The “Benefits” of Slavery

Terrance, who puts out the blog The Republic of T., writes about Virgina’s resolution to apologize for slavery and Virginia delegate FrankHargrove saying that Black people should “get over” slavery.:

“reduced to slavery for his benefit.” The sentiment behind those words is far older than the nearly 150 years that have passed since they were written by our then Chief Justice. It’s also far from dead, and not entirely unrelated from Hargrove’s words. Not to tar all conservatives, or Republicans, with the same brush (though their record speaks for itself) but some of their compatriots have a peculiar preoccupation with defending, justifying, reframing, or just downplaying the history of Americans “peculiar institution.”