Most White Americans believe that slavery is an ugly part of our country's past that should neither be forgotten nor dwelt on. They have never owned slaves or known a slave and neither did anyone in their family for many generations, if ever. How could something that happened so long ago still have an effect on society today? We have an African American president, his popularity rating is high, and he is a shining example to the world of just how far this nation has come. However, the effects of slavery and racism are far reaching and far from over.
Just recently one newspaper printed a cartoon of a watermelon patch in front of the White House and another showed police shooting a monkey and questioning the Presidents' stimulus plan. Confederate flags still wave proudly in the South. The largest one in the country is on I-75 in Florida and I pass it everyday on my way to work. Blacks still feel they are not being given the same opportunities as Whites, although many Whites would disagree. Quite a few of these feelings and attitudes can be traced directly back to slavery.
The founding fathers of this nation were not exactly the rainbow coalition. They were all Southern men and most were slave owners. The United States is not the only nation to have participated in a slave system, however it is the only slave based nation to believe and teach that slaves were not of the human species. Other nations may have taken away their freedom but only America proclaimed Black slaves to be inhuman. A Psychiatrist would have a field day diagnosing the harm done to a child whose very humanity was taken away. The debates on how and if the problem could be fixed would be endless. These damaged children grew up to be adults, very damaged adults, and the cycle continued. Vestiges of these inhuman characteristics are still evidenced today in politically incorrect cartoons.
Black family dynamics are still hurting from the far reaching effects of slavery. Most are unaware of the cause. They just don't know what is wrong or why. Most can only trace their family tree back about three to five generations. After that there is a black hole and only the very fortunate can trace their roots all the way back to Africa. Their owners had no reason to keep good records. They can no more find records of their family history than most people can find the roots of their family dog. In fact, pure breed dogs probably have people keeping better records than can be found for most African American families. The sense of unity that is found in other cultures is not as prevalent for Blacks since they went through generations of having their families torn apart. Single mom families and unknown or absent fathers are not uncommon. The root cause of these issues are ignored and left untreated so they perpetuate.
The media also helps perpetuate stereotypes originated in slavery. Cosby is touted as the show that helped America see that Black families are just like everybody else's. So why hasn't there ever been one television series that was not a comedy or musical about African Americans? Comedy, music, and sports are the acceptable limits and the few Blacks that do manage to break out of the mold are proclaimed to be the rule when they are actually the exception. These scarred images hang over African American children leaving them with distorted role models to emulate while trying to achieve unrealistic goals, if they try at all. Excelling in school may not be as important as basketball or being a rap star. Portraying hard working African American citizens just doesn't grab the ratings that thug life or a sports star can.
These are just a few of the still reaching effects that slavery has had on popular culture in this country. School funding which is dictated by zoning laws, somehow always seem to manage to cut funding to minority schools. There are still plenty of neighborhoods that Blacks can't live in, and executive positions in major companies rarely seem to find Blacks that are qualified. It is difficult to pull yourself up by your boot straps when someone has taken your boots. There have been many positive changes in this country but there is still a long way to go. Those who do not acknowledge the past are doomed to repeat it. These issues should be recognized and dealt with so we can move on as a nation.