Discussing Slavery - Erica
Why do people feel uncomfortable discussing slavery? As we attempted to discuss this issue in class it seems that many of the uncomfortable feelings surrounding this discussion result from our own insecurities that stem from racism. As we read narratives by Douglass and Jacobs we are reminded of the separation of race. It was the white people who were persecuting the black people. Because of the color of skin people were separate into classes, making the whites the superiors. As we've read other accounts of settlement in the United States this is a common theme. The Europeans felt superior to the Native Americans. This idea obviously carried itself into the twentieth century and led to the civil rights movement.
We as students in the twenty-first century are becoming more removed from these major historical events. This should make it easier to discuss things like slavery without feeling insecure. But as we move further away time wise society has also added the pressure of political correctness. This making it even more difficult due to the fear of not wanting to say anything offensive, since everyone seems to have a different comfort level and a different idea of what they deem as politically correct. Therefore, I don't know if slavery or other historical events will ever be able to be discussed as indepth as some would like at an undergraduate level.