Photos: Slavery, After Freedom

I do honestly and wholeheartedly believe that this atrocity occured. I commend the author, Blackmon, for being brave enough to bring this matter out in the open. I have heard tales from the elders as a child telling these same tales of woe. I do, however, criticize this work on two grounds (1) That the South was the only reigieon of the US guilty of this sort of practise. (2) That african Americans were the only group subjected to this abuse. The simultaneous rise of the Union in other parts of the nation vindicated my first and second question. Evidently a large mass of people were tired of being opressed and were even willing to fight large battles(brice's mountain in WV where over 50 men died. The colorado massacre in 1919 where over 200 men, wemen and children died)and die to change this matter. All of this business changed with the rise of the Union in the 50's. Please, Mr. Blackmon, tell the whole story, not just what is ploitically correct to say. L Dowless. hldowless@hotmail.com

This message is for Empressof the World. You noted that your grandfather was sold by his parents because they couldn't afford to keep him. He probably lived for say 80-90 years? How many white people do you know of that had the same fate as your grandfather? Maybe 10-100 people? I'm sure their are over one million + African-Americans, that can tell you their ancestors were enslaved in America. I'm sure it was for longer than 80-90 years, try 200+ years. If you know your history you kknow the numbers were under represented in the case of African-Ameicans. Know I want you to think of reparations in this light. Had my great-great-great-great grandfather or grandmother been paid a decent wage for their labor, (and not less because they were black), they may have invested, created, or have been successful entrepreneur's and built a financial legacy for their future generations to come. Because I am of their legacy, I feel I am entitled to financial compensation for their free labor that helped build America. (With Interest, because that is the Capitalistic way.)

Gives a whole new perspective on the factors that lie behind things like black-on-black crime and a host of issues that continue to plague the stability of the African-American family. Very interesting to take a look at where the appetite for violence originates.

Oh, yes, lest I forget. After you get over the shock of the Truth in Mr. Blackmon's book, please obtain Dee Brown's book, "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." In it you'll learn that it took Europoeans only 30 years to decimate the entirety of the Indian Nations. Who weren't killed were placed in concentration camps known by the sanitized name of "Reservations." This wonderful land wouldn't be soo polluted had it remained in the stewardship of the Native Americans. Oh, yes. everyt time I hear someone whining about "Why don't these foreigners," Asians, Middle Easterners, etc., "learn to speak English" I always ask: "Exactly which Native American language do you speak?"

A pitiful thing about the human species is the need to feel "superior" to someone else. In addition, we feel a need to profit. Add the two and that's how our history got stitched together: Europeans took the land from the Indians. Then, finding it all 'way too much work, took Africans from their land to do the work.Now we're in the Middle East angling to take the oil reserves. Wonder who needs to run and hide from us next...

Mr. Blackmon, thanks for writing this book, I can't wait to purchase and read it. Thank you

Mr. Blackmon, thanks for having the grapefruits to write this book, can't wait to read it. GOD Bless

Less than 80 years ago the United States continued to practice the enslavement of Black people. Let's all remember that our history as a country is not without its blemishes. Hopefully we will remember and learn to treat all people with the respect and rights that this country was supposidly founded to honor and protect.

Sorry about the terrible spelling, but I get a bit miffed about this particular topic.

I have been ambivalent about reparations for African-Americans in the past, but after seeing these photos and listening to Douglas Blackmon describe the horrible historical event of neo-slavery, I'm convinvced reparations are in order. I grew up as an African-American during the 30's, 40's and 50's in Alabama. I recall some discussions about black males being vulnerable for forced labor, but most of this was shielded from me and my brothers. Arrests were made and the word was the guy didn't do anything to warrant arrest. I recall that we didn't see those guys anymore. What a tragedy.

Douglas Blackmon has done an important service to the country with this account of slavery. I'm reading his book now and getting even more in-depth historical information on this shameful period. in our history.

Comment: I am always amazed when my white EuroAmerican students, friends and colleagues say with genuine amazement that black people just need to forget about the past, move along and work harder in a system that is obviously "fair to them today". Well the legacy of these unequal system conditions ring very true today. Is it any wonder that the majority of African Americans today have low rates of education, employment, skills, health care access, and other social issues. The legacy of being forced to endure slavery for 400 years and then neo-slavery until the 1940s has had dramatic and long lasting effects!!. The United States economy is built on the legacy of slavery and unequal opportunity. I really wish that White EuroAmericans would wake up and address this issue rather than focusing on the few African Americans (Barak Obama, Condeleza Rice, Colin Powell) who make it within a racist, sexist and classist system.

I'm a white female who is taking several history and government classes. This is a very dark point in American history. If it wasn't for African Americans and the sweat of their brow to help shape this nation, we would be no where. As horrible as these pictures show the cruelty towards the black men, it is the black men who look fit and strong and the fat-bellied "white" men look ignorant. It is important to know that black men in this country are Americans and have had the same rights as anybody since the creation of this country two hundred years ago.

As an African American MAN, This gives me even MORE reason to employ all the freedoms(I have a degree and returning back to school), that are leaglly available to me as a U.S. citizen. It is upon these men's backs and their suffering for which freedoms I am allowed. I reverently thank them for their suffering and lost of dignity. It is time for CHANGE ..."Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968), Strength to Love, 1963

The courage of those who later participated in voter registration drives, Freedom Rides, lunch counter sit-ins , etc. cannot be over appreciated!

Wow! Incredible... I'm one that's always critical of whining minorities. I strongly feel that to blame our circumstances on racism or discrimination only hurts ourselves and inhibits our growth & success. This Newsweek piece is really disturbing - I was a Hillary supporter getting ready to vote for Mcain, but after looking at this I am feeling that I should not vote for anyone but a black man.

Unfortunately I feel that many African-Americans need to learn about this more than "White America", as we see in popular African-American culture it is encouraged and accepted to call one another "***", "***", "my ***" etc. Younger generations don't know about the origin of this word that is promoted in hip-hop and urban music by top artists. Ignorance is disgusting.

We all need to be shown how the awful conditions our African American citizens have endured and did not end in 1865 or 1965 or even in 2005 take another look at the 9th Ward in New Orleans and the Katrina disaster. Wake up White America (and I am white) and find out why Reverend Wright may seem to be so angry.

I've been trying to solve the mystery of Emma Ferris/Peabody, an 11-year-old Alabama 'mulatto' (as she was described in census data) laboring in abominable conditions (she was referred to as "the little slave girl") in an 1870 hotel...in Minnesota! She came to a tragic end and I'm trying to find out if one of her 'owners' was a biological parent or, if not, how they came to have custody of her and whether she left behind any family down south.