₦airaland Forum

@Islander


CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA SLAVE HISTORY:

(pasted from website / see reference)

Black History and Slavery in Charleston

Charleston in 1770 was the fourth largest city in British America, exceeded in size only by New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. Shipping was a major business activity in colonial times as the city served as the commercial center of the South. The slave trade was an important activity in this city -- about 30 percent of all slaves imported to the United States entered through Charleston. In all the British ports, including Charleston, 195 ships with a capacity of 47,146 slaves were participating in the trade. In 1773 alone, 42 slave ships with 8,050 slaves arrived in Charleston.

It was common for slave ships to lose from 25 to 33 percent of their slaves to disease or suffocation on the "middle passage"--the destination given to the trip to the West Indies because it was the second leg of triangular voyages: from America to Africa; Africa to the Caribbean; and from the Caribbean back to America. The stone ballast from ships when their cargo was light was used to pave some of the streets of Charleston; most of the streets were mainly made of sand.

From a pre-Civil War population of 10,000-12,000, Charleston grew very rapidly until 1790, when the first federal census reported 16,920--8,089 whites and 8,831 Black slaves. The plantation character of the Charleston district was suggested by a density of 13.4 "Negroes" per square mile, greater than any other area in the state. Although M. Bligh owned 1,200 to 1,500 slaves, and Ralph Izard had the second largest number with 594 slaves distributed on eight plantations in three parishes and 10 house slaves in Charleston, the number of slaves working on the average plantation was only between 25 and 30.


Reference:  http://www.uwec.edu/Geography/Ivogeler/w188/south/charles/charles1.htm#slavery

Note:  We have been taught, and read where, many slaves were brought from Africa to Charleston, South Carolina.  There is a huge slave market there showing some original buildings still stands (with shackles), women weaving baskets, African garments, and much more.  Charleston, South Carolina has been credited for also receiving many slaves to its shores.

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JAMESTOWN SLAVERY HISTORY


I found accounts that totally gave Jamestown the credit for the location of where the first slaves were brought to North America, and some accounts questioned it.  IF the above it correct, which states only 30% of the slaves came to Charleston, South Carolina, the remaining 70% went somewhere; and that other place is Jamestown.  

(pasted from website / see reference below)
We may recall learning about the arrival of twenty "Negars" at Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, where they were put to work growing tobacco. . . . Consider just a few points regarding those first twenty arrivals. They were not at all the first black migrants to the Western Hemisphere; by 1619 there were Africans all over the Caribbean and Central and South America . . . . Nor did those twenty at Jamestown automatically become slaves. On the contrary, it is quite possible that coming to Virginia ended the slavery that bound them when they boarded the Dutch vessel that took them there.

In 1619 Virginia had no law of slavery and the arrivals became "servants." They went to work in tobacco fields alongside other servants who were white and had come from England. Conditions were equally hard for both groups, but servitude could end. Early Virginia blacks gained their freedom and a few actually prospered. One, named Anthony Johnson . . . arrived at Jamestown in 1621, survived his own time of servitude, married, and acquired land and indentured servants.

Reference:
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/history/series/hw/slavery/slaveryintro.htm[/b][/color]

Is Black Really Beautiful?

Today, due to the impending Thanksgiving holiday in which our school week will end on Tuesday, I decided to show my 7th grade Technology students a movie. The movie, entitled Brother Future, is about a black teenager who does not take his education seriously. He daydreams in class when he should be listening to the teacher and taking in knowledge, he skips school whenever he feels like it, and he steals goods and resells it later to his ever-waiting customers. Well the teenager gets hit by a car and is propelled—not into the future—but back into the 1820s when slavery was in full swing. The purpose of my showing the movie was to help the students identify with the age of the character and his learning that education is a vital component of being successful and is directly connected to the quality of life one will have in the future.

During the film, my students’ eyes were glued on the projection screen, which enlarged the movie to such a degree that it could be viewed from almost any angle in the classroom. My students began to ask me questions about what they were seeing in the movie. For instance, one student said, “Why can’t he tell them he is not going to pick cotton in that field?” Another one said, “If I was back there, I would not do it!” Another asked, “Why does that slave have to go around to the back of his master’s house and not use the front door?” The questions and comments went on throughout the movie, and I answered the questions and joined in the conversations that had sparked many interests about slavery and education, or a lack of Black education, during that time period.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, and I moved from the corporate world of business to teach—to make a difference. I am not a history teacher—although I do know history facts and can produce a decent answer when questioned. But what astonished me is that my Black students (for the majority of them are Black) did not know many facts at all about the history of our own people. Sure, some students could tell you that they were told that lynching and beatings and unfair treatment took place, but they seemed surprised about many things that were taking place in the movie. So I asked them, “Does your History teacher talk about slavery in your class?” Most of the students said, “No”. “And if the teacher does, it is only just for a few minutes and we move onto something else.”

I realized in that moment that many of Black America is ignorant about where they came from. Some of my students did not even know that Charleston, South Carolina is documented as being the place where the first slaves were brought to when they landed in America.

Later that evening, I came home and read an article by Michael Oluwagemi II on Nigerians In America entitled, Mark My Words . . . Nigeria and Africa Shall Be Free. I thoroughly enjoyed what he had to say, for I know, by personal observation, how much poverty has taken hold of Nigeria. I have never been able to get those images out of my mind—and I do not want to—for it is what holds me to her (Africa) in my heart. I simply love Africa and its people—although I hate to see the suffering of my people. However, I think another type of poverty has taken hold of Black America, and that poverty, to me, is cultural and ancestral ignorance.

I wrote an article entitled Disconnected from the Motherland some time ago, and after today’s experience, I believe Black America is also disconnected from themselves and their own African history. We are failing to teach our children where they came from—never mind going as far back to the Motherland (Africa), let us at least start at the point when our African ancestors were shackled, chained, and brought into Charleston, South Carolina and sold into slavery.

I wondered why we Black Americans changed our ethnicity name from Black to African American. Who thought of that? Did someone say it was politically correct to be named such? When I think about how much Black America do NOT identify with their African brothers and sisters (as a whole), why do we love the name so much then (African American). Are we merely interested in the theory of Africa but not in the identification with it? I am afraid for many that might be the case.

I have noticed that our Black children do not mind being Black as long as their skin color is not TOO BLACK. Most of them will tell you that they do not want to be to dark skinned and cover their mouths in a grin when they say it as if embarrassed by their admission. If you are light skinned, according to them, you are in another class of “blackness” (a better class as far as beauty). On more than one occasion, my students have referred to a dark-skinned person as an African. They forget in that moment, or at least I choose to believe it was not intentional, that my husband is African. I will say something like, “I guess you have forgotten my husband is African!” Then they will say, “Mrs. Daboh we did not mean any harm.” I remind them that some of the most beautiful men and women in this world are Africans, and they come in all shades of colors like we do. If young Blacks feel that way now and hold those prejudices within their own race of people, I wonder how their children, who will be reared by them, will think of a dark-skinned, Black person or an African.

Nigeria and Africa in all their poverty is really just a heart beat away from the ancestral and cultural poverty that Black America suffers. Are we allowing our Black youths to be groomed to believe that “black is not beautiful?” Is the saying, “I’m Black and I’m proud” just a cliché? I am afraid many Blacks do not mind being Black, as long as it is not TOO BLACK.

Will Black America’s poverty stricken attitude against its own culture prevail to the point that we are, not only ashamed of ourselves, but ashamed of where we originated from? In our eyes, is Black really beautiful?

@ C blow

You summed it up very nicely!

[b]@Poster

You said you were told that your girlfriend was very close to her male friend prior to making her your girlfriend.   You knew that in words,  but you are now discovering how that makes you feel in the heart.  When you are in love with someone, jealously comes naturally.   You do not want anyone to be as close to your love than you are, for after all, you two are suppose to share a special bond.

It is very hard for a man to accept that a woman is friends with another man.  They automatically think that there is more going on between them (sex)--even when it is not.  Prior to me marrying my husband, I let him know about the three male friends that I am close with.  When I got married, one male friend cut back his visits altogether, and the other one comes by every other week, and the third one I see once or twice a month.  They automatically cut back their visits (even with my still waiting on my husband to join me from Nigeria).  It is as if they knew, as a man, that they would not want any man continually coming around if I were their woman (or wife), so they withdrew.  But everyone does not share their views.

Your friend's girlfriend should realize that she needs to make her man #1 now (not him).  If he does not act as though he understands that, she should relay that to her best friend.  Her man now should become her best friend, and the best friend should "rightfully" settle for second place.

Life changes and relationships do too.

Patricia Daboh[/b]

[b]@Ndipe

Slitty so graciously broke down the definition of "will" and "prenup" for us, even though I knew the difference before I said it.  You asked ME for MY opinion, and I gave it to you.  Everyone has to be goverened by his/her own judgment concerning his/her own life!  I PERSONALLY would NEVER sign a prenup, and that is that way I feel.   If you read the bible, you will see that God himself made a wife for Adam, and he brought her (Eve) to the man.  Of course as the world became populated down through the years, "FREEDOM OF CHOICE" was birthed and mankind then had the ability to choose his/her own spouse.  But with freedom of choice is also the consequences of one's own decision.  Do we really know ANYONE through-and-through until we can predict what they will or will not do--"NO".  Only God knows what actions we ALL will take prior to doing them.

However, when God later gave instructions for marriage, he said a man should LEAVE mother and father and cleave unto his wife.  He also said, in the old testament, when thy vow a vow (willing say "you will  do something", then defer not to pay it (do what you vow/rephrased).  I do not think a prenup is sinful, for that is your RIGHT AS AN INDIVIDIAUL to request one be signed, and it is an INDIVIDUAL RIGHT for the person who is asked to sign--sign it or not.

YOU ASKED MY PERSONAL OPINION, and I gave it to you.  I, PATRICIA MACHELE DABOH, WILL NOT sign a prenup with any man under any circumstancs.  Why do we not draw up PRENUPS for cheating, prenups for  talking harshly toward one another?  Why wait until the final divorce takes place?  Just let us say, IF YOU DO THIS . . OR IF YOU DO THAT . THEN IT IS OVER, AND YOU WILL NOT GET A "DIME" OF MY MONEY!  That way, we can not only control our money, but the other person's actions (at least the actions you see when they are with you) totally.  Prenups also cause pressure on people to behave, or I say pretend, to a certain degree.  Who wants pretense love and  insincere devotion--just because of a piece of paper.  Who would rock the boat if a prenup is in place, the "games" just go on-and-on-and-on.  It is like saying, you act a certain way, and I will divorce you.  And when I divorce you, I AM THE ONE that will be secure financially--not you.  It is a way of controlling a person's behavior.

To me, a "will" is more in line with what a marriage that takes the place under the premise of staying together usually has--NOT ONE IN WHICH A PAPER IS SECURELY TUCKED AWAY IN THE BANK VAULT, so WHEN, (not if) but WHEN I divorce him/her, my funds will still be in the bank.  I won't marry under those circumstances.  But if you believe in a prenup, go ahead and do your thing, for it is your life--not mine! 

I just wonder if your nicely, tucked away prenup is able to make you happier than your previous marriage.  But then happiness is not even a criteria when drafting a prenup is it--IT'S ALL ABOUT YOUR MONEY!

Happy prenup if that is what you want, for it is your life!   [/b]

[b]@Seun

Actually, I do not think people will try "harder" to stay married when they sign a prenup, but they will probably be more deceptive when having affairs for they know the cost of their discovery will be lost of financial comfort and freefom. I still say marriage is "not a business" but a union of two people who have decided to come together as one in love. Of course, married couples do a lot of business (investments, paying bills, etc.), but to sign a piece of paper prior to marriage stating that if we divorce, I will not be entitled to this or that, to me, is only in the interest of the person who "draws up the paperwork". It is as if they are anticipating that this marriage will NOT work out, so when the inevitable happens, I am prepared to take care of "ME ONLY!" To me that is SELFISH, and we ALL know that when one spouse is selfish (with their finances, time, or sex), marriages ususally do NOT work out. Does not the wife, or husband, who is being asked to sign the prenup deserve something--especially if their spouse has put them through "hell and high water"? What is the cost for starting over again? Starting over again is not free "you know".

Prenups take some of the love, hope for continuation, and spontaneous love out of the marriage. We ALL take a chance when we marry, for we cannot predict whether our spouse, or even we ourselves, will change. But a prenup is security ONLY for the person who insists on having one signed prior to marriage.

Just my opinion, Seun.[/b]

[b]@ Poster

Who said everyone would LOVE YOU?  Just because someone has the same skin color (or close to it) does not mean they will love you.  Just because someone lives in the same country, in the same district, or even on the same street as you does not mean they will embrace you with love.  People are people--some are nice and some are not.  Some people love others (no matter what their color), and some do not!  It is called life, brother and sisters!

When I married a Nigerian man, I discovered that many African Americans (which I am), dislike and hate African people for all kinds of CRAZY reasons (afraid of contracting AIDS from them, think they are less attractive then African Americans, think they are less than African Americans, etc., etc., etc., etc.,).  I also discovered that some Africans, equally, are prejudice against African Americans for various reasons (the terminology of African American that we use, our ease of life as compared to theres, our disconnection from the Motherland, our this, and our that).  Wow! 

Basically, I am responsible before God for loving my neighbor (which all the commandments are summed up in the that one--according to the word of God).  LOVE THEY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF!  And who is my neighbor--anyone I come into contact with!

YOU cannot change the way someone feels about you, but what is in your control is HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT OTHERS AND TREAT THEM!

Get over the shock    and move on with life!  Keep living, and you will discover there are many prejudices out there, but thank God for many who love and show kindness--for it balances things out.  YOU just be on the side of showing love.[/b]