The irony of no slavery in America is no sizeable contributions to the BUILDING of it

So here's one of my issues with the whole deal... the folks who suggest I have a responsibility to make amends for having benefitted from a nation built on slavery or my ancestors having participated in it (I don't even know if they did or not), don't similarly suggest that the descendants of people who abducted and sold the slaves to our ancestors have any responsibility in the matter. I don't think anyone should be held responsible for what their ancestors did... but there's an obvious lack of equality in suggesting Americans should while Africans shouldn't.

 

Yes, black entertainers are more beloved. Yes.

Look at the young white people who emulate Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, etc. Look at the young white boys who wear Jordan sneakers, etc.

I am not saying blacks are better than whites. No one is supreme. That is the thing.

But black culture is more beloved. This is a fact.

 

FO SHO

 

What can you tell us, about your own
contributions to "society?" I have a feeling, there are a lot of white people-- maybe especially on this and other online platforms-- who could not cite very much, of weight.

Those who make big contributions to society, are exceptional, almost by definition. And black Americans, have given us their share, at least, of exceptional individuals.

https://www.biography.com/scientist/percy-julian

<Snip>
African American chemist Percy Julian was a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs such as cortisone, steroids and birth control pills.

Who Was Percy Julian?
Percy Julian was a pioneering chemist who was not allowed to attend high school but went on to earn his Ph.D. His research at academic and corporate institutions led to the chemical synthesis of drugs to treat glaucoma and arthritis, and although his race presented challenges at every turn, he is regarded as one of the most influential chemists in American history...

Life in Academia
After college, Julian accepted a position as a chemistry instructor at Fisk University. He left in 1923 when he received a scholarship to attend Harvard University to finish his master’s degree, though the university would not allow him to pursue his doctorate. He traveled for several years, teaching at Black colleges, before obtaining his Ph.D. at the University of Vienna in Austria in 1931.

With his doctorate in hand, he returned to DePauw to continue his research. In 1935, he earned international acclaim by synthesizing physostigmine from the calabar bean to create a drug treatment for glaucoma, but in spite of his success, the university refused to make him a full professor because of his race.


Later Career and Death
Desiring to leave academia, Julian applied for jobs at prominent chemical companies but was repeatedly rejected when hiring managers discovered that he was Black. Ultimately, he obtained a position at Glidden Company as the lab director. There he invented Aero-Foam, a product that uses soy protein to put out oil and gas fires and was widely used in World War II, as well as other soybean-based inventions.

Julian continued his biomedical work as well and discovered how to extract sterols from soybean oil and synthesize the hormones progesterone and testosterone. He was also lauded for his synthesis of cortisone, which became used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
<End>

If all the white scientists at the time, had the same obstacles put before them, as did all blacks, how many fewer, would have achieved their successes?

 

I’m just your average guy, I never invented anything. However, during the 1990s I saved a woman from being washed away during an El Niño event, she probably would have died as she was in deep fast moving water. And when I lived in Puerto Rico I prevented either a rape or a robbery when I hit the guy smack dead on his breastbone with a sand wedge.

 

Did anyone here say ONLY white men advanced society? Every group contributed to society, the thing is white men made more advances and did it sooner. If North and South America were never touched by a European, no communication at all, where do you think those people who be today? Rain dances and spears, probably.

 

And you doubt that any "average (black) guy," can make similar statements, or can list good deeds, they've done?


P.S.-- You don't want to touch the bulk of my reply, about black chemist Percy Julian, who had to overcome first, his hometown providing no highschool, for black students; then, once he had earned a Master's degree from Harvard, their not allowing a black man to pursue a doctorate; then, after he'd got a doctorate in Austria, and came back and made a groundbreaking discovery, for the treatment of glaucoma, being denied a professorship, because he was black?

 

Where did I say I doubt anything? I was asked a question about what I did, not what the average black guy has done.

 

Sorry, Asia, Africa and the ME were inventing things for centuries before white guys came along and declared themselves the people of most importance.

 

The question, as you know, was asked in reply to your claim that blacks have not done much for American society, as a whole (hence, my question, about the "great things," you had done for American society).

Steve N said: ↑
...Yes, some of them gave us medical and industrial breakthroughs and inventions, but as a group, what can you tell us about their contributions to this country other than they picked crops?

So I'm asking if you believe your contributions (or their equivalent), as just an "average (white) guy," would be far more atypical, amongst average black people. And, if so, what gives you that belief?

 

Unfortunately, history does not care about what you can or cannot accept. It has already been there and done that!
History also teaches us that almost all past societies were entailed to slavery. It was the norm, rather than the exception. Does that make those past societies barbaric in your eyes? Even God, father of Jesus allowed for slaves and some of the rules entailed to slave ownership, can be found in Exodus. Does that make God a barbarian?

You show great hubris when you dare to judge the past by modern morals and values.

The difference between past slavery and the European slave trade is that past slaves were most commonly a part of the spoils of war, as opposed to the obscene trafficking on an industrial scale, to wit the Europeans are accountable.

That, and the fact that past slavery had no specific color, whereas Europeans traded in black only!

 

Its fact.

 

As a matter of fact yes it does.

 

in la la Land

 

God, or whomever is written about in the Bible, is indeed an ******* of the highest order. This is not the thread for this discussion.

 

During discussions I've seen about Tesla vs Edison the majority opinion is that while tesla was far better an inventor Edison beat him because he was better at marketing. I think the same applies here.

 

Slavery did exist in 1619, this is fact.

 

Do you have a kazoo too?

 

Yep.

 

First, you have nor replied to the point of my post.
Second I would thank you not to quote me the Bible , particularly the oldest of the Old Testament. Indeed yes, slavery is barbaric and always has been. That human beings treated other human beings in such a way was a failure of moral standards. Using your benchmark, didn't Jesus say to treat each other as you would be treated?
Please stop justifying barbarism by using 2000 + year old behaviour as an apology. If you consider yourself Christian at LEAST use Christian reference. God wasn't the father of Jesus when Exodus happened. He was the god of revenge and punishment.

 

Let's not forget it also glorified the rape culture that feminists are always yelling about...