I join all Caucasians in the United States who lament with shame, guilt, and regret the history of enslaving Africans. The British began transporting Africans as slaves in 1562. Between 1660–1807, the British and their colonies were the primary slave traders, carrying half of all slaves to the Americas.
“The British abolished slavery in most of its colonies on August 1, 1834, when the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 took effect. This act freed over 800,000 enslaved people in the Caribbean, South Africa, and Canada.”
Slave trade was a profitable business without a moral conscience for British merchants. The voyage from Africa to the Americas was a terribly distressing experience for the millions of enslaved Africans who were transported on European ships. “Only Portugal and Brazil transported more Africans across the Atlantic than Britain.”
The United States colonies passed legislation earlier than the British banning the slave trade, effective at the beginning in 1808. In 1811, Spain abolished slavery, including in its colonies, though Cuba rejected the ban.
Slavery in the United States began almost as soon as the English arrived at Jamestown in 1607, continued during European colonization and lasted in the United States until the 13th Amendment was ratified in 1865.
“Enslavement of native peoples in North and South America became common after the Spanish first enslaved the Taino (indigenous group of people who lived in the Caribbean before the arrival of the Europeans) in Puerto Rico in the early 1500s.” Approximately 600,000 African slaves were brought to the American colonies before the slave trade was banned.
The constitutional process of trying to end slavery in the U.S. began in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment.
For decades, even after the 13th Amendment, laws and practices continued to perpetuate injustices against people of African descent in the United States.
Some historians state that our history began with the arrival of 102 passengers on the Mayflower in 1620. But a year earlier, 20 enslaved Africans were brought to the British colonies by the Dutch.
The unthinkable shame of enslaving anyone today is an intolerable thought. Rational people, looking back, can hardly believe the awfulness endured by the two-fold trauma of being taken from home to a foreign country and the indignities experienced from the time of enslavement to this very day.
Some day with Artificial Intelligence it may be conceivable to psychologically biopsy the twisted justification of slavery used by our forefathers permitting them to sleep at night.
Lyrics of “Without a Song” come to mind: “That field of corn would never see a plough. That field of corn would be deserted now. A darkie’s born, but he’s no good no how, without a song.” The song was published in 1929, but when Frank Sinatra sang it “a man” was substituted for “a darkie.”
The experiential meaning of slavery in all its forms describe a relationship between a master or masters and a servant or servants. Slavery was and is evil. All of us are created in God’s image and likeness, but “God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24. Bottom line: the only way we can be like God’s image and likeness is by receiving and sharing His spirit in and of LOVE. Jesus commands us to love one another: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John:15:12. It is a dreadful sin to enslave anyone for any reason.
Slavery is the antithesis of freedom, love, and truth. Slavery is a costly sin. Slavery divides our nation today, and it has divided us from its beginning.
It is natural for descendants of enslaved people to demand revenge. Christians are taught that revenge, retribution, or retaliation are not ours to claim despite our strong human drives and perceived good reasons to want it. “Vengeance is mine,” saith the Lord. Deuteronomy 32:35.
I caution those who attempt to use indulgence and appeasement as sensible solutions for the descendants of those who have been enslaved.
“In world history, indulgences were a common practice in the Roman Catholic Church and Western medieval penitential system that granted partial or full remission of punishment for sin. Indulgences were certificates given by the church that promised to reduce or eliminate the time spent in purgatory after death for those who received them.”
In the 21st century, self-indulgence is widespread. Self-indulgence gives mastery to alcohol, illicit drugs, erotization, cannabis, addictive medication, even unhealthy food and dietary indiscretion. Whether in one’s own hands or imposed by another, including one’s government, indulgence breeds dependence. Dependence ultimately causes hostile dependence. Hostile dependence causes hate, the type of hatred infused throughout our culture.
Jonathan Swift, 1667 – 1745, an Irish satirist and priest, was asked, “Who is the superior, the French or the English?” He replied, “Which Frenchman? Which Englishman?” Swift’s reply, relevant today, shows us to think logically and critically, avoiding the fallacy of generalization, which along with ignorance, is at the core of prejudice.
Slogans or political “promises” may inspire fund-raising or even temporarily inspire the public but have little effect on desperately needed lasting improvement helping us learn to love one another.
Examined closely, the phrase, “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, EDI.” EDI has both virtuous and possibly wicked implications. EDI is intended to correct social injustice, but it is also consistent with open borders, justifying lying that “the border is stable” as millions of unidentified people enter the U.S. illegally. Of course “Black Lives Matter, BLM,” but it matters only when it conveys the truth, not a slogan to raise large sums of money that is not invested in lives of Black people.
Surely, the sin of slavery has visited and fallen on the souls of every generation from its beginning. Syphilis is also a sin owing to its common association with immoral behavior. Once the spirochete that causes syphilis was identified and treated with modern day antibiotics the prevalence of the terrible disease was nearly eliminated, but did it cure immoral behavior?
Christians must obediently and earnestly love their neighbors as themselves. Failing to obey God’s command to love one another is among the most damaging and destructive of all human failings.
Finally, I appeal to our Black neighbors to forgive us of our trespasses, the sins of all the generations who proceeded us, our sins of injustice today, and join us in prayer to our Heavenly Father to help us at all times to acknowledge that we are made in God’s image and likeness but only when we love one another.
Robert S. Brown, MD, PHD a retired Psychiatrist, Col (Ret) U.S. Army Medical Corps devoted the last decade of his career to treating soldiers at Fort Lee redeploying from combat. He was a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Education at UVA. His renowned Mental Health course taught the value of exercise for a sound mind.