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Very true. The fact remains that many slaves did not want to leave the plantations. They had to be forced. Many in the North feel that the movie Roots was a work of historical fact. It was in fact fiction. Most slave owners would never chop half of someones foot off. Nor did they whip their slaves daily. An injured slave is not at all productive. Keep in mind slaves were considered valuable investments. One would not slash the tires on a tractor because the tractor displeased them.
So many misconceptions thanks to poor teachings of history.
Yes, slavery was great! I don't know why it was ended. The slave masters were just misunderstood. They loved black people, especially the women.
Yes, slavery was great! I don't know why it was ended. The slave masters were just misunderstood. They loved black people, especially the women.
I recently saw one of the Marsalis brothers as part of a race-oriented symposium on public television. Responding to a question from a white panelist asking why "rap" music was so relentlessly misogynistic, Mr. Marsalis used words to this effect, which stuck in my mind like arrows:
You have to understand that when we're talking about chattel slavery, we're talking about a time when some white masters might just decide to enter a slave cabin, have the husband thrown outside, and enjoy sex with the woman. Standing outisde, the male slave had two choices: run inside and be killed, or stay outside and rationalize it like this: "She's not beautiful or desirable. I don't really love her, anyway."
I was strongly affected by this story (I am white). This insight -- really, just a glimpse -- of what it means to be a black man in contemporary America, and how very different are the choices that they face, intellectually and morally, from those of us whose experience is not so clearly limned with such palpable evil, left me shaken...
I guess for many blacks, we go by what our elderly relatives say from their mouths and our ancestors journals that they've kept for us to read. Wouldn't you expect me to go by those sources instead of what your saying? And for the blacks who do not have ancestors or elderly relatives to relate experiences, why would they listen to your view? Why should they? I'm not trying to be mean. I really want to know. If I was German and wanted to know about German history, who would I listen to? A man who wrote and made a tv miniseries about his German ancestry and what his ancestors and elderly relatives told him from their very mouths or you? Roots was written by Alex Haily's ancestry his elderly relatives told him about their experiences with slavery when he was a child. The relatives were very old, but they remembered their experiences as slaves and what were told to them by their other relatives. How can you diminish what the man has related about his ancestry? Amazing. That would be like you relating to me story about what your great-great grandfather told you as a child and then I come along and say, oh that really didn't happen. What what you think of me then? You are actually trying to tell people that Alex Haily's ancestors, who were real slaves, are liars (because Roots was based on their stories) and that we should just believe you. Why? Because your story doesn't make people feel uncomfortable.
Alex Haily himself admitted that his story was fiction. The issue or problem with word of mouth history. ie stories passed down generation to generation is that details change from story teller to story teller. I remember an excercise in class. The first student read a short story. They then told the story to the next who inturn retold the story to the next. After 30 students the story no longer reflected the original. Some base parts remained the same but over all it had been completely changed.
No one least of all I wishes to diminish what happened to the slaves. LOL My family fought for the North. That said if I tell a fictional tale even for the most noble of reasons that does not make my story historical fact. I will grant that haily's story was a good story and had some historical merit.
I am german. Do I take offense if someone talks about Nazis and their misdeeds? No because I am an american first, and none of my family participated. Do I feel a racial or ethnic shame ? No. Because I am an american and had nothing to do with it.
No body mentioned reperations no one infered anything about reperations. Do I believe they are due? No. All those who suffered as a slave are dead and buried.
Do I believe the ancestors of those slaves deserve anything? YES they deserve to be treated like americans. Equal in everyway...
I recently saw one of the Marsalis brothers as part of a race-oriented symposium on public television. Responding to a question from a white panelist asking why "rap" music was so relentlessly misogynistic, Mr. Marsalis used words to this effect, which stuck in my mind like arrows:
You have to understand that when we're talking about chattel slavery, we're talking about a time when some white masters might just decide to enter a slave cabin, have the husband thrown outside, and enjoy sex with the woman. Standing outisde, the male slave had two choices: run inside and be killed, or stay outside and rationalize it like this: "She's not beautiful or desirable. I don't really love her, anyway."
I was strongly affected by this story (I am white). This insight -- really, just a glimpse -- of what it means to be a black man in contemporary America, and how very different are the choices that they face, intellectually and morally, from those of us whose experience is not so clearly limned with such palpable evil, left me shaken...
The significance of that must have skipped a generation or two because I know a lot of middle-aged or older black men, as well and young black men, that would have never spoken the way rap music does about women.
The significance of that must have skipped a generation or two because I know a lot of middle-aged or older black men, as well and young black men, that would have never spoken the way rap music does about women.
As do I. But "a lot" isn't everyone. And the existence of that strain of thought is impossible to ignore...
Yes, slavery was great! I don't know why it was ended. The slave masters were just misunderstood. They loved black people, especially the women.
No one insinuated anything great about slavery. Just pointed out facts. Slavery was a very dark period in american history,possibly our worst. We were disgussing misconceptions.
Its true many slave owners mistreated their slaves. Having slaves in and of its self is mistreatment. The fact also remains that many slaves didnt want to leave their former masters. Some were actually happy. No doubt the ones who lived in the masters house were happier than those who worked the fields.
As do I. But "a lot" isn't everyone. And the existence of that strain of thought is impossible to ignore...
True, I can't speak for everyone, and I admit that I have no idea of the effects of the scenario mentioned. I don't know how much or how often that actually happened and doubt they do either. I have a hard time buying that the effects of the times that it did happen have surfaced now after all these years and can explain rap music lyrics. Why were groups like the Temptations, Smokey Robinson etc. singing about women they love, yet now this surfaced as a result of slavery? I think the most obvious answer for these lyrics is the breakdown of the family and high rates of drug use etc.
I didn't grow up in the south hearing prejudiced statements against the Jews, the Irish, the Italians, Muslims, etc.... because we didn't know any. The same applies to those in the North. Kids growing up in Minnesota didn't know too many blacks either. Everyone carries a certain amount of prejudice baggage about people different from themselves that they come in contact with. It can be race, finances, religion, or politically motivated. There isn't any place in the world where one group doesn't feel they are better than another group. It isn't a 'southern' phenomina.
I hope that made sense. I wasn't trying to be glib....but the south really gets an unfair bad rap in this area.
I understand exactly what you're saying. It's very true.
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