The Toll of Stockholm Syndrome in the African American Society
One of the effects of slavery on the African American people is the Stockholm syndrome. Stockholm syndrome by definition is the feelings of trust or affection felt in many cases of kidnapping or hostage-taking by a victim toward a captor. Another name used for this is the slave loyalty syndrome. Once slavery seemed to become a way of the world in America, some slaves grew forms of sympathy for their slave owners. While slavery became a way of life for slaves, some slave owners made their slaves feel a part of their family.
On some plantations, there were slaves that could have been in the family for many years. Those slaves could have raised the owner, the owner’s parents, and the owner’s grandparents in turn may have gotten special treatment from the owners. Some owners confide in the family slaves, and those slaves did not see that they were being used for information. Those slaves may have felt that they are actually a part of their master’s family. Once feeling that they belonged, some slaves felt that they could be equal with their owners.
By seeing the ways of the trade, some slaves wanted to own something of their own. Even though Stockholm syndrome by definition is a terrible thing, it evolved into the civil rights movement. All slaves who were affected by the Stockholm syndrome may not feel as if they were a part of the master’s family. They may have felt empathy as well as sympathy. There could have been things happening in the master’s house that gave slaves understanding. So instead of feeling like animals, the slaves related.
They related to make them know that they deserved equal opportunities. The Stockholm syndrome affected the history of the African American people. Even though some slaves were the whistle blowers of the other slaves, there were some slaves that did feel a certain way towards their owners, but it encouraged other feelings. Those feeling developed into justice and equality for all. Those slaves taught those beliefs to their children and their grandchildren which helped change not only African American history, but the entire American history.
