I Would Rather My Ancestors Not Have Been Slaves Than Being Born An American

It's an interesting ethical thought that I have also had before. Is the pain of 10 or so generations worth the benefit of future generations being born into a 1st world country, as opposed to a 3rd world country?

It's a tough question, it depends on how long it will take for Africa, specifically West Africa to develop, overall it would be a very individual thing, some will have arguably benefited greatly in the long run, for others the sacrifice will go in vain. LBJ's/JayZ's ancestors might happily make that trade-off with that foresight, others with much worse outcomes might not. Some may have thrived in Africa, others may have died in civil wars, or from famine/disease.

While an interesting thought exercise, like you said it's done, and to me it reflects on how far this country needs to come for our black people. If we want to enslave people for hundreds of years, massively benefit off their labor, the least we can do is make sure their offspring are 1st class citizens. The wealth gap, the life expectancy gap, the maternal and infant mortality gap are all truly disgusting.

There are 2 groups of people who didn't ask to be a part of this country, blacks, and natives, and both have been treated like dog ****. It's our countries responsibility to do everything we can to end the inequality.

A funny thought is on the other side of the spectrum, racist people, the people who want to keep America white, the ones who are offended by losing their "culture" to minorities, the ones that are offended by empowering blacks to the level of whites, offended by ending inequality, may also have preferred your ancestors not be slaves, and preferred you to have stayed in Africa. "We should have never gave you *****s money go back home" "America you bad b**** I picked cotton and made you rich - now my dick ain't free"

 

The slave trade didn't start in America. Most of the slaves involved in the original slave trade or Islamic slave trade were castrated leaving no descendants. Slavery is a part of world history

 

And before that....

 

I don't think he said slavery started in America.

 

[Question]
What has always made me scratch my head is why African Americans kept their English names - for instance O'Neal, James, McGrady, etc. I would want a fresh start as a way to build my own family's legacy... not keep a remembrance of the ugly past. As I understand it, these names referred to the owner of the plantation that the slaves worked on.

GOOD DAY

 

That's the only language they knew by the time they were freed...

Some choose new names, like Freeman, most just kept the name they had.

 

At this point, I'm not sure what you guys are responding to.

Your point of the thread was saying, you would rather your ancestors have not been through slavery, you'd rather your family stayed in Africa despite it being less developed.

Then FN says slavery is common throughout history - which isn't a retort to the topic of your post really. Perhaps my post?

And now you're replying by trying to argue American slavery is the worst slavery, which. isn't a rabbit hole I'd go down.

 

From what I understand it isn't just slavery black people are angry about. It's the 100 years that followed also with Jim Crow and Black Codes that set up the current conditions of poor urban black communties.

Correct me if I'm mistaken.

 

I guess being black but having immigrant parents, the only lesson I learned from them is to look forward. I sure as **** wouldn't have wanted to grow up in Haiti or Cameroon, and they clearly never felt like bringing that **** up. Didn't even teach us French (or Creole or Basaa).

 

To bypass a root cause that has shaped political and social policies that has made it very difficult for the working class non-default American is something you have to choose for yourself but don't force others to put their head in the sand...

 

It was a great time for free people of color in Louisiana during that period. One my ancestors had a child with a woman that was enslaved, ended up free her and his child and went back to France to marry her. They had more freedom and rights during that window of time compared to the 20th century/Jim Crow era.

 

But the mind of those that perpetuate the past is still very much alive. I apologise for my earlier comment.

 

You want black people to get over slavery, but you yourself haven't? Like you, I don't think people should feel anything about things that weren't done to them. Especially something like a history of slavery that when taken ownership of must do crazy damage to the psyche and subconscious of the individual/group. Unfortunately, that is the only history Americans are taught and that fact plays a major role in how blacks are viewed and how they view themselves.

What I don't understand is how Africans had no impact on life in what is now Europe. If they did, it would make it possible that those last names were theirs or at least shared with white Europeans and not passed on by their owners. Then again, I know nothing of the history of that land and the impact Africans had on it. From what I do know, slavery was not widespread and when there was it included whites (the word slavery actually comes from the word for people of slavic origin).