The Children of Slavery
For these are our children. We will all profit by, or pay for, whatever they become.
~ James Baldwin
Blacks in America have found ourselves in an immensely precarious situation in which we are disproportionately represented in the national death rate, incarceration, poverty rate and more. African Americans have a life expectancy rate that is approximately seven to eight years less than whites. The infant mortality rate is two to three times higher than that of white infants. In addition to these health issues, blacks also dealing with the social dysfunction that is common among all Americans. Crime, drug abuse and a disruption of the family nucleus are issues that are not limited to blacks, despite what the media would like for the world to believe; however, blacks are impacted by the cultural dilemmas at a disproportionate rate.
In her book, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, Dr. Joy DeGruy, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Oregon, introduces the theory of the perpetuation of psychological trauma from slavery down through the generations of the children of slaves. She calls the perpetuation of this traumatic experience, post traumatic slave syndrome. PTSS is reflected in the behavior of blacks that is associated with the trauma of slavery, and it is perpetuated through the behavior of parents who pass down the behavior and the thought processes that reinforce the mindset of inferiority and self-hatred to their progeny. However, as Dr. DeGruy suggests, it would be foolish to blame all of the ills of the black collective on PTSS.
There are issues that are simply influenced by the culture at large, and this culture influences the whole of all who are a part of it. So, while the children of slaves are suffering from the perpetuated trauma that our ancestors endured, there are elements of our behavior that are the result of the world around us. It is also important to understand that PTSS does excuse each individual from their responsibility to take the necessary steps to break the cycle of dysfunction and self-hatred.
One thing that truly frustrates me is the manner in which those who have no background in behavioral sciences, such as sociology and psychology, attempt to weigh in on the impact of PTSS on the behavior of contemporary blacks. When one does not understand the dynamics associated with human behavior, it is impossible for them to draw any type of educated conclusion as to the cause of a particular type of behavior. When a person does not have the background that facilitates the gathering of pragmatic and empirical evidence to support their theory, their speculative theory really amounts to unfounded postulations that actually serve to cause more harm than good.
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The suggestion that untreated trauma leads to more trauma that is perpetuated through our progeny has been substantiated by years of observation and numerous studies. If a soldier is sent abroad to participate in a hostile conflict for six to nine months, witnessing all of the horrors and atrocities of war, when they return home, they will have to be treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and if they are not treated, it is likely that they will traumatize those within their periphery, especially their wife and progeny, and if these traumatize loved ones are not treated for their trauma, they will most likely traumatize others, and the cycle will be continued.
Now, imagine a group of people living through more than 350 years of the most brutal form of chattel slavery that ever existed — men watching their women, daughters, cousins and mothers being raped by their white masters, women watching their men beaten to death and hung, children being sold off to other plantations and some of the most brutal work one could ever imagine. And, it does not stop there. When this group of people was finally freed, not only did they not receive any type of treatment for what they endured at the hands of their slave masters. To exacerbate the matter, the trauma did not cease; in fact, in many ways, it intensified. It is estimated that during Jim Crow segregation, more blacks were murdered than during slavery. Once black were no longer considered valuable property, their lives no longer mattered.
To suggest that being removed from slavery or not being present during slavery eliminates the possibility of being negatively impacted by it, simply does not take into consideration the multitudinous elements that are directly associated with the American atrocity known as slavery.
When examining the negative mindsets and questionable behavior of blacks, it is clear that blacks are not only impacted by the perpetuation of ancient trauma, but it is also influenced by the manipulation of the mainstream media. The major media channels in this country and around the world have been used to distort images and truths for the sake of controlling the masses. This is done on a micro level in a number of different ways. They control what we eat, how we behave and even what we think of ourselves. According to Tom Burrell, the author of Brainwashed, the media has been used to perpetuate the inferiority complex that was initiated in blacks during slavery, while simultaneously reinforcing the belief in white superiority.
The suggestion that there are mechanisms in place that are designed to sustain the wealthy elite while perpetuating the poverty and dysfunction of blacks, does not imply that blacks are doomed. The truth is that there is no common truth being revealed. The belief that blacks are inferior to whites is simply the illusion created by a formulated message being mass produced and resubmitted almost constantly. Additionally, the idea of whites being superior is also an illusion that fuels the hopelessness and misappropriated fear that is common among blacks.
Self-hatred is a direct result of the identity crisis that so many blacks in America and the black diaspora suffer from. When an individual is constantly bombarded with a distorted or negative image of themselves, and there are not counter measures to offset the negative images they are being bombarded with, they will begin to identify with the negative image. They will begin to perpetuate behavior that serves to confirm their perceived self-image. When people ask me where we begin with the elevation of the black race, I always respond with the suggestion that we must reintroduce blacks to their authentic identity, an identity that is inclusive of who we were before were stolen from our land and brought to this country as chattel.
I am a firm believer in economic empowerment through the practice of black group economics on a vertical scale. We need an economic base before we can effectively begin to attack and defeat white supremacy; however, we must stop attacking one another first, which calls for us to discover who we are. The one thing about self-hatred at this level, and that is the fact that it creates internal strife, because when one hates who they are, they also hate and attack anyone who looks like them. We have been self-destructing since we were released from slavery, and it has become worse, instead of getting better.
We must develop a multi-layered approach to reshaping the mindset of blacks concerning who we are in this world. We must place an exorbitant amount of energy into holistically educating our youth — including introducing them to their true identity and all that it entails. We must also develop programs that have the power to reprogram the adult population, and we must demonstrate the patience that will be necessary to achieve success. We cannot undue centuries of systematic conditioning in one day. We must be committed to the cause.
Who are we? We are slavery’s children, and despite all that we have been told, we bear the scars of slavery’s devastating trauma. The good news is that being the children of slavery does not mean that we have to be overcome by the past. We don’t have to remain enslaved to the past. Although our ancestors were quasi-freed 150 years ago, the psychological chains of slavery have remained securely affixed to the minds of blacks, and we have been held captive by the poor image projected upon our ancestors and passed down to us. We have been held captive by low expectations and the absence of visions and dreams. It is time that we shake ourselves free from our psychological chains to experience the totality of who we are as a people.
Although the American experience has certainly created a number of weaknesses when it comes to blacks, it has also revealed an innate strength that is embedded within our spiritual DNA. This strength is the reason that we are still standing. This strength is the reason that we refuse to accept defeat. This fighting spirit will serve us well as we discover our true identity, and we begin to walk in the confidence of our destiny, knowing that the very definition of destiny ensures that no matter how much someone tries to stop it from happening, they only ensure that it does. It is time for us to begin to celebrate who we are as a people. It is time that we begin to write our own story. It is time to tell our story, our way. It is time that we stop asking for permission to be great and simply start walking in the power of our potential and purpose, and greatness will overtake us. We will rise as a people! ~ Dr. Rick Wallace, Ph.D.
