Earlier this week I was struck by something I heard a popular Black actor mention on a Christian TV program. The actor who played Uncle Phil on "Fresh Prince" was fondly recalling the wonderful upbringing given him by his mom, a single parent. He made the point that though Black families have their share of struggles, historically they have had strong family bonds despite tough circumstances. As an example, he shared how many of the 4 million freed slaves diligently searched for their families after Emancipation. Instantly my mind began to imagine what it must have been like for a husband, separated from his wife who was sold to another master in another place, to search for his beloved upon gaining freedom. I began to recall ads I'd seen that freed African Americans had placed to locate their children, their parents, and so on, with whom they'd lost contact due to the evils of slavery.
Personally, I cannot imagine the pain of separation, followed by the desperation of a search. The closest I could come to figuring out what this experience must've been like is thinking about what adopted adult children do to locate their birth parents. But even that tough situation does not scratch the surface of what my ancestors must have felt....
Now, I am certainly not one to blame another person for the woes of myself or my people. In fact, I think due to my upbringing, I err too much on the 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' mentality. However, I cannot help but wonder if any of the problems that plague black families today are the residuals of our slavery past that ripped apart our family structures.
I am also filled with pride for my people, who managed, by God's grace, to survive such a holocaust as slavery. It is a testament to God's goodness that as a people, we were not completely wiped out physically, socially, emotionally, or spiritually.
The hope of those freed Blacks searching for their loved ones saddens me but also inspires me...
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Monday, August 06, 2007
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