Racism and Slavery’s Impact on African Americans

Introduction

Slavery is evidenced to have existed for a long time among different communities from different artists of the world. The author states: “As John Rolfe noted in a letter in 1619, “20 and odd negroes were brought by a Dutch ship to the nascent British colonies, arriving at what is now Fort Hampton, then Point Comfort, in Virginia.” (Shah and Juweek). This was the first recorded account of slavery in the United States and thus laid the foundation for a lifetime growth of slavery in the US. Slavery had many opposing impacts on the community, depending on the parties involved. As such, slavery played a significant role in the establishment and growth of the US.

Nonetheless, it had many adverse effects on African communities. Furthermore, the effects of the introduction of slavery established a negative mentality about the African people in the US, which resulted in racism. This negated the Declaration of Independence which asserted that “all men are created equal, that their creator endows them with certain unalienable rights” (Shah and Juweek). Africans were belittled and considered inferior, and this has continued to rampage African Americans even today. Some of the effects of slavery that contributed to the nation’s destruction and redesigning the racial category and their interactions include the decimation of populations and destruction of nations.

Europeans had superior weapons and well-trained soldiers, which gave them an upper hand in the slaving battles from where they captured and kidnapped non-disabled Africans.through these wars. These nations resisted the foreigner and were attacked and depopulation through the mass murdering of civilians to weaken the nation. Europeans used the divide-and-rule strategy whereby they armed some communities and turned them against each other; this led to the deaths of many people and the destruction of some communities. Additionally, to prevent losses, “Some transatlantic slave traders hired surgeons for the horrific Middle Passage in hopes of preserving their human “cargo” for maximum profit” (Owens et al. 1343).

Therefore, many communities were left unprotected, which opened them to attacks and absorption by other, more significant communities. The enslavers had no regard for preserving families and let the traders and the auctioneers decided their fates. Instead, to ensure the financial security of slaveholders, insurance firms had White physicians evaluate enslaved people before providing them with life insurance (Owens et al. 13434).

The enslaved were dehumanized and treated like mere commodities, which contributed to the destruction of an entire nation. Further, slave hounds were bred, trained, and sold across the Atlantic, allowing them to be used in every major American slave society to control people, transform them into property, establish legal categories of subjection, and construct effective economic and governmental regimes (Parry and Yingling 74).

Enslavers used slave hounds to prevent enslaved people from escaping. They were rated inhumane because of the notions that they were uncivilized and barbaric. Slavery thrived on the notion that the Black race was inferior and thus was accorded little to no respect. Racism was used to justify the poor treatment of Black people. The author discusses that; “It carries the story right up to the present, to Black Lives Matter and the CARICOM demands reparations, producing an important work of contemporary advocacy” (Brophy 124). Racism stemmed from slavery which in turn impacted the lives and social interactions of the members of the Black community.

Black Codes and Jim Crow Laws

Black slave codes were detailed ciphers that guided formerly enslaved people on what they were expected to do and how to perform. They aimed to ensure that they remained under servitude even though they were free. Black people could not file any complaints to the judicial system since the judges and prosecutors comprised the former soldiers of the Confederacy. Upon the completion of the civil war, African Americans were granted rights and freedoms through constitutional amendments and Acts. Nonetheless, Jim Crow laws were accented and paved the way for racial discrimination; “From 1881 to 1964, Jim Crow Laws Separated Americans by race in 26 states. The laws created de jure segregation or the legal separation by the race of Americans” (Tischauser 1). These laws marginalized the Black community by denying them the right to vote, education, and jobs. Those who defied these laws were arrested and charged.

Effects of Slavery and Racism on Family

The effects of racism and slavery continue to destroy the Black community after all these years. Some of how racism affects families include police brutality and separation of families. According to Bowser et al., “In effect, African slavery was used to relegate Blacks to a position of inferiority projecting racism forward in time as slavery’s legacy” (6). The effects still affect the stability and separation of many Black families. Over the past years, police-related deaths have increased among African Americans. These deaths have led to the destruction of families by losing a loved one of their breadwinners. Additionally, constant discrimination harms n individual’s mental health, which may become unbearable, putting strain on relationships and families.

The Tulsa Bombing

The Tulsa bombing is considered one of the worst racial violence in the United States of America. According to Messer, “Scores of lives were taken during the massacre, which occurred after armed black residents appeared at the local courthouse to prevent the lynching of a Greenwood resident wrongfully accused of assaulting a white woman.” (2). An altercation ensued, thus resulting in a shooting that killed ten white people. They retaliated by destroying Black wall street. The White people feared that the Black community would attack, and thus, regrouping was prohibited among African Americans. Similarly, in recent years law enforcement have been seen disrupting gathering of Black youth, claiming they are gang members and planning a crime. Officers of the law have thus resulted in treating Black people as if they are all members of a gang.

Conclusion

Slavery has been the root of most evils that the American Black community must persevere in daily activities. The beginning of slavery in America marked the establishment of white domination over other races. This contributed to the inhumane treatment of the Africans in White plantations. Communities and families were destroyed through the slaving battles. The white community believed it was superior to the Africans, which justified the injustices and abuses the Africans were subjected to. Despite the many changes that have occurred over the years, African Americans are stills treated as inferiors and thus denied equal treatment as their White counterparts.

Additionally, police brutality and excessive force on African Americans have increased. The incarceration rate of Black youth is higher than that of the other races. Despite the legislation passed to ensure equality, the system is still against Black people. Some of the challenges Black people faced in the past are similar to their current challenges; this signifies that very little has changed and that the system is designed to oppress Black people.

Works Cited

Baderin, Alice. “‘The Talk’: Risk, Racism and Family Relationships.” Political Studies (2022): pp.217–323. Web.

Bowser, Benjamin, Aime, Charles Nicolas and Ali, Moussa Iye. The Psychological Legacy of Slavery: Essays on Trauma Healing and the Living Past. McFarland & Company Inc 2021.

Brophy, Alfred L. “Reparations for Slavery and the Slave Trade: A Transnational and Comparative History, by Ana Lucia Araujo.” New West Indian Guide/Nieuwe West-Indische Gids 93.1-2 (2019): 124-125. Web.

Messer, Chris. M. The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: Crafting a Legacy. Palgrave Macmillan 2021.

Owens, Deirdre Cooper, and Sharla M. Fett. “Black maternal and infant health: historical legacies of slavery.” American Journal of Public Health 109.10 (2019): 1342–1345. Web.

Parry, Tyler D., and Charlton W. Yingling. “Slave hounds and abolition in the Americas.” Past & Present 246.1 (2020): 69–108. Web.

Shah, Khushbu, and Juweek Adolphe. “400 Years since Slavery: A Timeline of American History.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media. 2019. Web.

Tischauser, Vincent. Jim Crow Laws. Greenwood 2018.