The emphasis on black slavery, and its effect on mental images Options

[sadolakced acid]

from elementary school (in america), children are often introduced to the enslavement of africans, and the resulting civil war. It comes up quite a bit in the south. the expectation is, most likely, that children will learn that slavery was wrong and history will not repeat itself.

however; observation of america right now reveals that most americans do not learn from history.

however, once into higher education, it seems these fewer americans do learn from history. good thing too, because they'll (hopefully) be running the country.

but then, what's the problem with teaching kiddies about slavery, you ask.

the problem is an incomplete explination.

what introducing children to the enslavement of africans does is, yes, teach children about slavery and how it is wrong.

however, it also creates the idea in children's minds as slaves as black, always in history.

therefore; when these children hear about spartacus, they will envision a black man leading a slave revolt of other blacks against thier white enslavers.

when they hear that aesop was a slave, they will envision a black man writing down stories of tortosise and hares.

what this does is create the idea in children that a slave is black.

sure, people who choose to go on and learn more will learn differently. However, this is simply because they have overcome thier old (accidental) indotrination.

however, those who choose not to learn more, will forever have the image of a slave as a black person.

this increases the likelyhood that these people will believe blacks as inferior in some way.

which, opposite to the original purpose, would make future enslavement of blacks easier, not harder, to do.