“Traces of the Trade” begins airing on Tuesday, June 24 on PBS’s P.O.V. (check local listings as dates and times vary)
Posted June 24th, 2008 by James DeWolf PerryTraces of the Trade begins its national broadcast television premiere on PBS’s P.O.V. on Tuesday, June 24 at 10:00pm.
The documentary is airing as the season premiere of the award-winning independent documentary series, P.O.V.
The documentary airs on different days and times in different markets, so be sure to check local listings.
June 25th, 2008 at 3:02 am
Thank you.
June 25th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
The documentary was very well done. I am glad Ms. Browne had the courage to honestly take a hard look at her family story in this light. It could of been so easy to leave the past in the past.
If the DeWolf’s think their family slavery story was bad, my family were 4 to 5 generations of Free Black Slaveowners in Charleston, SC. Majority of the in-laws were also slaveowners.
Of course, the family REALLY REALLY doesn’t want to discuss this part of our history.
But guess what, it did happen!
June 27th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Thank you for this
June 28th, 2008 at 7:55 am
This is truly an important film in creating soul searching, and healthy family and community dialogue. As an African American woman, I applaud this family and encourage others to discuss our history, not as it was written, but as it occurred. Only then, can we heal as one race…the human race. I can’t wait to order this dvd. The time has come for healing through discussion and honest soul searching. Gone is the need and use for guilt, shame, and blame. It’s time to come to terms with our past and heal as people. Not every ‘Black’ person is angry, although, acknowledgement of our country’s atrocities, rather than an ‘ignore it and it will go away’ philosophy/family rule has not proven helpful in the past. God Bless us in our journey to heal ourselves and our relations!
June 29th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I was so excited to see this documentary. So bravely done.
I have been doing the work of reconciliation/peacemaking for nearly thirty years.
Born and raised in Cambridge, MA.
Married a Black man from
Detroit, MI.
I am developing an idea for a Center for Peace/
Reconciliation, with focus
on all art forms, I am an
oil painter/singer/writer.
I am interested in finding others with similar goals.
I have five acres with a
building in Fitzwilliam,
NH.
June 29th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
The idea of reparations to African Americans is completely preposterous. I caught the tail end of the documentary so I can only imagine what filth I missed. I did hear Ms. Brown speak of reconciliation. Everybody understands slavery maybe wasn’t the best idea but neither was killing developmentally challenged people which was a common practice around the same time as slavery. Where are their reparations? What would be considered exceptable reparations, money? I already pay taxes which go to fund agencies such as medicaid, medicare, wellfare, and so on. Ms. Browne also made the comment “The American economy’s foundation lies on slavery.” I’m pretty certain the foundation of the American economy lies on J.D. Rockefeller and the industrial revolution. Reparation to me would be figuring out why 41% of the prison population is black yet they make up only 12.4 percent of the U.S. population or why seven out of ten black children have no father figure. Blacks aren’t the only race who have been enslaved. My Irish ancestors were endentured servants but you don’t hear them crying about repartaions. The reason being they cared more about their kids than they do themselves and did without so their next generation would have a better life. You want reparations? Get them from the tribe in Africa that sold it’s own people. Had there not been slavery black people wouldn’t be able to piss away their free education they are given is this country. I refuse to feel guilty for something I had no part in and furthermore, I believe slaves had better lives as slaves than they did running from lions in Africa. When a farmer buys a brand new John Deere tractor he takes care of it, he doesn’t treat it badly or tear it up. Reparations for slavery is reverse racism. Expecting white people today to take responsibillity for something we had no control over just because we’re white.
Facts:
There are more black men in prison than in college.
Out of 2,299,116 prisoners in America 41% are black, 26% are white, 20.8% are hispanic.
12.4% of the American population is black.
Common opinions that could also be fact:
African American culture makes crimes such as murder, drug dealing, and drug use exceptable and even glamorous.
June 30th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Cole Alexanders’ responsde is one of the reasons there is little chance for recincilliation. He should learnsomething about the history and culture of west Africa before making suggestions that slavery was a hgood thing. If thats the case a suppose The Irish Potato famine was a gift from god.
The film was a wonderful opportunity for reflection.
June 30th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I’m glad to see a real history of slaves and the families that were involved. However, I’m disappointed that so many whites feel the need to hold guilt as if they did this themselves. It is one thing to be compassionate, but times were different. Anyone living thru the 60’s know that reparations were made by education and work given to blacks and denied to whites. It is often forgotten that our Civil War soldiers died for blacks as well as President Abraham Lincoln. I say education is good but I don’t think blacks are willing to discuss this issue.
July 1st, 2008 at 11:03 am
Cole, I’m just going to address one of the issues you raise. J.D. Rockefeller was a leading figure in the oil business in the late 19th century. He had nothing to do with early U.S. industrialization. To give an example, James D’Wolf invested heavily in the textile mills which, in the early 1800s, were an early and important stage in the nation’s industrialization.
Christine, I appreciate your attitude towards guilt. Whatever we’ve collectively inherited from the past, I agree that no one should feel guilt.
Perhaps it would help to know that none of the family members in the film, even those who say that they feel guilt, say that they feel the need to hold guilt. This is merely something which some people feel, as a result of knowing that they have advantages that weren’t earned fairly. I think, in fact, that it’s extremely important that people learn to move past such feelings so that they can constructively address the problems of today.
As for the 1960s, Christine, I would suggest that you’re overestimating the extent to which blacks were given education and work not available to whites. Whites still did, and do, much better than blacks on measures of hiring, advancement, and income in jobs, and in educational opportunities. While affirmative action may not be a particularly fair way to address the legacy of slavery and discrimination, neither has it been particularly effective, since it has changed matters for the average black person only slightly.
Finally, on the sacrifice of Civil War soldiers: The Civil War was not fought to end slavery, and few, if any, soldiers volunteered in order to help free the slaves. Lincoln had disavowed this as a war aim, and it would have been a slim hope that later on, this policy might change.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:15 am
I have so many feelings about this film… I dont see this helping anyone solve or mend any race relations. Who cares that white people died in the civil war, This war was because of their greed and lazyness. White people were bullies, taking advantage of the fact that there were strong BlackPeople who were physically and mentally able to do what they couldn’t. Some whites still have the false “I’m superior attitude”. No, We are still understandably angry especially since so many whites are still ignorant, uninformed, and blind. I can understand how Blacks hate whites, and whites want to be Black so much so that they sleep with Blacks so that their babies wont be white.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I will never watch this film and I will never be back to this racist, get rich again scam. I am disappointed but not shocked that whites still think and feel this way. This is why America is going down the tubs. White people will step on their own to get rich. Ask your president…