The exceptionality of advancement and development that has been attained within the world within which we survive and interact is something that is hard to miss when considering it in light of the contemporaneous features and characteristics of the global society. And the significance of this, moreover, is accentuated even more strongly when considering it in light of the uncharacteristically monumental degree of significance currently being given to racial as well as sexual profiling, stereotyping and oppression.

Thesis

Particularly as a result of the eventual realization of the detriment involved with socio-culturally adhering to racist ideologies; attitudinal perspectives promoting equality have presently achieved the position of the most sought after socio-cultural ideology.
On the stereotyping of African Americans

And it would be relevant, before continuing, to consider that era of the enslavement of African Americans within the US stands out as the most derisive examples of the detriments of stereotyping to the point that it had reached then. Inevitably however, one of the things that tends to come forth when considering the obviously disadvantageous implications of racial stereotyping and its continuation is the question of whether racism induced slavery, or vice versa.

The relevance of idealization, moreover, becomes quite clear when considering it in light of the socio-cultural perspective; slavery inducing stereotyping being the actuality, for instance, would indicate that the racial stereotyping [of Africans] wouldn’t have even been heard of had it not been for the [African] enslavement. On the other hand, however, an opposite situation would suggest that slavery was only one of the impacts, of the more possible to come, of the collectively inferior perspective of African Americans.

What was first: the enslavement of the blacks or the stereotyping of blacks
In order to divulge the facts of the case, it would be initially essential to consider the socio-ideological and religious beliefs and preconceptions of the Africans in comparative light of their American/European counterparts. The reason, for this, moreover, is that the outcome will be of fundamental relevance to understanding if racism was prevalent before slavery or not. Take into consideration, for instance, the fact that the vast prevalence of the many branches of the root African religion (s) tend to be exceptionally rich with culturally ingrained mythology and folklore.

These branches, moreover, have managed to retain their unique originality in spite of the of centuries of coexistence with Christianity and Islam, the two globally dominant religions. Historically speaking, furthermore, this has been the prime reason due to which Africans have been [culturally] stereotyped, something that has been occurring even before the widespread institutionalization of slavery somewhere towards the late 17th – mid 18th century timeline.

Even during the 16th century, for instance, westerners ‘attempted to justify the enslavement of African peoples by claiming that Africans lacked a sense of both history and religion. In the 19th century this alleged deficiency was used to justify the colonization of the African continent’ (Baum, 2003).

The verdict – Enslavement brought about by Stereotyping

The collective westerners of the era, the whites, so to speak, had already become strongly inclined to ascribing absolute relevance and faith in the idea of religious consistence being exclusively reflective via such conventionalities as written texts [Bible; Talmud; Quran etc.] and shrines [church, mosque, temple etc].

A virtual absence of these elements within the collective African culture (s) subsequently led Europeans to espouse the slave trade, and later colonization and missionary activity, as vehicles necessary to bringing Africans into history and religion. This was since the westerners idealized the uncharacteristic lack of written texts and shrines in addition to exceptional degrees of religious fervor that made their own [western faith] pale by comparison a rather uncomfortable mix. The characteristics of their categorization of the concept of religion simply did not include the Africa idea of religion.

And it was obvious to them that the only way to bring the Africans to realize their ostensible fallacies would be to use force, which happened to be the primary driving device for enslavement and colonization. ‘The superstitious, heathen practices of the Africans were seen as destructive and debased, and therefore, they needed to be erased from their consciousness’ (Ifill, 2003).

It is quite apparent, thus speaking and considering all that has been said and discussed, that Africans were enslaved in the America primarily because they were deemed inferior. This, moreover, is something that is accentuated quite strongly and effectually when considering it in light of the fact that it was actually as a result of the uncharacteristic primitiveness of the collective African preconceptions concerning religion (s) that Europeans, and later Americans, came to stereotypically profile the Africans as an inferior race.

Bibliography

1. Baum, Robert (2003). African Religions: An Interpretation. Africana.com. Accessed on November 16, 2004 @ http://www.africana.com/research/encarta/tt_349.asp

2. Ifill, Mellissa (May 29, 2003); Stereotyping and stigmatizing 19th century Blacks in British; Guiana. Stabroek News. Guyana: Land of Six Peoples. Accessed on November 16, 2004 @ http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/gynewsjs.htm