The Plight of Groups: The Holocaust and Slavery

In schools, typically students are taught about the plight of groups such as the Jews through the Holocaust and the Africans through American Slavery. Rarely brushed upon is the aftermath in these communities. How long did the segregation last? Did they ever receive acceptance in society? In this paper, I will be comparing the effect on the autonomy of both these groups.

In the aftermath of the war, foreign troops invaded concentration camps in Europe to set those held hostage free. Many were Jewish. Amongst piles of dead bodies and filth, there were survivors. Although they were free from the camps, most were so starved that if they ate any more than a miniscule amount of food, they would die, and many couldn’t even receive proper treatment. Some referred to them as almost “walking skeletons.” Aside from physical incapabilities, mental health was largely affected in the victims as well.

They were set free from the camps, but whether they actually received their freedom is highly debateable. Jews had no home to return to. Most countries where they came from were still heavily Anti-Semitic. Their communities and homes were destroyed so they wouldn’t return. Many anti-Jews would start riots against their Jewish neighbors in order for them to leave. This was most prominent in Poland. One of the most famous riots was the Kielce pogrom, which resulted in the murder of 42 Jews and 80 others wounded. As a result of this violence, millions became displaced persons. They called themselves “Sh'erit ha-Pletah” meaning, “the surviving remnant,” and were put into displaced person camps. This was seen as ironic and brought about the slogan, “From Dachau to Feldafing,” meaning that they weren’t actually liberated. An American official by the...

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...d their backgrounds t to brings themselves together and make them stronger. The Jews banded together and fought for their rights throughout and after the Holocaust. Whether it was through displaced persons or the establishment of Israel. African Americans fought for their rights after being plighted for years and years through slavery and even after when they had no where to go. Today, both the Jews and the Blacks can be clearly seen as affected by the horrors done onto them.

Works Cited

Williams, Sandra. “The Impact of the Holocaust on the Survivors and their Children.” at http://www.sandrawilliams.org/HOLOCAUST/holocaust.html, 1993

The Holocaust Encyclopedia. “The Aftermath of the Holocaust” http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005462, 2010

Being and African after Emancipation http://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/5032, 2010