African American

brer cat

(26,479 posts)

4. It was also interesting to see how in the early days,

Thu Dec 22, 2016, 11:26 PM

Dec 2016

the ruling white class created racism among people who were not inherently racist. I had not previously thought about some of the laws in that context: that they were created not just because of the racism of those making the laws, but also due to their need to instill that racism in the lower classes of whites. As the article states:

These privileges did not come from the kindness of the planters’ hearts nor from some form of racial solidarity. (Scottish coal miners were held in slavery in the same period of time.) Quite simply, the poor whites were needed and used as a force to suppress the main labor force: the African chattel slaves.

This look at the roots of the divide is informative and interesting. We have seen the results all of our lives, but this illuminates again the macabre origins.

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Roots of the black/white divide... [View all] JHan Dec 2016 OP

Separate but (un)equal didn't help Warpy Dec 2016 #1

this OP disturbs me a little bit .... kwassa Dec 2016 #2

No that wasn't my intent.. I may not have been clear: JHan Dec 2016 #3

It was also interesting to see how in the early days, brer cat Dec 2016 #4

yep. I had some knowledge of that , reminds me of that great LBJ quote.. JHan Dec 2016 #5

At least in the USA, the class struggle and the race/gender/sexuality struggle are one and the same. forjusticethunders Dec 2016 #7

great point! JHan Dec 2016 #8

This OP is why I'm a dirty Commie forjusticethunders Dec 2016 #6