I'm an African American. Ask me anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain why were Africans targeted for mass slavery? How did other races avoid being the majority of slaves in a new land?

My guess is skin color and the ability to be in the sun without burning easily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you feel all white people are guilty over slavery? All white Americans? Are you angry? Are you grateful that, despite the way your ancestors got here, YOU are here? How do you feel when people site statistics about the prevalence of (fill in the blank bad thing) amongst blacks? Are you embarrassed?

Do you think there really are any significant genetic differences between whites and blacks that are more than skin deep? That blacks are better at some things (taken as a group) and that maybe whites are better at other things, taken as a group?

Does your question mean to ask if all white people feel guilty over slavery or if all white people are to blame for slavery? If it's the former, no. If it's the latter, of course not. Not every white person's ancestors were slaveholders and even then you don't have to be guilty over the sins of those from whom you descend. However, I think it's sad when many white Americans deny the very existence of white privilege, even when it's brought up in a non-accusatory manner, and begin listing ways in which their whiteness hasn't led them to privileged lives. That's not the point- I realize that I have thin privilege, straight privilege, and class privilege. Am I guilty about it? No, but I'm conscious of it.

Angry? I get angry and upset just like when I read about any other injustice in the world that has happened in the past or is going on presently.

As far as gratitude- Am I glad that some of my ancestors were enslaved because the end result was me being a US citizen? No.

As far as people citing negativing statistics- It's sad, but I understand that those things do not exist in a vacuum and that they're mostly a result of the historical inequality facing blacks and poor people in this country. It is maddening when people cite statistics without understanding the root cause of the results. For example, when people believe that AAs are inherently more criminal or more prone to drug use, when the truth is that rates of drug use and sales are about equal across all races, but blacks are disproportionately incarcerated, reflecting racial bias in the criminal justice system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain why were Africans targeted for mass slavery? How did other races avoid being the majority of slaves in a new land?

My guess is skin color and the ability to be in the sun without burning easily.

Stress, guess pp. I am new pp that's a good question. Race/actual skin color helped keep it clear who was who. I think a better response requires research. Although, it is important to note we were not the first slaves. However, our slavery
African diaspora was a different more cruel slavery where freedom could rarely if ever be purchased. And cruelty was the norm vice the exception.

[Anonymous]

Same pp. I think the willful separations of families and forced pregnancies were new to "humanity" also at the time .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain why were Africans targeted for mass slavery? How did other races avoid being the majority of slaves in a new land?

Actually, the indigenous people of the Americas were enslaved/forced into labor, but a great, great many of them were killed off by their European slaveowners.

I just did a quick Google search to find you some more information where you can read about it indepth. I only glanced over it, but it seems to be a reputable source.

http://www.slavevoyages.org/tast/assessment/essays-intro-02.faces

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain why were Africans targeted for mass slavery? How did other races avoid being the majority of slaves in a new land?

My guess is skin color and the ability to be in the sun without burning easily.

Agreed. Plus, I think Africans probably looked/were sturdier/more physical based on living in more natural/wild surroundings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain why were Africans targeted for mass slavery? How did other races avoid being the majority of slaves in a new land?

My guess is skin color and the ability to be in the sun without burning easily.

Stress, guess pp. I am new pp that's a good question. Race/actual skin color helped keep it clear who was who. I think a better response requires research. Although, it is important to note we were not the first slaves. However, our slavery
African diaspora was a different more cruel slavery where freedom could rarely if ever be purchased. And cruelty was the norm vice the exception.

Not pp you quoted but I agree with you. While there was slavery in Africa, it in no way resembled slavery in America. America developed its own cruel form of slavery.

[Anonymous]

Why do you think, generally speaking, more AAs have bad credit reports than whites? It seems that AAs tend to not value their credit ratings as high as white?

[ManHere]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think, generally speaking, more AAs have bad credit reports than whites? It seems that AAs tend to not value their credit ratings as high as white?

Do you have any statistics on that or are you just freestyling?

[Anonymous]

ManHere wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think, generally speaking, more AAs have bad credit reports than whites? It seems that AAs tend to not value their credit ratings as high as white?

Do you have any statistics on that or are you just freestyling?

Yes, the federal reserve published a report on this. Let me find it and post the link.

[ManHere]

Anonymous wrote:

ManHere wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think, generally speaking, more AAs have bad credit reports than whites? It seems that AAs tend to not value their credit ratings as high as white?

Do you have any statistics on that or are you just freestyling?

Yes, the federal reserve published a report on this. Let me find it and post the link.

No need. I don't have an answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think, generally speaking, more AAs have bad credit reports than whites? It seems that AAs tend to not value their credit ratings as high as white?

AA female here. Here is my very elementary take on black people and money:

-For hundreds of years we were enslaved and had no concept of money in America.
-Once emancipated, we made very low wages and were heavily restricted on where we could live and our ability to buy property. As a result, black people showed their "arrival" in ways that they were able (flashy cars, jewelry, flashy clothes, etc). Eventually, the importance of obtaining those things that we were shut off from having (higher education, property, accumulating wealth) lost its significance. So these things weren't stressed by the parents and in turn, the children didn't value these things. We have a long road ahead but US Blacks have made FANTASTIC gains in the 45 or so years since we were freed from the bondage of Jim Crow laws. This is a LONG time to live a certain way.

Sadly, there are still many who suffer from the past mindset of not valuing saving, property obtainment etc and, as such, they live more "for the moment". Hence, the bad credit of some AAs. But I am confident that time will tell the whole story and based on the amount of time in which we've been given full rights within the US, blacks have kicked ass!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

ManHere wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think, generally speaking, more AAs have bad credit reports than whites? It seems that AAs tend to not value their credit ratings as high as white?

Do you have any statistics on that or are you just freestyling?

Yes, the federal reserve published a report on this. Let me find it and post the link.

http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/rptcongress/creditscore/creditscore.pdf

I believe this is the report. If you go to table 27 on page 186, it summarizes the findings Of the differences in credit scores based on demographics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ManHere wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think, generally speaking, more AAs have bad credit reports than whites? It seems that AAs tend to not value their credit ratings as high as white?

Do you have any statistics on that or are you just freestyling?

Yes, the federal reserve published a report on this. Let me find it and post the link.

http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/rptcongress/creditscore/creditscore.pdf

I believe this is the report. If you go to table 27 on page 186, it summarizes the findings Of the differences in credit scores based on demographics.

Oops, sorry, I was off looking for the link and didn't see your response before posting this.

[Anonymous]

I saw a program that said AA GIs weren't allowed to purchase homes when they got back from the war. They were forced to rent and over time, white veterans were able to build equity in the homes they purchased with GI Bill money. They used this to send their kids to college and because they had college degrees, they were able to get good jobs. AAs weren't able to save as much and so maybe their kids didn't go to college and got lower paying jobs. So maybe that is part of it. And maybe because if you are conditioned to have little hope in things being fair, you just don't care about the future and live for the here and now.