Slavery: A Dark History, Unpunished and Romanticized - Essay Sample

Introduction

Slavery is among the darkest practices to be carried out in the history of our nation. Though slavery was bloody, violent, dehumanizing and barbaric, there have been attempts to justify and romanticize it in different periods of the country's history. As captured in the poem, some people consider the phase to have been a learning phase for the country. Moreover, the perpetrators were not punished by the country's judicial system. Though slavery was abolished in the country several years ago, it is still perpetuated in subtle tones that an eye that is not keen might miss. For instance, the current judicial system is skewed and discriminative against blacks. This can be confirmed by the higher numbers of blacks in the country's prisons as compared to other ethnicities. Therefore, this paper seeks to show that the country's justice system has always been and still is biased against blacks. First, the attempts to romanticize slavery and the lack of punishment for perpetrators will be explored. The paper will then focus on the bias of the justice system against the blacks, especially the men, in the current society.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Romanticizing Slavery

During the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the former first lady, Michelle Obama, stated that she wakes up every day in a house built by slaves. While this was an honest statement meant to show and applaud the steps that the country has made in fighting racism, it led to a fiery debate regarding her accuracy and motives. After the critics confirmed that the White House was actually built by slaves, the conservative commentators went on the defensive stating that the slaves were well taken care of by the government (Robinson 13). This represents the efforts that have been made by many people through history to reduce slavery into just a benign and romantic institution. Similar examples can be traced through history.

Following the Civil War, the Southern Whites used the newly and violently reacquired power to create a false narrative regarding slavery. They used taxes to erect monuments glorifying the Confederacy and painting its cause as noble (Robinson 15). By doing so, the war ceases being about slavery, and the slaves are presented as happy and loyal people who should be remembered and praised for their faithfulness and loyalty to the masters. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Slavery was dehumanizing and barbaric at best. The slaves were humiliated and degraded in all imaginable ways. Captured, shackled and packed below decks of slave ships, the institution left a trail of blood and corpses across the ocean. Those who survived the horrific journey were forced to work under harsh conditions from dawn to dusk. Generations of children were born into slavery since the institution had been made hereditary. Female slaves endured sexual violence and families were in constant fear of separation. Those who tried to escape were recaptured, tortured, and even murdered (Robinson). In spite of these truths, there are still some people who brush off slavery as just a learning phase in the country's history.

Despite all the mentioned atrocities as well as the loss of identity, culture, and fundamental rights that the slaves experienced, justice has never been served (Trudeau and Morrisey 315). This part of history has been forgotten without verdict as indicated in the poem. For years, black academics and advocates have been calling for reparations. Reparation is restitution for slavery where citizens whose ancestors were affected would get an apology and repayment. This would include payment for the contribution that the slaves made to the economy through forced labor (Kunnie). When low-income work that became the norm for blacks after slavery ended is added, the worth of black labor could go up to trillions of dollars (BBC NEWS). These inequalities can largely be blamed for the schisms that exist in society today. However, politicians have largely ignored the calls. The society is also widely divided regarding the issue. A 2016 study showed that while 58% of blacks are in favor of reparations, 81% of the whites oppose it (BBC NEWS). Those opposed to it argue that it would polarize the nation further and widen the racial gaps that so much effort has gone into bridging.

High Rates of Incarceration Among the Blacks

The abolishment of slavery years several decades ago opened loopholes that have been exploited either intentionally or unintentionally to keep more blacks, especially males, in prisons. This is captured in the poem where the poet says, "while justice is on rampage for surviving black males." Statistics show that African Americans constituted 34% of the prison population in 2014 (NAACP). It is estimated that African Americans are five times more likely to be incarcerated as compared to whites. One in every ten black children has an incarcerated parent as opposed to 1 in 60 among the whites(NAACP). This reality has persisted for so long that it has almost become a norm. It can be attributed to historical injustices. The blacks have historically been disadvantaged economically and academically. Resultantly, generations are born into poverty and may get into crime as a way of escaping poverty. When arrested, the poor blacks cannot afford to hire proper representation and hence are more likely to be convicted. This is one way of explaining the high numbers of African Americans in the criminal system.

However, it can be argued that the country's criminal justice system discriminates the blacks leading to the high rates of incarceration. The 13th Amendment, the legislation that abolished slavery, created loopholes that led to the criminalization of the blacks. It is argued that the legislation turned blacks from slaves to criminals (Rael 4). Events in recent years such as the shooting of Michael Brown in Fergusson have elevated the public awareness on discrimination of the blacks by the police. Generally, blacks are looked at with more suspicion as compared to other races. Resultantly, blacks are more likely to be stopped, questioned, charged and even detained (Brunson 95). This shows how the entire criminal justice system is biased against blacks.

Conclusion

Slavery is among the gravest atrocities committed in the history of the United States. However, in spite of the glaring truths, some people still attempt to romanticize slavery. The 13th Amendment is seen as one of the most instrumental legislation in the country's history. Though the legislation abolished slavery, it created a loophole that has historically resulted in higher rates of incarceration among the blacks. Therefore, even as the debate on reparation for slavery keeps re-emerging, slavery still exists in the modern day and is mostly perpetuated by the criminal justice system. Though reparation for slavery might be difficult to achieve, the justice system needs to be fixed to alleviate the bias against the blacks. As the poet states, lady liberty and mrs justice need glasses to see these injustices and violation of liberties.

Works Cited

BBC NEWS. "Should Black Americans Get Slavery Reparations?" Google, Google, www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-47643630.

Brunson, Rod K. "'Police Dont Like Black People': African-American Young Mens Accumulated Police Experiences*." Criminology & Public Policy, vol. 6, no. 1, 2007, pp. 71-101., doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2007.00423.x.

Kunnie, Julian. "Justice Never Too Late: The Historical Background to Current Reparations Movements among Africans and African Americans." The Journal of African American History, vol. 103, no. 1-2, 2018, pp. 44-64., doi:10.1086/696364.

NAACP. "Criminal Justice Fact Sheet." NAACP, www.naacp.org/criminal-justice-fact-sheet/.

Rael, Patrick. "Demystifying the 13th Amendment and Its Impact on Mass Incarceration." AAIHS, www.aaihs.org/demystifying-the-13th-amendment-and-its-impact-on-mass-incarceration/.

Robinson, Randall. "Are Reparations Due to African-Americans?" The New York Times, The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/06/08/are-reparations-due-to-african-americans/horrific-injustice-of-slavery-must-be-repaired.

Trudeau, Justin Thomas, and Megan Elizabeth Morrissey. "'Bring in an Honest Verdict': Prosecuting Southern Whiteness in American Slavery As It Is." Southern Communication Journal, vol. 82, no. 5, 2017, pp. 312-323., doi:10.1080/1041794x.2017.1332093.