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I had to post this follow-up to the entry regarding reparations. Silas Muhammed has some validity in his diatribe against Barack Obama. He discussed reparations & his disdain for Obama because he does not support it. Many may wonder why that is still an issue. I think I found a great documentary that reveals the answer. The producer/director of this film is Katrina Browne. This is the story of her white forefather's extensive connection to slavery. It is called "Traces of the Trade" & just follow the link to the website.
This film traces the DeWolf family's history as the largest slave-trading family in U.S history. Myths about slavery are dispelled when it is revealed that Katrina Browne's ancestors were Northerners. I believe in doing research to back up what I am saying. In my next posting, companies with a history in the slave trade (JP Morgan) will be listed. The descendants of those in the business of owning & trading slaves have benefited greatly. U.S history & economy lessons never discuss the existing corporations that were part of this brutal history. You will only learn the real story through viewing documentaries such as this.
How can black americans reconcile themselves to the fact that the effects from slavery on whites is far different than blacks? Slavery has played a role in the financial status of many white families of America. The ones from " old money" are sometimes from " slave or blood,sweat,& tear money. These families are no different than the children of murderous mafia dons or drug lords. Your money is blood money. It was acquired under the most inhumane conditions that one could imagine. Please watch this film no matter what color you are. It explains the dissent between blacks & whites that persist until this day. America cannot restore the traditions, cultures, community, or anything else that was lost in slavery. But in order to move on, you must know your past. There is a lost sense of pride in knowing your ancestry when you are an african-american. It is similar to those who have been adopted & are desperately seeking their real identity. Except all the records concerning your family have disintegrated into the dust long ago. That feeling of total loss & being incomplete as a person is present in many descendants of slaves. Meditate on that & check out this film.
1 comment:
As a DeWolf descendant of slave traders who appears in "Traces of the Trade," I greatly appreciated seeing this post.
Even though I inherited no "blood money," I strongly agree that much of the privilege and the wealth of white America derives ultimately from the brutality of the slave trade.
This is not just about the money of wealthy families, though: many ordinary (white) citizens participated in slavery and the slave trade, and all people in this country benefited significantly from the unpaid labor of slaves. Slavery produced inexpensive consumer goods, drove our maritime trade, and made possible the investment of capital and resources that industrialized the early United States. So our economic success and lifestyles today depend heavily on the contributions of enslaved Africans and their descendants. Those benefits, of course, fell much more on white families than on black ones, and this effect was magnified by the era of Jim Crow and discrimination. In the century following the end of slavery, as blacks were kept from working hard and improving their economic status, white families benefited from government programs designed to raise living standards, provide jobs, higher education, business loans and home mortgages.
This is how ordinary working-class or middle-class white Americans have benefited from slavery and white privilege, and often aren't even aware of it.
For more on this, you can see the film's web site, check out the book by one of the family members in the film, or visit my own blog.
I do think it's important to recognize that there isn't only one way to think about reparations. Obama may not support checks for black Americans, but he does support a response to the lingering effects of slavery and discrimination, including massive government investment in schools and communities.
Either way, I particularly enjoyed your focus in this post on the feeling of loss that many slave descendants experience with regard to the past, their heritage and identity. One reason I agreed to be in this documentary was that I come from a background where I know my family's history and have a strong sense of heritage. I wanted to help show that all Americans can be proud of the contributions their ancestors made to this nation ... and that behind an ordinary-looking white family, can linger much that isn't worthy of pride.
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