Slavery has been woven throughout American society over a long period of time. It started with the finding of the new world. People wanted to move to the new world to get out of Europe which was becoming over crowded. However, not everyone could afford or find the means of transportation to the new world. So, they decided to become indentured servants for people that could take them over to the new world. This is how slavery originally started. It was a way for people that didn't have money to make it to the new world. Becoming an indentured servant meant working for a certain period of time to repay the person that brought people over to the new world.
The indentured servants were mostly made up of white people and not very many blacks. Most of these white people came from Ireland and Germany. Some of the Irish where unwillingly forced to go to America apart of the "Irish Slave Trade." The Irish made up most of the indentured servants. All of the indentured servants were treated equally. They just worked as hard as they could until they got their freedom. The Irish, Germans, and African Americans originally all bonded considering they all where apart of their own little society. They all were servants and had too work to recieve their freedom.
Later on legislation passed a law that singled out black servants from the white servants. Whites where allowed to do more than what blacks where allowed to do. The next law that was passed was that all whites where allowed to posses a firearm. They where then required to carry their firearm to protect their colonies from the blacks.
After a short while whites started rebelling against their owners causing riots all over the new world. They started rebelling because the promises that where made to them never came through. They started turning on all their owners so they could be free and start their new lives in the new world. Bacon's Rebellion is one of the most noteable revolts that happened in which a lot of blood was shed. The owners of the indentured servants began to become very worried for their lives with all the rebellings going on. So, they decided to give up white servants and turned their attention to black servants.
Once they turned their attention to black servants they headed off towards Africa. Africa had all the needs the landowners possesed to satisfy their need for labor. They completely turned away from white servants and decided blacks were the real slaves. Not long after the laws where passed that talked about what made black slaves a true slave. This put all the pressure on the white landowners and indentured servants. The white indentured servants originally worked and fought side by side with the blacks. However, when it came down to getting rights and being free the white indentured servants could have cared less about the blacks.
The civil war was necessary for slavery to end. If this didn't happen then blacks may have never been given any rights. It was also necessary for some whites to help blacks gain there freedoms. Blacks would never been able to over throw whites without the help of some whites on their side.
Even though blacks have equal rights they are still looked down upon in society. They are still seen as bad people that are considered cheap. Most of society would accuse a black of a crime before a white person as well just because of their skin. Society also judges a interracial couple like it is bad to like someone that is not your same skin color.
There are many jobs today that still have similiar things of social control. Most of them tend to deal with hospitals or dentist offices. While you are sitting in a dentist chair the assistant does all the work. They are pretty much the slave for the dentist. When the dentist needs a tool he tells his assistant and they grab it. Their are other situations in which social control is in workplaces, but I just named a few. This type of slavery view will always be present
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There are a few things that I somewhat disagree with in your blog post.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I believe that saying "Even though blacks have equal rights they are still looked down upon in society" is a really big condemnation. It's too general, and I think it has a situational aspect to it. There are not many people who look down upon the likes of Oprah, Russel Simmons, or President Obama for the color of their skin. In fact, they are idolized by many people. But, they are in a different position than say a poor African American in the slums of a city. I think there is a situational aspect to how both white and African Americans are viewed.
Also, I think it is somewhat hasty to make a connection between the slaves of the colonies and the assistant at the dentist office. It could be argued that a dentist has put in more work and effort into earning their degree to be able to have that type of job. Or, that simply the assistant is an employee of that dentist’s practice and therefore subject to the inferiority of having to listen to the boss.
However, I do agree with you that we still live in a time when an African American may be accused of a crime simply because of the color of their skin. For another example, think of the discrimination faced by people from the Middle East in the United States after 9/11. Many of them were accused of crimes simply because they happened to be from the same region as the terrorists involved with the attack.
This example rounds back to my first comment in that a lot of it has to do with the situation. Think of the change in how people looked upon people of Middle Eastern descent in the course of a few hours. They went from just another race in America to social outcasts.
I agree with nick in saying comparing a dentist assistant to a slave isnt very comparable at all. In all aspects of soceity everybody can not be a leader, and assistant or a follower is neccessary. If everybody is giving demands how is anyone suppose to listen. As nick stated the dentist himself went under harsher conditions such as courses in school and financial burdens of schools than the assistant went through, at the same time however i understand what you are trying to say.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that african americans are looked down upon, but they are not only lookd down upon in caucasions eyes as they are also looked down upon in each other eyes. Society have implanted in our mind the lighter your skin the prettier or more socially acceptable you were. Even ligh skin slaves were given the better jobs such as house work because they were the prettier people. In our society thier is a unspoken rivalry between african americans and caucasions as well as dark skin african americans and light skin african americans. If we are constantly in battle with each other how are we expected to band together and fix the problem of an oppressive country?
I think your intentions were correct with your post, but I believe you meant to focus more on how people in general still carry stereotypes having to do with skin color. We can connect a skin color to things like social classes, neighborhoods, certain cities,etc. but we cannot properly assume that the stereotype is correct. As Nick said in his above comment, there are many successful people out their with a dark skin color and with ethnical backgrounds different than the norm. But this is America, and slowly there is becoming an elimination of a "norm." We are continually changing as a country, and now we are more ethnically and culturally diverse than ever before. People will always hold stereotypes, but I think younger generations in general are becoming more accustomed to variation in people, and less critical. This is just my opinion, but I think it is slowly but surely becoming a trend.
ReplyDeleteFolks, I simply want to add that the comments to this post do a commendable job of thoughtfully and respectuflly engaging points on which there is disagreement. Very civil and well done!
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