WHY DON'T WE JUST GET ALONG?

excerpt from ANNE'S WRITINGS II, (see Aug 31, 2010)

This question was posed by Rodney King, in anguish, as he watched the violent riots swirl around in Los Angeles after the exoneration of four policemen who had brutally beaten him during a stop and search procedure in 1991.

The "why" spans almost four centuries of this country's history.  We citizens of America are still feeling the residual effects of slavery which touched our country as the first slaveholding ship docked in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619.  Carrying 20 captive Africans this first ship started a process which reached a peak of about 6 million imported in the 18th century alone.  The first organized opposition to slavery did not occur until the Quakers made their first statement against slavery in 1724 over 100 years later.  It took another 100 years plus before all slaves were declared free in Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and then two more years before slavery was constitutionally abolished by the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution.  It took yet another 100 years before full and equal rights to education and judicial process were instituted by law with the Brown vs. the Board of Education decision in 1954 and the Civil Rights Law of 1964.

Rather than go into a fuller discussion about dates and historical fact I refer you to the history books.  I would like to proceed with the psychological history of why we still "don't get along".

From 1619 until 1863 there were several categories of people involved in the slave trade - first, the African kidnapper, then the ship captain and crew, the slave trader, the auctioneer, the plantation owner and his overseer, and the victim - the African slave.

In order for any of these people to function in their roles there had to be a powerful motivation of greed or fear.  There also had to be the ability of those in the greed category to suspend empathetic feelings for the slave.

The African kidnapper usually reached outside of his own tribe to capture the enemy tribe.  Greed and revenge eliminated the sense of empathy for the condition of the captive.  But there were African kidnappers who made their fortunes in the slave trade with apparently little or no regard for revenge.  Greed was the sole motive.

The captives were caged in holding pens like cattle with very little food or water, beaten and terrified, bewildered and grief-stricken over the horrendous visions of permanent separation from family and home.  Some fought until death rather than acquiece.  Others frantically tried to figure out ways to escape.  Children approaching maturity and women were in the midst of this captivity as well.

The ship captain and crew were very brutal to the captives in the crossing from Africa to America.  The slaves were stacked like cords of wood two deep, to fill the ship beyond its capacity, creating severely unhealthy conditions.  Many died and were tossed callously into the sea, some jumped in desparation or suicidal despair when an opportunity presented itself.  Lying in their own body waste and nausea, many became severely depressed or mentally unbalanced.  Food was rationed only to the point of keeping them alive.

Meanwhile the slave trader was preparing the customers, the plantation owners and their overseers for the business of being slave owners.  There were brochures and training manuals on how to break the spirit of the slave in order to maintain control and avoid insurrection.  These materials advised the owners to remove all African identity by changing the captives names to American names, not allowing the native language to be spoken, forbidding observation of all religions, observance of tribal or family traditions and forcing instant, exact obedience through intimidation and pain.  There was collusion in the churches as preachers taught erroneously that the Bible justified slavery.  The scientific community spread the concept of "lesser creature" or "different species" with the media joining in, instigating and re-enforcing stereotypes of sub-human ape-like creatures who could rightly be treated as the mule or domesticated animal.

When the ship arrived in port the slave trader enlisted the auctioneer to entertain and entice the buyers with tales of the physical strength of the men and the desirability and breeding qualities of the women.  Prodding and poking the hapless slave, stripping them to show muscles and potential work abilities, there was no respect or allowance for the dignity due a human being.

With the indoctrination of slave ownership prowess, the plantation owner turned the slave over to his overseer to house and train in the chores of the plantation.  Whips, branding irons and holding pens were used as normal tools to break the spirit of the slave.  The housing was sub-standard shacks or barracks and the food was basic gruel-type rationing or left over produce, the undesirable animal remains such as guts, feet, ears and tails of the animals slaughtered to feed the owners.  The field hands worked from daylight to sunset with breaks seldom given during the day.  Too afraid of the whip in the daytime and too tired to move at night, the slave went from day to day losing most contact with the joys and pleasures a human needs to maintain a sense of self and value.  Learning to survive became paramount.  Survival skills honed the ability to read and second guess the needs of the owners, to negotiate as diplomatically as possible to obtain basic needs.  Gradually a culture developed among the slaves of supporting each other, protecting each other, being vigilant to avoid the ire of the owner and spotting opportunities to improve conditions.  In order to keep hope alive and despair as low as possible the belief in relief in the life beyond death became a strong component of worship services.  Looking to heaven for happiness kept the spirit of the slave alive and thriving.  The release of emotion allowed in the singing of hymns brought forth the uniquely beautiful spirituals we now enjoy.  Gospel singing became an outlet for expression and renewal of spirit. Word that some people wanted to help free slaves began filtering into the plantation grapevine, a second hope began to emerge.  Freedom became a dream.  Some of the negro spirituals had coded messages relaying the impending arrival of a rescuer who would lead a group through the "underground railroad" and to freedom in the north.

Meanwhile the owners, their families and the white workers and neighbors developed a strong set of beliefs in the "rightness" of this society.  The clergy and media re-enforced and sanctioned this way of life so guilt was not a part of the mind set of most whites.  There was no social contact to acquaint the white with the human qualities of the slave so empathy was very rare indeed.  The brain-washing of children from infancy to the concept of superiority and right of ownership left no realistic possibility of seeing the slave as a fellow human being in need of sensitivity and respect.

In the mid 1700s our founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.  During the consultation process while these were being written notes and journals were kept revealing the attitudes of the leaders of our country.  These leaders were in large part slave owners.  Their notes reflected that the slave was not considered a full man entitled to the "rights" they were including in their papers.  The laws being put on the books as the judicial system of the country evolved were very specific about the lack of rights of the slave and the privilege given to the owners and to all whites.


The poorer whites developed the belief that at least someone was poorer, less qualified and therefore deserving of their scorn.  A virulent animosity became commonplace among poorer whites toward the slave.  Even though these whites owned no slaves there was a disdain and mistreatment when opportunity arose directed toward the slave.

Another hundred years passed with this society continuing to become more deeply entrenched in the plantation-slave way of life.

In some of the northern states there was a growing sentiment of distaste for slavery, of uneasiness about the tales of mistreatment and abuse.  Some citizens became active in abolishing slavery.  These ablitionists helped and encouraged escape plans for runaway slaves.  Individuals began offering their homes as hideouts in a path to the north.  Cellars were hidden and used to hide runaways until they could safely leave the states which had slavery.  Some of these homes were Southern, it was very risky so all was done in secrecy and careful planning.  Some heroes and heroines bcame well-known for their courage in assisting in freeing slaves.

Four hundred years later we are struggling in many ways to redeem this country and it's people.  Unaware racism (white issue) and internalized racism (black issue) can only be healed when it is recognized and openly dealt with on an individual basis. 

THE TASK IS ENORMOUS BUT THE TIME IS NOW.