.

reply to post by nixie_nox


Only a few can trace their history back is an understatement. It is indeed a daunting task and not for the faint of heart.

Yea I'm sure we can find a old slave registry(the kind they would keep at slave auctions or the slave master would keep along with his bank records etc) packed away in someones attic that belonged to an ancestor **shrugs**

Maybe they will be kind enough to post it online at an african american ancestry search site.

Oh to dream...

reply to post by inthesticks


OMG ..I thank you for that my friend ..Your story is intriguing and amazing. This will be a story that I can share with my 16 year old.

I could read post like yours all day long.. I appreciate you sharing your family history


[edit on 15-8-2009 by skindoc]

People often misunderstand slaver. in colonial times. Before the widespread establishment of chattel slavery, much labor was organized under a system of bonded labor known as indentured servitude. This typically lasted for several years for white and black alike, and it was a means of using labor to pay the costs of transporting people to the colonies.

The funniest part is it wasn't the Americans that started slavery it was europeans. The rise of European capitalism directly influenced the slave trade. American plantation colonies grew and prospered using slaves as a labor force. These slaves had a great impact on the sugar and coffee plantations. A lucrative triangular trade was established – alcohol, firearms, and textiles were shipped from Europe to be traded for slaves in Africa, and the slaves would then be shipped to South or Central America where they would be traded for staples (such as molasses and later raw cotton). In 1619 the first black slaves landed in an English colony in North America (at Jamestown, Virginia). At first few slaves arrived from Africa, and their status as slaves was not legally defined. During the mid 17th century the colonies established the legal status of slavery, and increasing numbers of slaves from Africa were used in the South on coffee, tobacco, sugar, and rice plantations. After the invention of the cotton gin (1793), the demand for slaves soared, so much so that the slave populations of some states exceeded the free populations. Africans were also taken to Europe to work as slaves and servants.

Another part of history people tend to ignore is who was selling the slaves. There is adequate evidence citing case after case of African control of segments of the trade. Several African nations such as the Ashanti of Ghana and the Yoruba of Nigeria had economies largely depending on the trade. African peoples such as the Imbangala of Angola and the Nyamwezi of Tanzania would serve as intermediaries or roving bands warring with other African nations to capture Africans for Europeans. Extenuating circumstances demanding exploration are the tremendous efforts European officials in Africa used to install rulers agreeable to their interests. They would actively favor one African group against another to deliberately ignite chaos and continue their slaving activities.

By the way slavery hasn't stopped either its in use today in the North African country of Mauritania, for example, black Africans serve the lighter-skinned Arab-Berber communities. Though slavery was legally abolished there in 1980, today 90,000 slaves continue to serve the Muslim Berber ruling class. Similarly, in the African country of Sudan, Arab northerners are known to raid the villages in the South — killing all the men and taking the women and children to be auctioned off and sold into slavery


Slavery has always been in existence and is still going strong throughout the world.Now who do we blame for slavery the africans that sold them the europeans and later Americans that bought them placing blame isn't easy or for that matter productive.In the United States they realized it was wrong and took steps to make sure it would not happen here again.Remembering the past to prevent future mistakes is great using it as a reason your life isn't what you want it to be is nothing more than laziness.

PS Just thought id add this instead of a new post, If Americans continue to hyphenate to separate themselves from other groups.Such as African-American Indian-American, Chinese-american and so forth then alot of racial problems will continue.


[edit on 8/15/09 by dragonridr]

Yes, Slavery is disgusting.

I find it most interesting that the USA is cast as the worst player. That all over slavery was not as bad.

No one slaves like the Arabs. The numbers for the USA pale in comparison to the Arabic states.

I have one thing for people to ponder.

In the USA, there is a large population of people resident who are descended from slaves.

In all of the Arabic states, where are they? Where are the descendents of the black slaves? Where are the people of mixed race?

That's rights. If the USA was the worst, where are the descendents of the literal millions of black slaves in the Arabic nations?

When you get to the conclusion, the nastiness of the USA's slavery days should be back into Global perspective.