I met an elder from Afrika, and she stated one of the reasons we experience hell in Amerika is because we don't honor and revere our ancestors. The fact that this fool
@fdsfa said he has no time to live in the past talking about slavery makes this assessment that much more powerful.
I totally agree with your statement.
I use to know the basics about slavery - what I was taught in school - which was pretty much what most people know. Then when I started doing my family tree almost three years ago now -- and getting into genealogy all that changed.
I no longer said "slaves" - they were my ancestors and I knew their names. I saw them on estate papers and how much their enslavers purchased or valued them at. It was really sad and humbling. I was lucky enough to see some of their faces and the plantations they were enslaved on.
So many Black people who are descendants of slaves in America - don't even know who their 2nd Great Grandparents on either side are. Why? Because they haven't worked on their tree or they never really looked at it. Therefore, when people say they don't wanna look back or it's holding us back -- it's crazy to me -- cause most haven't even looked.
I really feel a lot of Black people are ashamed that their ancestors were enslaved - I don't know why - because it should make them proud of how strong and resilient they were. I am proud of my ancestors and I think Slavery in America should be studied more.
It's powerful and life changing when you know the names and stories of your ancestors and what they went through here. It changes you and how you feel about lot of things.
I had to teach myself and research more about Slavery, The Civil War, Reconstruction/Jim Crow and it's become of my favorite things to read and learn about. I also honor my ancestors - which my family has always done - but now I have my own alter and I know their names.
If you ask the average Black person in America to tell you about Slavery and Reconstruction - they can't do it.