Earlier this year, Florida sparked national controversy when it revised its public educational standards to include content that whitewashed the history of slavery. These changes to the state’s public school curriculum were one of many seemingly anti-Black policy changes in the Sunshine State over the past several years. Now, one Democratic state senator is trying to ban Florida from painting a positive image of slavery.
This was exactly my view when this whole “black people learned valuable skills from slavery” thing came up.
Let’s say it was true. Jim is a slave and he’s learned a few valuable skills due to being a slave. How can Jim use those skills? It’s not like he can just tell his master “I’ve decided to quit and open my own business.” He’s literally a slave. His entire being is owned by his master.
The only way he might be able to put those skills to good use would be to flee slavery. Even then, though, he’d first need to avoid capture or being killed. He’d have needed to make his way north to Canada. Former slaves couldn’t just stop in a Northern “free” state because the South got a law passed to allow them to go into Northern states and drag escaped slaves (and sometimes free black people) back to the South.
The best case scenario for this “slave that learned valuable skills” is that they might be able to use those skills only after a perilous escape and journey during which they risked dying in a multitude of ways. There is no way that “but they learned useful skills” makes slavery any less horrific.
No no no. They simply had to wait fifteen generations until the rules of slavery changed in 1865, at which point Black people were suddenly treated perfectly well and had access to all the opportunities of other Americans.
because the South got a law passed to allow them to go into Northern states and drag escaped slaves (and sometimes free black people) back to the South.
remember this when they try to cast the civil war as being about “states’ rights”. They wanted the federal government to stomp on the rights of free states. They put in their constitution that no confederate state had the right to be a free state. They tried to use force and violence to annex free states. They didn’t give a fuck about states’ rights. Anytime a conservative is talking about freedom he’s talking about two freedoms in particular:
his freedom to do what he wants
his freedom to use violence to force you to do what he wants
Mm, yes, and what would happen if they tried to take these “transferable” skills and make money elsewhere?
Fucken rubes, how did we end up here?
This was exactly my view when this whole “black people learned valuable skills from slavery” thing came up.
Let’s say it was true. Jim is a slave and he’s learned a few valuable skills due to being a slave. How can Jim use those skills? It’s not like he can just tell his master “I’ve decided to quit and open my own business.” He’s literally a slave. His entire being is owned by his master.
The only way he might be able to put those skills to good use would be to flee slavery. Even then, though, he’d first need to avoid capture or being killed. He’d have needed to make his way north to Canada. Former slaves couldn’t just stop in a Northern “free” state because the South got a law passed to allow them to go into Northern states and drag escaped slaves (and sometimes free black people) back to the South.
The best case scenario for this “slave that learned valuable skills” is that they might be able to use those skills only after a perilous escape and journey during which they risked dying in a multitude of ways. There is no way that “but they learned useful skills” makes slavery any less horrific.
I refuse to have this argument in real life. This is the kind of shit politicians should be threatening fights over.
No no no. They simply had to wait fifteen generations until the rules of slavery changed in 1865, at which point Black people were suddenly treated perfectly well and had access to all the opportunities of other Americans.
Forget where I heard this but “slavery didn’t just end like a no-wipe shit.”
I definitely remember Trevor Noah saying that.
Might have been Louis cause I’ve never watched Noah
remember this when they try to cast the civil war as being about “states’ rights”. They wanted the federal government to stomp on the rights of free states. They put in their constitution that no confederate state had the right to be a free state. They tried to use force and violence to annex free states. They didn’t give a fuck about states’ rights. Anytime a conservative is talking about freedom he’s talking about two freedoms in particular:
his freedom to do what he wants
his freedom to use violence to force you to do what he wants