Today is the 150th anniversary of the end of slavery. How much of an impact does slavery still have on African Americans today?

I'm going to be told again to "get over it". "it happened, and blacks were complicit in it". "Move on". "What would you do with 40 acres and a mule". "Other races were slaves too". "Indians fought the government to keep their slaves after the emancipation". What's changed....a lot has changed, and while a lot of it has been good, a lot of it has been bad. When your skin color has laws made that directly affect it, when your skin color justifies profiling, when your skin color can land you a more severe prison sentence, when your skin color can get every ill known to man, yet you cannot get a home loan, when your skin color is used as a recruiting tool or is used for promotion, when your skin color finds itself able to call another a derogatory name, and get upset when someone else uses it, when your skin color glorifies the ghetto and ignorance in it, and considers those that make it out and become successful sellouts, when your skin color uses a great form of music that was intended to inform and tell stories as a means to call women bitches and Hoes, celebrate drug use, killing of our own, and demean and hurt it's own, when your skin color looks at another of the same and can call them jigabo's and wanna be's, I could go on and on, but slavery is still in FULL EFFECT to this day. To this time...to this moment. It's not so much the "white man" holding me back vs. the simple fact that many of my black peers are holding themselves back. Slavery of the mind is one of the last barriers left from actual slavery from the 1800's. It's what the struggle really is. There's nothing no one who wants something cannot get with hard work, but when you use fall back stereotypes as a means for success, we're failing and we're still slaves. This does not say there isn't discrimination still. Three strikes was intended for people of color or the poorer class, and those that were affected by it were those of color and the poorer class. If it was applied fairly, a LOT of celebrities would be looking at LONG time in prison. The crack vs. cocaine laws were made to affect to hit those of color and the poorer class of Americans. Had cocaine/heroin been on equal terms as crack a lot more celebs would be doing LONG time. The struggle is REAL. It's NEVER going anywhere, but what folks need to know is that the struggle that the black people have cried over, isn't a black problem. It hits everyone regardless of skin color. Having money helps, but doesn't solve everything. Being middle class is one paycheck away from being in the projects or a trailer park. Upper middle class is only two away. Slavery is still here. And the master is the dollar.

African American culture in the U.S. has had more of a setback over the past four or five decades than it had in the previous century. The family structure has been destroyed by the culture of government dependency.

In this nation it is the 150th anniversary SPC Andrew Griffin to the official end of slavery.
The practise pf shipping slaves from Africa ended in Britain decades earlier.
American indigenous people were treated horribly in many cases into the early 20th century.
Black slaves are still traded in Muslim dominated countries of north Africa notably Sudan.
The sexual slave trade thrives and includes women, girls and boys of all colors unfortunately.
The country has come a long way in terms of how individuals are treated. From a legal perspective the law is generally colorblind in intent although practical application varies from area to area.
Our hope is in Christ alone. Martin Luther King recognized this as do all Christians. I hope that one day all people will be treated with respect and dignity since we are each created in the image of God.

SPC Andrew Griffin - Great question. I'd guess there are many doctoral thesis on this issue. There is no reasonable way to valuate the impact of slavery --and the ensuing political, social, and economic impact is has upon our American fabric.

As I read SSG Warren Swan's commentary, I realize that racism is still foreign to me. I don't say this to be arrogant. Rather, I mention this because I am ignorant: My skin color has shielded me. To belabor this point would only be patronizing to those who have endured this life experience... and resulting perspective.

interesting question,...what if slavery had never happened? What would have brought blacks here? When? Where would the American economy be with out slave labor on farms?
I wont comment on the race issue as I probably don't have anything significant to contribute, but will share this...I was in a bookstore and came across a book, "Please stop helping us" or something similar...and it had a picture of a young, black man on the front. Didn't buy it, but was curious.
I wonder if our efforts at elevating the black community through economic incentives such as United Negro College Fund, NAACP, Affirmative Action need to be re-looked - is that type of help still needed, or...do they send a message that a black man cant make it in America unless given a whole lot of help???

The set back that slavery continuous to have on African-Americans can be seen from a Tribal perspective which is demonstrated by Black on Black violence; it follows tribal/gang boundaries. Think of the potential if there was cooperation.

It has as much impact as you allow it to.... What many people fail to remember is that not everyone in the south was a wealthy slave owner. There were plenty of poor white "share-croppers" and tenant farmers who had just as little access to education and opportunity as did the slaves. IMHO, the creation of the welfare state had a much bigger impact and was a bigger setback for African americans than slavery.

Slavery is still around nice and healthy ... the war is still not won yet. ...sigh ...

Black slaves are still traded in many parts of Africa, not to mention the sex slaves network that ISIS/ISIL got there. ... sigh

When will it end. Affirmative action and if you are a contractor you get preferable I've non minority buisnesses. And you will be given a loan to buy a house even if you cannot afford it. And should these people have to show that there desendant was a slave. The Democratic Party has h
Done s good job of keeping blacks down. Woodrow Wilson thought that they were not smart enough. I've know Vietnamese boat people that had nothing and worked, sent there kids to school and started buisnesses.

How come nobody marks when the Hebrews were set free from Egypt? Or when the Irish quit being slaves? Every race and creed has been slaves to somebody at sometime. You know what's keeping the discussion going? People keep talking about it. Stop talking about it. If you are going to talk about slavery let's talk about how to end the slavery still going on around the world and how we are going to end that.