Myths That Black Folk Need to Kill Tuh-Day, Pt. 1

This is a group project, so some of everybody pitched in. It’s designed to be an ongoing conversation, so let us know what myth(s) need to be added in Part 2. Now let’s get to why you’re here and dive straight into some myths that black folk need to kill right ni!

1. Enslaved black folk only ate scraps.

Every plantation had its rules pertaining to how they did it, but the belief that all of our enslaved ancestors had were the unwanted parts of the animal (like chitlins and pig feet) just ain’t the truth. We had that, yes, but we also had vegetables—often from small gardens that the enslaved were allowed to maintain. Folk near waterways also had seafood.

2. Our elders and ancestors didn’t get divorced.

Zora divorced three times (in 1931, in 1943, and in 1944). Katherine Dunham divorced in 1938. Mahalia Jackson divorced in 1969. Josephine Baker divorced. Cicely Tyson divorced Miles Davis. Harriet Tubman might not have divorced on paper, but she didn’t let her marriage stop her from doing what she wanted to do. She had a plan to escape and he didn’t want to follow, so she left. When she came back for him, he had another woman. This ain’t your conventional divorce, but it shows that, even during slavery, we were moving how we wanted to. And the list goes on and on (and on and on)…

3. We didn’t fight back.

We never stopped fighting back. Queen Nzinga fought against the Portuguese in Angola. Mende Africans on a ship called the Amistad killed the captain, took control of the ship, docked, got locked up, the case went to the Supreme Court, and they won. Nat Turner led one of the biggest revolts against human traffickers in history. In 1803, Nigerian captives arrived in Savannah, Georgia on the illegal slave ship called The Wanderer. During the trip to St. Simon’s Island where they were supposed to be sold, they took control of the ship, drowned their captors, sank the ship, marched ashore, then walked into the creek one-by-one. It was about 75 of ’em, making it one of the biggest mass suicides in history. Then there were the maroons who existed everywhere slavery existed. They stole weapons and ran into the hills and swamps to create their own communities and armies.

4. Slavery was so long ago.

(by @diamond_theceo): This statement is used by those who lack accountability. It’s a statement that has been used by people who’ve never met the face of oppression,racism, or classism. The statement is used by those who benefit from America’s wealth. It’s reckless to those largely impacted by systematic oppressions in America.

“Slavery was so long ago” is often used as a rebuttal to arguments that highlight black peoples’ mistreatment in America. These arguments typically prove that the root of mistreatment and oppression goes back to slavery—which in truth, it does. Slavery ended only 156 years ago, and we’re still fighting for basic civil rights. For white people, the institution of slavery created opportunities of generational wealth. For black people, it made room for systematic oppressions.

If you want to know how Black people are still being impacted by the roots of slavery some 156 years later, look at the breakdown below from a study done by Pew Research in 2015:

• • The average wage per hour for white men was $21. For Black men, the average wage was $15.

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