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Specifically slavery was more varied than "American slavery as we understand it today." The passage I quoted is different, in that it departs from the tradition

by TT3351 6y ago

Specifically slavery was more varied than "American slavery as we understand it today." The passage I quoted is different, in that it departs from the traditional model of plantation based, field labor slavery. It is still reprehensible exploitation, of course. It's just important to remember/question how diverse people's experiences actually were.

jpster 6y ago
I’m trying to see something: “Not all suffered the same Holocaust we know today. It’s just important to remember/question how diverse people’s Holocaust experiences actually were.” Maybe it’s just me but these type of statements seem to miss the point. Given the deplorable state of American understanding of slavery, Reconstruction, the state-sanctioned apartheid that only ended a few decades ago, and all its effects that continue to reverberate, I don’t think “a nuanced understanding” of slavery is really what’s called for. The evidence suggests that most Americans never even learned the ABCs of slavery and its effects.
- TT3351 6y ago
  Because a proportion of America has been poorly educated, it's inappropriate to interrogate the primary sources slaves left behind? I don't follow. Yeah, obviously we need to fix the appalling state of our Civil War and slavery history in this country.
  - jpster 6y ago
    Does the account you posted here resemble most of the chronicled experiences you’ve encountered?
    - TT3351 6y ago
      Nope! Never said it did. EDIT: Literally just picked a random (that I thought would fit in the space I had--didn't want to go over-long) passage from the Freedman's interviews section of the book.
- ptr2voidStar 6y ago
  Thank you! You summed up my feelings (about the comment you responded to), perfectly!
- pushECX 6y ago
  The parent comment you're responding to didn't downplay slavery in any way, nor did they say that this person had it better or worse. Just that this person's experience was different. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging that slavery didn't always look the same as we may imagine. There were varying experiences. It's history.

by TT3351 6y ago

jpster 6y ago

I’m trying to see something: “Not all suffered the same Holocaust we know today. It’s just important to remember/question how diverse people’s Holocaust experiences actually were.” Maybe it’s just me but these type of statements seem to miss the point. Given the deplorable state of American understanding of slavery, Reconstruction, the state-sanctioned apartheid that only ended a few decades ago, and all its effects that continue to reverberate, I don’t think “a nuanced understanding” of slavery is really what’s called for. The evidence suggests that most Americans never even learned the ABCs of slavery and its effects.

TT3351 6y ago
Because a proportion of America has been poorly educated, it's inappropriate to interrogate the primary sources slaves left behind? I don't follow. Yeah, obviously we need to fix the appalling state of our Civil War and slavery history in this country.
- jpster 6y ago
  Does the account you posted here resemble most of the chronicled experiences you’ve encountered?
  - TT3351 6y ago
    Nope! Never said it did. EDIT: Literally just picked a random (that I thought would fit in the space I had--didn't want to go over-long) passage from the Freedman's interviews section of the book.
ptr2voidStar 6y ago
Thank you! You summed up my feelings (about the comment you responded to), perfectly!
pushECX 6y ago
The parent comment you're responding to didn't downplay slavery in any way, nor did they say that this person had it better or worse. Just that this person's experience was different. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging that slavery didn't always look the same as we may imagine. There were varying experiences. It's history.