MovieChat Forums > Django Unchained (2012) Discussion > Slavery as Selective Breeding Genetic ex...

Slavery as Selective Breeding Genetic experimentation?

posted 8 years ago by Hythlodaeus
10 replies | jump to latest

Is the black population in the United States "selectively bred" and genetically engineered? And if so what implication does this have? Blacks are the top athletes and with people starting to engineer their kids what does this all mean. Also what does it mean for blacks who have little identity beyond the US which used them so wrongly like this?

Okay, so I was talking last night about the stupid "Iggy Azalea Screams Racism Over Beyonce's "Becky" Lyric" thing.

A friend of mine who is black explained. We had a long conversation about all sorts of things and he brought up Django and said that basically black people were bred to be strong like in the movie, that white people don't really acknowledge that this happened. He talked about how black athletes are still top, due to that selective breeding from long ago.

And I was sort of blown away because I hadn't thought about all black people in the US being on big uncoordinated Eugenics experiment but that is the case and I had thought of it before but pushed it out of my head because I never heard anyone else talking about it.

What hump? 

[–] the_notorious_bid 8 years ago

I don't doubt that selective breeding occurred. I can't say to what degree. I do believe, however, that after a century and a half without selective breeding, it is far less relevant today.

Blacks being the top athletes is a combination of a number of factors (including socio-economic issues) and you're also looking at a small sample size. You can't look at these events in isolation.

If athletics is my best means of attaining an education, that may be the avenue that I choose. I may have limited options. Others, who may be as athletically inclined, who have other avenues, may decide to pursue other options. You can't look at certain results and assume that there is no other explanation.

[–] Hythlodaeus 8 years ago

Agreed, there is very little way to study this scientifically but my point is scientists rarely can study anything like this scientifically and the US is a very unfortunate example of eugenics that could be valid in terms of real effects, not morality. It's a very strange thing - I'd never really thought of it until a black friend brought it up - it was almost like as a white guy I wouldn't let myself even think about this until he said exactly what I had been thinking in the back of my mind for years:

Well, I don't know - but think about this possibility in terms of succession of genes in the US:

Generation 1: First generation from African nations, slaves were selected for strength etc. in Africa and many died on the journey leaving only the strongest arriving in the US. So even by Generation 1 those coming to the US have had dramatically restricted gene sets. Genetic problems like sickle-celled anemia are common because of very limited genetic variation.

Generation 2-5: The best of the slaves were bred together and some maybe weren't bred at all. New slaves were brought in but they would have gone through Generation 1 standards and restrictions of genes.

Generation 6 and beyond: The free generations would now be able to intermarry with whites and other blacks from other nations but this would be relatively rare the main genetic reservoir would still be from Generation 1.

What hump? 

[–] Trax-3 8 years ago

The explosive speed is just a West African thing, much like endurance is an East African thing and brute strength is an East European thing.

A few years ago only 2-3 people not of West African decent had ever run 100m under 10 seconds. I've not kept up with my sports statistics so that might have changed.

[–] Hythlodaeus 8 years ago

Yeah, I really don't know. A black guy I know was the one who claimed what I wrote in the scenario above. But this wouldn't be something I would expect to be the case.

What hump? 

[–] the_notorious_bid 8 years ago

Again... What a very small percentage of people achieve is not really "proof" of anything. If marathons are ALWAYS won by Kenyans, it only really says "something" about those who entered the event and who were also accurately timed. It says NOTHING (specifically) about their countrymen who DIDN'T enter the event and who were not accurately timed.

When we look at athletics, we have to look beyond physical ability when it comes to achievement. There must also exist desire, will, mental toughness, etc. This, of course, is more difficult to measure... But it is important to understand and acknowledge that "achievers" often go beyond "just physical ability."

[–] lumbee 8 years ago

Such speculation got Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder fired from calling color in the NFL in 1988.

[–] Hythlodaeus 8 years ago

Yes, but I'm not speculating publicly on National TV.

What hump? 

[–] Dejay 8 years ago

I don't think the slave breeding is too relevant, since it was only a few generations(?). From what I understand Homo Sapiens came from Africa, so we are all descendants of the black African races. But the African races have the largest genetic diversity, while the other races got selected for certain traits (and a few mutations of course). So they have more variation in genes, leading to their top athletes being better in various disciplines.

[–] marno76 7 years ago

for me a european is FAIRLY OBVIOUS that a selection occurred through the entire enslavement process.

i) slave merchants select the strongest (as far as they are easily capturable) west africa males to perform HARD work in the colonies.
ii) they ship them and only the strongest survive the shipping.
iii) only the strongest specimens arrive alive in the colonies.
iv) the heirs to those are and should be more restistant (taller, stronger etc.)

the USA were not the main enslavement entity.
indeed BRASILIAN are DAMN STRONG TOO and also all the carribbeans.
JAMAICA anyone?

people also tend to forget that caribbean aboriginal were NOT BLACK. just as native american were decimated, so were the native inhabitants of caribbean islands and mainland (brasil, venezuela, colombians, etc. etc.)
alle the currrent population was imported.

[–] 7 years ago

[deleted]