What my parents taught me about slavery and racism

[independentusa]

I lived in a segregated part of the South when I first learned about slavery and the fact that white people enslaved black people. When I questioned them, my parents told me that yes it happened, but I was not responsible for what happened a hundred years ago. They told me though that I was responsible for how I treated people of other color in my own life. I have always tried since then to do as they asked. I have not always been perfect, I suspect no one has, but have done the best I could. Instead of basically not telling out children of our nations history of slavery and racism, maybe they should do as my parents did.

 

[Mycroft]

I lived in a segregated part of the South when I first learned about slavery and the fact that white people enslaved black people. When I questioned them, my parents told me that yes it happened, but I was not responsible for what happened a hundred years ago. They told me though that I was responsible for how I treated people of other color in my own life. I have always tried since then to do as they asked. I have not always been perfect, I suspect no one has, but have done the best I could. Instead of basically not telling out children of our nations history of slavery and racism, maybe they should do as my parents did.

The race-baiting Dems and blacks won't cut you any slack.

 

[noonereal]

The race-baiting Dems and blacks won't cut you any slack.

Race baiting is from the left, racial hated is from the right. Just saying.

 

[independentusa]

The race-baiting Dems and blacks won't cut you any slack.

Your attitude does not help thee situation does it, only makes it worse?

 

[Mycroft]

Race baiting is from the left, racial hated is from the right. Just saying.

Not true. Lots of leftists of all colors hate people of other colors.

 

[Mycroft]

Your attitude does not help thee situation does it, only makes it worse?

Would you rather I not be realistic?

 

[Questerr]

I lived in a segregated part of the South when I first learned about slavery and the fact that white people enslaved black people. When I questioned them, my parents told me that yes it happened, but I was not responsible for what happened a hundred years ago. They told me though that I was responsible for how I treated people of other color in my own life. I have always tried since then to do as they asked. I have not always been perfect, I suspect no one has, but have done the best I could. Instead of basically not telling out children of our nations history of slavery and racism, maybe they should do as my parents did.

You also have a responsibility to use your relative position of privilege to help those whose families were enslaved and who have suffered generational setbacks because of it.

 

[Napoleon]

You also have a responsibility to use your relative position of privilege to help those whose families were enslaved and who have suffered generational setbacks because of it.

No such responsibility exists.

 

[Questerr]

No such responsibility exists.

Definitely how the sociopath right views things.

 

[americanwoman]

I lived in a segregated part of the South when I first learned about slavery and the fact that white people enslaved black people. When I questioned them, my parents told me that yes it happened, but I was not responsible for what happened a hundred years ago. They told me though that I was responsible for how I treated people of other color in my own life. I have always tried since then to do as they asked. I have not always been perfect, I suspect no one has, but have done the best I could. Instead of basically not telling out children of our nations history of slavery and racism, maybe they should do as my parents did.

Why didn't they inform you that you were all responsible at that time for the racist system of segregation? Interesting you can discuss slavery in the past as "it happened" but didn't want to take part in correcting the wrongs of the current time. Appears some children do need a more rounded education to understand the current injustices as some parents only want to talk about past instances and wipe their hands of the current events.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

No such responsibility exists.

You might not agree with this either, but it is similar to the argument people make that the US has a certain responsibility as a world leader to do certain things. It's really just the idea that if you find yourself in a relative position to enact positive change, it is morally good to do so.

 

[Indydave]

I lived in a segregated part of the South when I first learned about slavery and the fact that white people enslaved black people. When I questioned them, my parents told me that yes it happened, but I was not responsible for what happened a hundred years ago. They told me though that I was responsible for how I treated people of other color in my own life. I have always tried since then to do as they asked. I have not always been perfect, I suspect no one has, but have done the best I could. Instead of basically not telling out children of our nations history of slavery and racism, maybe they should do as my parents did.

absolutely......I too was raised in a similar situation......as were so many of my peers.......and we did pay respect for the most part to blacks...publicly......but we also in the privacy of our own groups spoke of them in racist terms.....today I have black grandsons and granddaughters of whom I love and admire and who are in and out of my house as often as the rest of my family......and there are times when I think how I have changed and I how I hate that it took so many years for me to face the fact that I was a racist.......

what's troubling to me today is I see blatant racism being accepted in the republican party today.....i see the 30s-40s generation of young whites with no shame as to their disdain for blacks......

 

[Napoleon]

You might not agree with this either, but it is similar to the argument people make that the US has a certain responsibility as a world leader to do certain things. It's really just the idea that if you find yourself in a relative position to enact positive change, it is morally good to do so.

What we’re really talking about here is a minority within a minority which never gets its **** together and doesn’t want to be accountable for its poor decision making. They’ve been led to water. They have to drink it as the majority of their racial peers have.

 

[Tigerace117]

Definitely how the sociopath right views things.

He’s an apologist for the freaking Congo Free State, of all things. What else do you expect?

 

[Questerr]

He’s an apologist for the freaking Congo Free State, of all things. What else do you expect?

Wow. Please link to that. I have to read it.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

What we’re really talking about here is a minority within a minority which never gets its **** together and doesn’t want to be accountable for its poor decision making. They’ve been led to water. They have to drink it as the majority of their racial peers have.

Ahh I see. You think that the average White household wealth is 10 times higher than the average Black household wealth because Black Americans are just that much lazier and bad at making life choices. Got it.

 

[Napoleon]

Ahh I see. You think that the average White household wealth is 10 times higher than the average Black household wealth because Black Americans are just that much lazier and bad at making life choices. Got it.

Higher high school dropout rates, higher teen pregnancy rates, higher single parent households, and lower college attendance. Yeah, if you’re a high school dropout with an absentee baby daddy then your prospects in life are poor. End of story.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

Higher high school dropout rates, higher teen pregnancy rates, higher single parent households, and lower college attendance. Yeah, if you’re a high school dropout with an absentee baby daddy then your prospects in life are poor. End of story.

Yeah all those things are indicators of poor outcomes. We should do something to improve all of those statistics.

 

[Tigerace117]

Wow. Please link to that. I have to read it.

British cancelled African dreams, literally

A substantial number of the wars and insurgencies currently ongoing in Africa today have their roots directly tied to colonialism. Ignoring that is foolish. Something can be “not utopia” and still a hell of a lot better than it was after decades of colonialism. you are correct-the artificial...

debatepolitics.com

It starts at post 31.

 

[Citizen]

Race baiting is from the left, racial hated is from the right. Just saying.

Race baiting and racial hatred are both from the right

 

[Questerr]

British cancelled African dreams, literally

A substantial number of the wars and insurgencies currently ongoing in Africa today have their roots directly tied to colonialism. Ignoring that is foolish. Something can be “not utopia” and still a hell of a lot better than it was after decades of colonialism. you are correct-the artificial...

debatepolitics.com

It starts at post 31.

Yikes. Well white supremacist conservatives are white supremacist. Who’d a thought?

 

[Napoleon]

He’s an apologist for the freaking Congo Free State, of all things. What else do you expect?

Pointing out the error of your emotional assessment of the Congo Free State is not apologism.

 

[independentusa]

Why didn't they inform you that you were all responsible at that time for the racist system of segregation? Interesting you can discuss slavery in the past as "it happened" but didn't want to take part in correcting the wrongs of the current time. Appears some children do need a more rounded education to understand the current injustices as some parents only want to talk about past instances and wipe their hands of the current events.

First, my parents were both from the north and had little to do at that time with people of color as there were just not around. We moved to the South as part of my father's military career, so I doubt he had much to do with creating the segregation in the South at that time. He did though, while in the service, help black servicemen to achieve, getting them into schools and training them to attain higher levels while in the service. He lived his life as he taught us to live ours.

 

[Schism]

I grew up around Hampton and Newport News Virginia during the late 60's early 70's during bussing. I was bussed from midtown to downtown near the shipyard for elementary school, and made friends in the projects, went to birthday parties, sleepovers, dinner, etc. As I grew up, I played all 3 sports of the era (we didn't have soccer), then joined the Army, then the phone company.

My entire life has existed in a melting pot of ethnicity, races, interesting characters, people from different backgrounds etc. It's normal to me, so I don't get the big push 50 years later for me to "do something".

 

[Questerr]

Pointing out the error of your emotional assessment of the Congo Free State is not apologism.

Dude, you literally stated that the practices of the Congo Free State were okay because they “advanced human civilization”.