Can We Keep the Past in the Past & Move On?

Can We Keep the Past in the Past & Move On? Slavery and Our Color Differences

Deneale K. Williams, Yahoo Contributor Network
Sep 10, 2007

In my time, I have lived many of places. As a child I lived across the street from section eight homes, known as the projects. After I married, I moved to what was referred to as "the hood." When I moved to Florida, at first we stayed with my in-laws in a rural subdivision, and then when we were sent to live in the streets, we moved to a trailer park, where "red necks" ruled. Being forced out of that territory sent us to another city, farther away from my in-laws, and back into what is called "the hood."

 

 

Now why do I feel the need to share this with you? Because I am white, and feel safer within "the hood" rather then with "red necks!" But my families, both sides- think because of where we live, it is unsafe, and they don't want to visit.

But the other reason I am sharing these details with you is simple. I have been around colored people all of my life. I was never taught to hate them, judge them, and make fun. When I was in kindergarten, my very first friends were twin colored people-girls. And I have had colored friends since. And it wasn't until farther along in School, that I learned about the "N" word and grew to hate it.

In my life time, every time the "N" word gets mentioned, I get to hear about how these people were once slaves, and how they, the colored people- hate white people. I get forced to re-live what my ancestors have done to the colored people as slaves, a mistake I did not make, and do not encourage. But yet, the colored people I know, feel that there direct family was put through this, and they can remind the white man every single day, with every breath, and every thought.

Slavery was long ago. Never have I said, that I wish slavery would return. I found it shameful, a step in evolution that we should have never made. But there is no getting around it. It is taught to us in our History classes, so that we learn from it, and do not make the same mistakes. And then the colored people remind us daily, and throw it in our faces, like it just happened, and like it will happen again.
People hate that people dwell in the past, and can't move on and get over things. I am often told that I do this myself. But yet, colored people do it every day, and no one is allowed to say anything back, nothing. Not even to remind them that that is history, and we had nothing to do with it. If you even dare say anything of the contraire, you are a racist. So the white man, sits quietly, getting the mistakes of his or her ancestors from ages ago, thrown into his face daily, because he has a colored friend or acquaintance.

Please don't think I am a racist, because I am not. But what I am is a person, one that makes mistakes, one that can see, takes in, and learns from mistakes of others, and herself. I know my History, and I am sure you do too. Throwing the mistakes into my face daily, as if to teach me a lesson, is only hurting both-yes both of us. It is just as bad as people walking up to a woman and saying, "Oh yeah, Eve ate the apple, you're going to make a mistake. All of you women are the same!" I don't think so. We are all unique individuals in our own ways, and we all make our fair share of mistakes.


 

The past needs to stay in the past; no one needs to be reminded about who all made the mistakes. We have all read the same information, we all know, and what's done is done. If you want to get even more technical, it was also white men that freed the slaves, Abe Lincoln was white. Not every white man owned slaves, did you know that? And not every white man, wanted slavery. But because of one persons mistakes, we all are labeled and held responsible. To me, this sounds like, if one person murdered, you want us all charged. I don't find that fair.

                                                  
So the next time you want to reminisce about your ancestors, and throw mistakes that my ancestors have made in the past, perhaps you should think before you speak. It isn't necessary to remind us, label us, and point the blame on all of us. Because just like you, you don't know much about us either. Just because we are white, doesn't even mean that our ancestors were the ones over here in the United States having slaves, or anything like that at all. And not knowing, causes you to assume. And when people assume, they make a lot of mistakes.

All that I am asking here, is for the reminders of slavery that colored people like to throw in the white mans faces, to stop. It is over, done with gone. We, the white people, and the colored people both- teach it to our children both in Schools, and in life. It will not be forgotten. Slavery is not something anyone should be proud of.

I hope you understand what it is that I am trying to say here, rather than take it wrong, and make something bad out of this. I am not trying to hurt anyone, just make a statement, and help everyone to see, that it is time to move on. We have all made our fair share of mistakes, and we all know it. Let's not dwell in the past because of our ancestors!
                           

But before I close, allow me to ask you the following questions: Did you know the Egyptians had slaves? How about-did you know that people in other countries had slaves too? Did you know the slaves there, were criminals and people who made mistakes? They put their criminals to work, and all we do is stuff our criminal in a jail cell, educate them, feed them, and more. Perhaps THIS is something we should think about too!

Thank you.