Question:
Why are whites in America today being blamed for slavery that happened 150 years ago?
?
9 years ago
Slavery was abolished over 150 years ago, America was one of the first in the world to end it. Only 1.4 percent of colonial whites owned slaves, as opposed to 28 percent of free blacks. Not to mention tens of thousands of WHITE Irishmen were kidnapped and shipped to America as slaves. The Arab slave trade was much more brutal and long lasting than the American one, it killed over 112 million blacks and whites together. Why are white people today always blamed for it then, do people not realize that no LIVING white person has ever legally owned a slave?
66 answers:
8 years ago
What Happened 150 Years Ago Today
Sabir
9 years ago
This is a fair question, and no white person should be blamed directly for slavery which ended a long time ago. I don't have the perfect answer, but I think that in modern day America it is sometimes hard for people to trust each other and forgive each other for things in the past as a multi-cultural nation. For example, Ferguson didn't need to happen but it did and it sparked even more feelings of racism on all sides of the matter. In the end all lives matter, but the protesters pointed fingers in the wrong direction. The protesters should have appealed to all local community groups and peacefully protested as one, instead of looting. Yes, the officer shouldn't have killed Michael Brown, but maybe he really did just fear for his life. That fear can be very powerful if it is racially charged. As an African-American man, I don't blame any white person for slavery 150 years ago. I have many friends of all cultural backgrounds and origins and I consider them my friends. It saddens me when I hear about another issue like Fergusion, but until someone, or a large group of everyone, can finally declare racism is over, slavery is over, all the hate and fear, and shame, of our past is over.... then and only then perhaps we'll be able to forgive each other for our past mistakes. This has all been my opinion, but thank you for reading.
Big Hube
9 years ago
Must be a slow day for this question this to be trending. That question is not accurate. The majority of people I know understand that slavery is the underlying cause of the problems Black Americans have and still continue to experience. In fact, Racism in America is a direct byproduct of slavery and Black Americans experience it every single day in one fasion or another. Maybe you should've asked why do black people feel white people are racist and act prejudice towards them. By the way..... 150 years is not a long time ago.
Bruno D
9 years ago
Not every white person today had something to do with slavery 150 years ago. Many ancestors of whites didn't even come here until the 1920's. So they had nothing to do with slavery. Why are blacks glaring at every white person like their ancestors had something to do with it? That's reverse discrimination by the way. How about growing a backbone and researching who are the decendants of the white plantation owners that actually abused you? Then go after them for reparations! Be smart instead of angry. You'll get further.
Huh?
9 years ago
Segregation and Jim crow existed within my lifetime. There are men and women alive today that were denied an education, a job, the right to live where they wanted, access to basic services, access to capital to own a home or start a business. According to a lawsuit as recently as 1996 the Department of Agriculture denied black owned farmers access tot he same resources as white farmers. I spoke to a black farmer that when he made an appointment to meet with a county agent he was told he had to come back because the agent would only meet with blacks on Wednesdays. He was one of the successful plaintiffs in the lawsuit.



The white apologists today that think racism ended with slavery are no better than a holocaust denier. Grow-up, racism still exists, just watch a Trump rally,
?
9 years ago
Racism has been around way before slavery. It was just executed during slavery and then the KKK started and its been a mess. but honestly people like us who didnt have a thing to do with slavery are paying the price. the people they should be yelling at are the ones who did this too them, but unfortunately all those racists are dead. i personally think while racism is a serious issue going on theres a lot bigger issues going on too. not to mention there are many other ethnic groups who were stereotyped and executed. what about the holocaust? many jews killed as well as whites and gays and anyone else who was different then hitlers backround. blacks arent the only ones who suffered. look at anne frank. 15, dead from typhus in a concentration camp. what about the millions of babies killed by the nazis too the ones who cant even remember or enjoy being alive. what about babies these days being drowned in tiolets. or the children who are prostituted and raped. those people have suffered just as well. some worse some not as bad.
Moe Lester
9 years ago
It's like the telephone game, something happened a few centuries back but over time people started losing facts and replacing them with utter nonsense to fill in the gaps. Eventually they just started calling it slavery and making stuff up because lies sell & the original story was boring. They made a whole genre just so they could make some profit.
9 years ago
They are not really being blamed but in a way paying the price for the mistake of their forefathers. Just think of how much better off life would be if slavery had never happened. The country would have an entirely different population, one that would mostly be loyal to it and unified no matter what the circumstances. Think of those countries you call Communist and yet don't have the added problems that come with race relations.
Najama
9 years ago
Have you been under a rock all your damn life? Police brutality in America has gone so much worse. You'll see the white police officers beating down a black person when they aren't even resisting arrest. It has gone so incredibly bad that when one police officer does something as simple as have a conversation with a black kid, he is being cheered for. Now tell me, how the hell did America end this racism? It's still bad. Not as bad as slavery of course but it's the 21st century... why won't you all let it go? Stop this Racism and hatred towards religion. Not all white people but a HUGE majority.
StompedBox
9 years ago
Agreed. NO one should be blamed currently for slavery. It's in the past, so stop living in the past people, because what you blamers are say is a white baby born today should be blamed 10 years from now for something he didn't had anything to do with.



Now what about the black person who rape a white person today? should his great great grand son be blamed for that? So stop being ignorant and think about it.



By the way i'm neither black or white. so peace out.
R
9 years ago
Because this country is full of jackasses. I was talking to some retard the other day about how the Native Americans don't have to pay taxes, can build a casino pretty much wherever they want, and go to nearly any college with a tuition waiver. This woman got vicious with me, and her ugly liberal attitude reared it's ugly head. Somehow, all these benefits, perks and double standards aren't good enough for these minority groups. They always want more. So, if we're not kissing up the African Americans for slavery, we're kissing up to the Indians for fighting with them for over 100 years. If it's not the blacks or the Indians, we're kissing up to women because we made them walk around in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant back in the 40s and 50s. Or we're kissing up to Japanese Americans for the internment camps during WWII, while completely dismissing the fact that Italian and German Americans were locked up in the Crystal City Internment Camp in Texas...and Joe Dimaggio's father wasn't allowed to fish in the San Francisco bay because he was Italian. If bad things happen to white people, it's perfectly OK...in fact, it's a form of justice in their eyes. Point is, minority groups are ALWAYS getting their asses kissed by our government, and our government forces us to kiss all their asses. It's ridiculous. My family has only been here since 1915...yet we're somehow to blame for slavery and for the destruction of the Indians, mistreatment of women, the list goes on. It is equally as ridiculous to go after someone whose family has been here for 200 years, because they themselves did NOTHING to hurt anyone. Anyone who is offended by what I said, save your breath and shove your politically correct BS up your ***.
Eric Clay
9 years ago
I'm gonna give it to you straight. Back in the 60s white america took his foot off blackies neck and let him have a chance to be equal. It is an experiment that has failed miserably and we should have a do-over. How many excuses can be made and facts be distorted, numbers skewed and slanted by the liberal spin-doctors before everyone just comes out and says it; "Blacks will never be intellectually equal to Whites", they are animals for the most part. 300 years of breeding for labor not brains.

Geez it is what it is im sorry only 4% of the south owned slaves and that really happened COME TO GRIPS PEOPLE!!

Also there should be a filter that only people who have spent time incarcerated with them can comment. Unless you have lived with them 24/7/365 you cant comment. How can I be an expert on Australia if Ive only seen pictures and videos? Live there first then we'll talk
9 years ago
If you see anyone blaming white people for slavery in modern times, it is not because they actually blame you individually, but your ancestors. Slavery is terrible regardless of who is doing it, but in history class you learned how badly black people and other races were treated by white people. Other races still don't even get the respect they deserve today!! My point is, is that slavery was a major starting point for racism. So if you are a white person, then your ancestors were most likely a slave owner or racist or at least prejudice against black people. So when people of color refer to slavery today, it is because they know your family members are the reason for the current,consistent racism. I recommend looking up some history and there is also tons of blogs that talk about current racism. Not all white people are racist, but there is such a thing as white privilege and a lot of people refuse to acknowledge that and claim that "All people are treated equal", when they are not.
Mister
9 years ago
its really stupid because nature is all about survival of the fittest. white people at the time happened to be the most fit, so they began to fight other humans for dominance and resources. back then, resources were running out fast, and nobody knew what to do. knowledge was very limited.



the whole slave thing was done by the rich to help with production until better methods could be developed. white people can't handle the sun as well as blacks, and they were aware of this. so they had blacks cultivate crops and harvest fields in order to help with production, but blacks were NOT the only slaves. there were also asians, whites, latinos and native americans who were slaves.



if anyone should be hated it's egypt, because also has THOUSANDS of years worth of historical records of keeping slaves to build the pyramids. Many of the slaves DIED and were kept in poorer conditions than how whites kept their slaves. so it was not necessarily white people only who had black slaves. black people also had black slaves long before white people.





If blacks were the dominate race , do you think they would of treated the other races any different? slavery was very VERY common at the time and is a trademark of war. having slaves was considered a spoil for the victors. If blacks were the dominate race , they would have done the same thing. it is just how nature works. since humans have more intellect they are more creative with survival





Black people who blame white people for their problems are unaware that white people gave them equal rights and could of easily continued to keep them as slaves. With the way blacks are nowadays, I am beginning to believe that maybe blacks should of either been kept as slaves or gotten rid of all together. At least then they would not be draining the welfare system, and killing innocent people because .... #black lives matter .....





don't let it get to you, slavery is pretty much over. if black people hate whites so much then they should go to africa where the majority of the people there are black.
9 years ago
Slavery is NOT right or OK. To reduce a human being to a price tag, beat them repeatedly and rentlessly, etc is unquestionably wrong; however, that did happen a LONG time ago and their is no reason why anyone should be blamed for anything. No-one owns slaves anymore, thanks the Abe Lincoln and the Civil War. Why don't we just drop it? It's water under the bridge at this point. Just my humble opinion, take it for what it's worth.
Marshhawk
9 years ago
There is still slavery in the US. It is called human trafficking now.Even the Louisville Metro Police Department has been given training to identify someone who had been a victim of human trafficking.

Note: back when slavery was legal, American Indians and freed blacks had slaves.

American Indian tribes gave equal opportunity by holding any captives they caught as slaves-male, female, white, black, or Indian.
9 years ago
1) Slavery is bad regardless of who is doing it.



2) Woop-de-doo that "America was the first to end it". If you are more interested in grandstanding (America's the best, America's the greatest, the rest of the world is WAY worse than us etc) rather than get to the facts or listen to the other side then asking was a waste of time because you won't listen to anything anyone says.



3) Indentured or bonded Irish were a very different kettle of fish to the slaves from Africa. The Irish were only in services for 2 to 7 years and could get early releases etc. It meant they could move away from famines and wars etc. "Slavery" has been used by the Irish due to political issues over several centuries between the Irish and the British. (It's kind of like the US hang over that the "British monarch will invade them so they need their guns to protect themselves...). It's also used by white supremacy groups to say diminish non-white histories...



4) After all of this, any Irish who happened to emigrate to America were able to merrily go on their way without issue...



African Americans were segregated until the 1950's / 1960s and were not even allowed to vote until, the mid 1960's... They have a higher % in lower socio-economic status (SES) rankings than Caucasians. Low SES tends to be associated with things like poorer health, lower income and a whole range of issues. Despite making up just under 15% of the population, they represent nearly 50% of people jailed...



5) Today's Caucasians are not to blame for slavery of 150 years ago. But there are still issues which need to be addressed...
Jeremy
9 years ago
Well, theres still some confederate fans and as long as there is a redneck bearing a confederate flag, you will have a large amount of people hating those confederate fans for their background. Even if it was just about the country side, trucks, and hill billy things.
?
9 years ago
Because many whites today still haven't given up their idea that African Americans are "only 3/5 human."
9 years ago
Also most white Americans are of Eastern european and italian heritage so are not related To slavery at all
Mrs.Blessed
9 years ago
Fair question. We all, no matter what race or religion seem to want to blame others for our misfortunes and present day situations. We are suppose to learn from the past and move forward. Unfortunately, we bring the past with us and get stuck.
F.
9 years ago
Because if you don't continually play victim and whine about how the "white man" enslaved you, then you have to act responsibly like all other immigrants who came here. You have to WORK to get educated and acquire skills to GET A JOB.
Naveen
9 years ago
The reason why whites are mentioned alot more when it comes to slavery is because we live in a country where whites are the majority of the population. If this was an arab country they would bring the arabs into this conversation. For example, instead of saying "whites are racists they owned slaves" you would say "arabs are racists they owned slaves". Its hard to explain what im tryna to say. Anyway, racism still exists and it automatically reminds people of the extremes that people had gone to so thats probably why they bring it up
9 years ago
Cowards and people who wish to make profits. Movies and stories about slavery where the only way blacks could make it in society.
carlA
9 years ago
This still happens in my town. The African Americans blame the white people about slavery and one even said you don't known the life being a slave and I said "you're not a slave so stop it."
Will
9 years ago
Although no one has owned slaves there still is racism today. A lot of prejudice against people are passed down generations after generations. I do get annoyed at people when they talk about white privilege and go on and on about racism, but it is the truth. There is definitely a white privilege growing up in America. There is still a lot of racism.
Big Russ
9 years ago
Because white people had slaves? The problem I see is there is no credit given for the fact that a very large number of white people died in the civil war to free slaves...
Tom
9 years ago
Its only a Scheme to keep Black folks 'worked up" and out of mainstream Society---so they will remain dependent upon and VOTE for "Liberal" Democrat Politicians.----
Chrysanthemum
9 years ago
Because people can't forget the past it's just a never ending battle .
Anonymous
9 years ago
Well when you basically have nothing to say, you end up bring up the past to make yourself feel smart and knowledgeable. Add a dash of narcissism and presto your average libtard.
9 years ago
No, but that's what poor right wing professional white victims believe. The believe that blacks are racist against them, and that the world is hostile to whites. Bunch of loons if you ask me.
sophieb
9 years ago
a large percentage of blacks today are unemployed, they have time on their hands, a lot of have kids and owe money, and there are a lot of drugs out there and are easy to get (theft). Now lump those together and you have them saying there in inequality, and they are undereducated, and their leaders are paying them to riot, burn down their cities, riot and cause problems.
jetfighter
9 years ago
Blacks are gonna work that issue for all they can, the majority of them are too darn lazy to go out and get a job so they cry slavery and go collect their welfare checks.
liz
9 years ago
I think it's because Black Americans are STILL mostly underprivileged and discriminated against today due to the color of their skin.
9 years ago
Actually, thanks to a white man "President Abraham Lincoln" for breaking the chains of enslavement. The difference between Lincoln -and many so called white-any race people today is: Lincoln was a respectful Christian-many people today-are not-
9 years ago
With black on black crime at 0%, black employment at 100%, no drugs or guns, 3 meals a day, room and board and medical attention, why would slavery be so hurtful for the blacks to have gone through?
9 years ago
NO ONE is blaming Whites of today for what happened over 150 years ago; what many people DO abhor, despise, hate is the pride people take in displaying the Confederate flag, a constant reminder of America's ugliest period in history when HUMANS were owned as property, beaten, tortured and raped at the pleasure of the "masters," even protected, sanctioned and protected by religious leaders within almost EVERY religious denomination that still exists today! THAT is what minority members, Blacks, Browns and Hispanics DO INDEED HATE!



Curious how you seem to forget the aftermath of slavery... Jim Crow laws that were designed to enslave Blacks and force them to work for free for fabricated "crimes," denied their freedom once again, and prevented from voting... up and including the present with voter supression practices that are both unlawful and unconstitutional, where Black, Brown and Hispanic children are sent to the worse schools, often with outdated texts, and forced to live in substandard living conditions while their parents are underpaid and overworked. Yeah, go on and talk you booooolsheeee-it, as if you believe it, too, huh?
Steve N
9 years ago
Because it gives racists blacks something to complain about. The Racist ones NEED white people to blame for all their self created issues in life. I feel bad for all the good educated black people that get lumped in with the ghetto racist ones.
Swagger
9 years ago
Arabs like me had every right to enslave non-Arabs because we're the superior race. Especially nonbelievers! Slaves are lucky that they are under our feet. Otherwise, they'd be under hell in hell.
Jagur
9 years ago
Black people enjoyed slavery. 1. Prison is similar. And they do what they can to get there. 2. If a politician came out and said they wanted to bring back slavery. They would vote for them. 3. The Muslim religion supports slavery

And they all want to be of the Muslim religion. 4. The fact is if you called it slavery rather than a job. Black people would apply.
Chan
9 years ago
Thier grandparents
9 years ago
No they get abused because they wont treat African Americans as equals they like the Convicts made the USA what it is today



Time the Black man in the USA were treated as Equals But I will never live to see that
9 years ago
because whites today are still reaping the benefits from their free labor today lol they've had a big head start.
9 years ago
Who cares
9 years ago
It's just an excuse for them to get their way and make us feel guilty.
Willie
9 years ago
Because people that blame them still consider themselves slaves.
great knight
9 years ago
Jesus Christ is the truth. Jesus loves you. Get a king James bible and believe. Read Romans chapter 5 and 8. Read John chapter 1 and 3.

https://youtu.be/XPMAC23tpLE
Thomas
9 years ago
Some people just can't let things go.
katie
9 years ago
I do agree-a lot of whites, including myself, are not racist. The problem is that the are A TON of whites that are still extremely racist / ignorant (i.e. Trump supporters). So people think or say "all whites" are racist when in reality, it's only a portion of them. My family wasn't even in the US during segregation (my family immigrated from Germany), but still, because of my skin color people will think I'm racist or that my family had slaves etc. and that isn't right. (It isn't right for anyone to be blamed for anything that their ancestors did- I'm German but I'm not blamed for the Holocaust). AND a problem America has is it's double standards. If we want the phrase "all whites are___" to go away, we need to get rid of the phrase "all blacks are___".



There needs to be an effort between both Blacks and Whites to understand each other, and we both ned to accept that no one is perfect and no race is perfect. Blacks shouldn't be viewed, as a whole, as hostile and prone to committing crimes, and whites shouldn't be viewed, again as a whole, as racist and ignorant. There a whites who are prone to committing crimes and their are blacks who are prone to committing crime, and there are blacks who are racist and whites who are racist. We shouldn't make these issues a race issue. I personally think that the best way to solve a problem is to hit it as a whole, don't segregate personality traits into the races, that just pulls us apart more and more and I think it's awful.



I grew up in DC, so my schools always had a HUGE mixture of all races. When I was a kid, I never ever saw a race in a classmate, all I would see was whether they were friendly, nice, or mean etc. The only thing about race I ever remember was reading this book about skin color and harmony and there was a kid in my class who had the "Peanut Butter skin" and I just remember having an epiphany like "Oh my gosh, his skin is a lot different than mine!". It was then I started noticing that my skin was different than others(I never really cared about the appearances of my classmates so I just never noticed). But I NEVER let the shade of a person dictate how I judged a persons character.



Our country needs to find a way to make sure Black Americans have the same exact opportunities as White Americans. We shouldn't bring one down to make another higher because of the faults of this countries ancestors.



As the great Martin Luther King said:

"We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies."



He was a man of peace, love and humility, and I hope one day our country can truly follow his teachings of forgiveness, love, and peace.
Ron
9 years ago
Because they have run out of other excuses and it is a way for some Blacks to be racist without using the word.
9 years ago
PEOPLE start LYING, WHINING, BLAMING, when THEY have nothing ELSE to do WITH their LIVES or feel bored and WANT to blame someone else FOR their current SITUATION.
JJ
9 years ago
the whites get blamed for all the reasons various peoples are losers
?
9 years ago
Idk why because Africans sold other Africans to whites,...black people are the most aggressive victims ever! Blacks love to point the finger at the white man for everything. The whites forced me to do drugs,or to kill another black ! Mixed girl telling the truth...
9 years ago
africans sold other africans into slavery
Linda R
9 years ago
Good question! I have NO ancestors who ever had slaves and NO black, alive today, was a slave so why do they think we owe them money?
?
9 years ago
I assume this question is in recent demands for reparations to the African Americans. I had to debate this topic, so let me present to you some evidence.



First, racism exits today at least in part because of slavery.



University of Rochester discovered in one of their 2013 studies, that

(http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=7202, “Legacy of Slavery Still Fuels Anti-Black Attitudes in the Deep South”)

“[A] team of political scientists found that white Southerners who live today in the Cotton Belt where slavery and the plantation economy dominated are much more likely to express more negative attitudes toward blacks than their fellow Southerners who live in nearby areas that had few slaves.”



Second, this racism exists at a sub-conscious level in all places.



A 2001 study by Poverty Action Lab revealed the following:

“Researchers examined the level of racial discrimination in the United States labor market by randomly assigning identical résumés black-sounding or white-sounding names and observing the impact on requests for interviews from employers. Results found that résumés with white-sounding names received 50 percent more callbacks than those with black names, indicating that, all other things being equal, race is still an important factor in the American labor market.”



Third, this racism contributes to poverty, hunger, crime, and discrimination in the lives of African Americans.



Homelessness: In an article by the Huffington Post, they stated that Black Families are Seven Times More Likely To Be Homeless Than Whites.



Eichler 2012, (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/06/black-families-homeless_n_1324290.html Black Families Seven Times More Likely To Be Homeless Than Whites)

“…black families accounted for just 12.3 percent of the U.S. population that year, but represented 38.8 percent of the population in homeless shelters. Meanwhile, white families made up 63.7 percent of the country, but only filled 28.6 percent of the shelters.”



Hunger:

http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger/african-american-hunger/african-american-hunger-fact-sheet.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/ (African American Poverty African American Hunger Fact Sheet)

“One in four (26%) African American households are food insecure as compared with one in 10 (11%) of Caucasian households and one in seven (14%) households overall.”



Crime and discrimination: Kramer 2014, (Ronald C. Kramer, professor of sociology and director of the Criminal Justice Program at Western Michigan University, Poverty, Inequality, and Youth Violence, July 13 2014

“The links between extreme deprivation, delinquency, and violence, then, are strong, consistent, and compelling. There is little question that growing up in extreme poverty exerts powerful pressures toward crime. The fact that those pressures are overcome by some individuals is testimony to human strength and resiliency, but does not diminish the [there is an] importance of the link between social exclusion and violence.”



The harmful effects of racism today are enough to still convict whites of harmfulness to African Americans.
manojkumar
9 years ago
The elite class of Americans have discriminating attitude.
?
9 years ago
cause whites continue the the institutional function of slavery. with secret hate.
ben
9 years ago
who cares
9 years ago
I suppose they don't make the direct causation.
9 years ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcUz-YGYzT0
masoud
9 years ago
i really don't know
mahli
9 years ago
cause we are still benefiting from it
bill
9 years ago
convenience
Sweetdaddy Rex
9 years ago
Why?; So they can get more FREE stuff !
siobhan
9 years ago
your wrong


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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