The topic of slavery is like is like unstable nitroglycerin. One false move, and you’re plastered everywhere in pieces.
So, let me pick up this stick and run with it before I blow up.
Black slavery was a very shameful period in our American history. We all know that, but it never seems to get beyond that point as far as how we handle it.
My gripe has always been: How do we teach the next generation and turn that period into something positive?
What can we learn about that period as far as strength of character of oppressed Blacks and how they endured?
Those would be worthwhile stories to tell for healing and growth, but unfortunately it never goes in that direction because we as a community just focus on the brutality, sadism, and degradation as if nothing else was part of the slavery experience.
We can’t get beyond the painful memory!
Is the pain legitimate?
Absolutely.
However, if we just focus on the pain as we’ve been doing, then we’ll never move onto the next level of maturity as a people.
We stay stuck!
I give much credit to our Jewish brothers and sisters and how they handle the memory of the Holocaust. As a people, their motto is, “Never Forget!”
If you’ve been paying attention, 5 or 6 years does not go by without some film being made with a Holocaust theme going back to Sophie’s Choice, Life is Beautiful, and Schindler’s List. Each of these stories focused on triumph in the face of horror unspeakable.
What do we do?
We get into stupid debates saying that Slavery was worse than the Holocaust.
That’s the dumb shit we do!
Yeah, they made Roots back in the 70s, and it was a great saga of an American family, but nothing else since.
We have stories of triumph too but nobody wants to tell it because it’s easier to stay in the pain, point fingers and say that you owe me and that's all we need to do.
The Last Tradition
