by Lauryn Smith

Created on: August 20, 2007

The Psychological Effects of Slavery

The official records say slavery lasted around 300 years. The records only include the physical enslavement and not the mental. Africans bodies were enslaved for 300 years but the generations afterward are still psychologically enslaved. Going through something as traumatic as the experiences Africans had during slavery will not only affect them then but affects the future generations now. People may not know or choose not to believe that the previous statement is true. I believe in order to fix or current psychological state we must first learn how we came to be as we are.

In the first section of "Breaking the Psychological Chains of Slavery", Dr. Akbar states that African Americans still carry the attitude we had towards "work" during slavery presently. He explains of the toilsome and unprofitable (towards the slave) work Africans were forced through on a daily basis. Then he explains how Saturday, Sunday, and holidays were a mini emancipation from work. So because of this attitude slaves associated work with enslavement and no work with freedom. Now African Americans are in a continual state of mind were we work comfortable jobs for other people and only wait for weekends.

In this sense of work I highly agree with Dr. Akbar. For me school is like my job. I come to school to go home and go home to prepare to come back to school. Then all the while I'm waiting for five days to be up so I won't have to wake up in the morning and start the same routine again. I want to learn but at the same time I want to just socialize. And I know I can't have it both ways. I have to change my work ethic before I hit college otherwise I doomed to fail before I even begin.

The next section was on property. Back in slavery slaves weren't given anything and if so it was very little. Dr. Akbar seems to be saying that African Americans associate material goods with power rather than knowledge and intellect. Then when we do get something it's bought for no reason. In essence African Americans are willing to buy a $5,000 couch we'll never sit on instead of taking that $5,000 and putting it towards books for college. As for vandalism Dr. Akbar states that unconsciously we enjoy it because it takes a little prestige away from "Massah".

Unfortunately I have to agree again. More so when I was younger I'd ask for a toy before a book. I've observed how on television "the ghetto" is constantly being glorified. A few years back I really didn't care about it

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