Do people realize that slavery wasn't just the white man's fault?

Exactly. People should realise that:

*Slavery existed in Africa for thousands of years, although is was not a major economic factor until the Arab slave trade began in about the 8th century.

*Many more slaves were sold through the trans Sahara trade then were sold though the trans Atlantic trade.

*Slaves included blacks and Europeans.

*A very small percentage (about 6.5%) of the slaves that were sent to the New World ended up in what became the US. Most about 38.5% went to Portuguese colonies.

*There are more slaves today than at any time in history. Up to 30 million.

Now explain the part about the role that the Africans played in the utter inhumanity inside the holds of the slave ships. Chained shoulder to shoulder on their backs, below deck for 3 months, in a space 18 inches high. Dysentery...vomiting from seasickness... bowel movements...and dead bodies...all where they laid. Minimal food. And best of all, insurance policies created to cover the huge amount of EXPECTED deaths enroute.

Try again!

White guilt predicated revisionist garbage!




No man lies so boldly as the man who is indignant.

Africans were enslaving their fellow Africans long before any white man sailed to West Africa.

What's your point? Because blacks enslaved other blacks that American race slavery was okay?

This is a pointless thread. Does someone think America is the only place on earth to have slaves, white people were the only ones to own slaves and black people were the only slaves on earth? Here's an actual newsflash for you, NO ONE thinks that. This movie happened to not be about all slaves throughout history so stop trying to negate the suffering of ACTUAL slaves with your fake history lesson.

You are absolutely right, Europeans are not solely at fault for the action of selling people. Slavery existed for centuries before it came to America.

HOWEVER, it was THE WAY it was enforced in this country that makes the stain stick and so unforgivable. As a history professor of mine who has traveled to various regions of Africa explained it to me that when she did encounter slaves in Morroco, she said she could have a conversation with these people, they still retained their identity and where they came from. There was absolutely none of that in America. When black people were brought here, they were stripped of all that by their masters in addition to not having human status in American society.

Yes, you should acknowledge that African slavers did play a role in this but that doesn't excuse the centuries of psychological torment on a people who were literally forced here that we are still fighting to this date.

Sweet baby, I need fresh blood...

A crucial point that the OP and FAR too may slavery "clarifiers" conveniently omit is that the capture and selling of Africans by Africans was often a time & resource saving option encouraged by white slavers that paid disproportionately small prices to Africans for them to do their dirty and dangerous work for them. Africans had the choice in many instances to either "hunt & capture" for white slavers or, if the slavers had to go to the trouble, become hunted and captured themselves. Rock. Hard place.

The mechanisms invoked by white slavers were many and complex and to singularly assign blame to Africans that sold slaves to some diabolically enterprising undermining of their race is lazy and self-serving.

Did it occur? Yes but unless you're working hard to sound like a myopic bigot, add the appropriate nuance the subject deserves.

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