Slavery by another name: examining racial oppression in post-abolition America

Oppression Power and Diversity

Oppression, Power & Diversity

This reflection paper aims to shed light on the PBS Documentary "Slavery by another Name" by performing a brief review on the documentary, drawing some learning points and some points to ponder over. The documentary has been directed by Sam Pollard in which you can admire his efforts since adapting a literary work as a documentary is an arduous task. The documentary deals with the continuation of slavery in other forms after it was abolished in the 19th century. Author of the book, Douglas A. Blackmon presents compelling proof in his book, of which the documentary is an adaptation, that even though slavery was declared to an end, it has transpired even into the 20th century in other forms like forced service, bounded in chains, torture and subjection to poor living conditions by the authorities.

Step I

In preparation of this reflection, I decided to watch the documentary with an open mind in order to fully perceive what Blackmon tried to depict, the way he intended to. What I immediately found shocking was how the new form of slavery was strikingly similar to the definition of slavery. I can sum up that slavery is "holding a person for servitude against his free will." Pollard made a visceral experience possible for me by precisely capturing Blackmon's essence in order to depict the gravity of the situation. "Slavery by another Name" gave me more than experience. It is an educational perspective seamlessly delivered by Pollard in order to bridge a cerebral gap which I noticed between "Eyes on the Prize" and "Gone with the Wind." It was horrifically satisfying and impacted me in such a way that I look around in my society to find hints of slavery still persisting in the 21st century. For me, some important learning outcomes after watching this documentary were:

In Southern states like Alabama, convicts were lent to private business companies for the sake of profit.

Post Civil War and slavery abolition, the imprisonment rates soared due to overly stringent laws in the 20th century. African-American people would get arrested for committing minor felonies and would get imprisoned failing to pay the debt (Fienberg, 2012)

Harsh penalty duties like Clarke's were unjustly served, extremely impossible to carry out and discriminatory against black people. Such sentences highlighted the extent of racial discrimination which was not much different before slavery was emancipated.

Because of continued racial discrimination in the 20th century, future generations of African-Americans who had never known slavery felt threatened by its origin (Maslin)

Step III

When we revisit history and study such sensitive topics, it becomes important to realize who we are, where we stand, what we've done and where we're going. Revisiting our past helps understand all that and more.

What did I learn?

The continuation of social oppression and slavery and its transpiration into the 20th century and beyond is not a myth, it exists in our society and we can witness it by paying attention.

The generations past and the generations to come will remain plagued by lack of socialism if our moral values remain unchanged. It is imperative that critical thinking be put into school teaching so we can have a chance at abolishing slavery for good.

How did I learn it?

By paying close attention to the world around me, I learned of the inconvenient truth that discrimination exists at all levels in a society.

A visit to history and literature with a broad outlook on our moral conduct, judgment criteria and way of thinking.

Why does it matter?

Human beings co-exist in a society and will continue doing so. For this reason, it becomes vital to our sustaining that we alleviate our misconceptions, think critically and judge justly.

Our evolution is all in vain if we fail to get past the color of skin. A black child who comes into the world did not choose the color of its skin and a white child does not hold the right to be superior.

What will I do in the future, in light of it?

In the light of my learning, I will try my level-best to ensure removal of oppression within my circles.

I will raise awareness among the people I know by quoting them lessons I've learned from this documentary.