Although being abolished for over a decade, slavery remains the subject of controversial conversation that seemingly only one side wants to have. It is a tragedy that played a significant role in America's historical timeline as well as the nation's founding, yet many are trying to cover it up in hopes of repairing Americas tarnished reputation. While many consider the discussion of slavery to be an anchor in our past, preventing us from societal progression, remembering it is a vital part of understanding, as well as improving the history of America. Slavery continues to influence racial differences in America to this day, and if it continues to be ignored, America's problem with race will never be repaired. As a nation built upon the backs of the enslaved, America must recognize the horrors of its past in order to insure a better future.
Beginning in 1619, when a Dutch ship brought over the first twenty African slaves ashore to the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia, settlers in North America turned to the enslavement of Africans as a cheaper, more effective labor source than previously indentured servants. The theme of slavery in North America became a common practice throughout the colonies and states and would remain so for approximately 250 years. In the 18th century alone, historians approximate nearly eight million Africans were imported to the New World (History 1). Due to early European exploration, the demand for slaves skyrocketed. This not only tore apart generations of families, but deprived their native land of considerably their healthiest and ableist men and women.
Slaves worked mainly on plantations, producing and maintaining America's most economically significant crops such as tobacco and cotton. Not only were these crops main exports of the United States at the time, they were crops of which the economy relied on. Thus, by enslaving of millions helpless Africans, America was able to reap in economic prosperity and quickly became a nation built on exploitation. As new inventions came into existence, and trade began to expand, demand only continued to grow. This in turn lead to an increase in necessity for slave labor, which quickly became an intuition vital to sustaining the American economy. With an increase in reliance became a decrease in quality of life for the enslaved. Now seemingly pawns in America's game, slaves were seen as nothing more than objects to those benefiting. They had no power nor control of their lives, and were exposed to horrendus treatment and conditions. Africans were symbolic of objects, rather than human beings, and would not see a chance at equality until slavery's abolition in 1865.
When slavery was finally abolished, it seemed promising to those it affected. However when considering the issue of race still present in modern day America, those promises seemingly provided nothing but false hope. As an institution that inarguably built colonial America, slavery had a lasting effect on the existing lives and its descendants. Although no longer enslaved, African Americans continued to fall victim to violence, injustice, and inequality, themes of which are still prevalent today. Many of the racial ideologies associated with slavery are still extremely significant in today's society as America remains a nation poisoned by its historic roots of racism, discrimination, and inequality for African Americans. Following his emancipation, former slave Frederick Douglass said, “In thinking of America, I sometimes find myself admiring her bright blue sky…but my rapture is soon checked…when I remember that all is cursed with the infernal actions of slaveholding…” (History 1). While admiring the beauty of its present, Douglass cannot avoid to acknowledges America’s horrific past. By refusing to let the present outshine the past, Douglass only supports the argument that remembering slavery is important, and we cannot let it be forgotten. If the acknowledgement of slavery continues to be oppressed, the dream that race might someday become an insignificant aspect of American life is seemingly utopian.
This idea of not forgetting our past and the path we took to get where we are today is prominent in Ta-Nehisi Coates’s novel, Between the World and Me. Coates said:
You must struggle to truly remember this past in all its nuance, error, and humanity. You must resist the common urge toward the comforting narrative of divine law, toward fairy tales that imply some irrepressible justice. The enslaved were not bricks in your road, and their lives were not chapters in your redemptive history. They were people turned to fuel for the American machine. Enslavement was not destined to end, and it is wrong to claim our present circumstance – not matter how improved – as the redemption for the lives of people who never asked for the posthumous, untouchable glory of dying for their children. Our triumphs can never compensate for this. Perhaps our triumphs are not even the point. (Coates 70-71)
Coates emphasize the fact that white Americans try to belittle the truth in a way that prevents them from admitting reality. Individuals are lying to themselves to erase the negative and violent parts of history and fail to mention that their nation was built on human suffering. By referring to ‘fairy tales’, he makes an impactful analogy of telling stories that present in a more comforting light; it is almost like a euphemism. He enforces the fact that not everyone experienced the hardships African Americans had to endure. It is hard to fully understand something when you haven't lived through it, yet, Coates demonstrates that it needs to be understood in order to denote the dehumanization of African Americans. He urges for his readers to push through the familiar feeling of comfort, and truly comprehend what had occured. When he discusses the triumphs that were received, he is referring to the reconstruction era and years following. Prior slaves had received affirmative action, the protection of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments and the Civil Rights act of 1866. African Americans were eventually able to enjoy the right to vote, acquire land, seek employment, and use public accommodations. However, none of this wholeheartedly existed. Coates believes none of this truly matters at the end of the day if underlying racial bias still exists. He believes that rather than America having a silent majority, humans should address the past, and work through the issues for the future.
Coates later touches upon American national identity and the so-called “American dream”. While the American dream is associated with freedom and the ability to be whoever you want to be, Coates feels that this is an illusion. He believes that people can only truly be free if they refuse to succumb to the comforting myth that is the American dream, exceptionalism, and religion.
For African Americans, abolition was not the answer, it was only the first step. Ending slavery was just the beginning to attaining any form of equality and decades would pass before any form of advancement towards this goal was even achieved. As I said before, even after slavery’s abolition, there was always a bump in the road. There was never true freedom. Jim Crow laws restricted where an African-American could work, live, and even get an education, as well as prevented him or her from voting or serving in public office. Although abolition occurred in 1865, these laws were not declared illegal until nearly a century later 1960 (Davis 1). In Reversing Sail: A History of the African Diaspora, Gomez states, “The close of the Civil War ushered in Reconstruction (1865-1877), the quintessential saga of the rise and fall of a people’s dream and aspirations, as promising and progressive social policies introduced at the period’s beginning were ultimately reversed and crushed by the period’s end” (Gomez 152). This well said statement describes the light that was shown after the civil war which was quickly overshadowed by Black Codes and other anti-reconstruction acts. The meaning of emancipation was contested and invalid. This is symbolic of the ongoing struggle faced by African Americans, as no matter how much they may seem to advance, their is always something pushing them further back in the wrong direction. For many years to come, African Americans would struggle to gain any form of human rights. From citizenship to voting rights and etc, it has been a constant battle. Even once rights were gained, and advancements were being made, their lives were of no comparison to those of white Americans. As laws cannot change opinions, many of the feelings associated with slaves lingered far beyond its abolition. African Americans were still viewed by many as inferior. They were seen as unequal to whites, and disregarded as actual citizens. Even now, many of those same racist undertones still remain. I believe a major dilemma with overlooking this history is that it allows people to continue turning a blind eye to the ongoing discrimination, therefore permitting injustice to continue.
Disregarding the significance of American slavery and writing it off as nothing more than an unfortunate tragedy that should remain in the past is white supremacy and racism of the worst degree. Americans in reference to their history would rather discuss their nations foundings in regards to New England and the Puritans. A story of freedom from religious persecution, symbolic of equality and a better life, that depicts America as a land of opportunity rather than a land of oppression. Americans want to erase the past in order to preserve their reputation as a nation. Rather than being recognized and remembered for the tragedies committed as a nation, many feel it is best to forget they ever happened. By killing off any memories of slavery, we are invalidating the struggles of centuries of African Americans. Struggles of which still affect African Americans to this day. Racial equality is unfortunately not the reality of present day America and erasing where it began will only worsen the problem. In order to bring equality to the races, the damage must be acknowledged at its roots and it must be repaired.