# How do you think you would respond to a historically accurate reenactment of a slave auction?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-you-would-respond-to-a-historically-accurate-reenactment-of-a-slave-auction/763116>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 17, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-you-would-respond-to-a-historically-accurate-reenactment-of-a-slave-auction/763116 "2016-08-17T19:29:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-you-would-respond-to-a-historically-accurate-reenactment-of-a-slave-auction/763116/61 "2016-08-24T21:20:55Z")

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> [@Dorjan](#):
>
> This is not history so ancient that there’s no longer any repercussions, emotional or otherwise, for the descendants. We’re still dealing with enough racism-based bullshit today.

I thought that was the point, actually. You’re saying the continuing relevance should be a reason _not_ to examine it? Are you also opposed to theater on, say, the Holocaust?

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**Author:** ![dreamregent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6f9a4e/32.png) [@dreamregent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dreamregent)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-you-would-respond-to-a-historically-accurate-reenactment-of-a-slave-auction/763116/62 "2016-08-25T04:00:49Z")

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It’s very difficult to judge the merits of something like this without more information regarding the context. If the idea is to give an authentic example of what life was actually like, it could be considered something of a whitewash if you don’t show warts and all. On the other hand, if you simply have a few people in period costumes, it may not be the place for it.

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**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-you-would-respond-to-a-historically-accurate-reenactment-of-a-slave-auction/763116/63 "2016-08-25T09:30:03Z")

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> [@Sampiro](#):
>
> There are many good arguments as to why the slave auction is not a good idea, but personlly I find comparing an auction to a minstrel show in terms of horror the most disrespectful and misguided thing in the thread. .

…ya know, when you ask for opinions you shouldn’t be surprised when people express their opinions. Especially [the opinion of someone who was whipped by a sjambok by the former South African apartheid regime.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8404917&postcount=57) There are many ways people could try and point out how utterly misguided the idea you’ve presented in the OP to be. But MrDibble was simply blunt and to the point. And he has actually experienced in real life some of the horrors you are going to “reenact.”

But no, lets just call his opinion “disrepectful.” Good grief. :rolleyes:

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