Dreamscapes: Descendants of Slaves Past, Present, and Future
University of Toledo Law Review, Vol. 40, No. 3, 2009
CUA Columbus School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2009-6
28 Pages Posted: 24 Jun 2009 Last revised: 21 May 2015
Date Written: June 23, 2009
Abstract
The year 1808 was the beginning of the country's move away from the slave trade; a concrete step on the long path. These many years later, this paper considers who the descendants of slaves are and what challenges remain. The article first considers who the term 'descendants of slaves' includes. We have many examples of just how broad this definition is, but the author adds a personal window into the breadth of diversity it encompasses by looking at the lives of her parents. Professor Barry's father was the light heavy weight boxing champion of the British Isles at the start of World War II; her mother grew up in Farmville, Virginia, years before Brown v. The Board of Education put Prince Edward County on the national map. Professor Barry then goes from diversity within to a general picture of descendants of slaves in American society today. She explores the currency of the largely vilified phrase 'affirmative action,' reasserting its purpose and connection to the right to dream. She concludes that the very real progress of some descendants of slaves is vulnerable and must be harnessed towards the larger task of changing structural impediments to socio-economic balance. Steps such as affirmative action are a piece of the difficult task. The more significant steps involve gaining the vision and strength from a shared historical identity that is critical to overcoming the barriers that continue in the wake of slavery.
Keywords: history of slavery in the US, Affirmative Action, historical identity, twentieth century, black history
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