About two years ago, on a tour bus in London, the narration of the tour included an “acknowledgement”—not sure by whom—that much of the wealth acquired by Great Britain was the result of its colonization and exploitation across the globe. These weren’t the exact words, but it is the essence of what I heard. While it wasn’t an official statement from Buckingham Palace, the fact that it was said on a tour bus as they showed the beautiful buildings and monuments around London seemed significant.
Great Britain, like most prior Empires, including the Romans, looted, plundered, murdered, and raped across the globe for the good of the Empire. This was how humans lived at that time, and even if you massacred thousands of humans and plundered their wealth, it was written off as “the spoils of war.” Amazingly and interestingly, much of what it did was supported by the Church of England.
All of this said, I thought the statement was a good thing because, as you ride around and see the country’s wealth reflected in its buildings and monuments, it can make you wonder how they accumulated such extraordinary wealth. Of course, the story is in the past, what’s done is done, and for the most part, we have to move forward.
This brings me to the U.S. and celebrating Black History Month. Approximately 400,000 West African humans were brought to the U.S. between the 16th and 19th centuries. The records reveal that at least 100,000 babies were born to slaves annually, mostly by forced breeding and/or rape. This significant “free labor pool” had a significant impact on the economic development of the U.S. Here are just a few startling statistics from the records of the National Museum of African American History & Culture:
1828 $2,500,000: Amount of slave-based bonds purchased by European investors.
1832 $29,376,000: Value of cotton produced by enslaved African Americans.
1832 45,000,000 feet: Amount of “negro cloth” produced in northern mills for the Southern market.
1859 $25,700,000: Amount of bank credit issued from the mortgaging of enslaved African Americans in Louisiana.
1860 $3,059,000,000: Value assigned to enslaved African Americans.
1860 $250,000,000: Value of cotton produced by enslaved African Americans.
Much like others, the colonizers of the Americas looted, plundered, murdered, and raped their way across the continent. They were also notably supported by the “reigning” religious order, including declarations that the humans they encountered were not human, and therefore could be treated without any regard. This helped to fuel the cruel and dehumanizing treatment the enslaved West Africans suffered in the U.S.
By now, many of us have read about and seen the images of the abuses perpetrated by enslavers. Slavery had probably existed in some form from the beginning of time, but it wasn’t usually focused on race. During the Roman Empire, if you were enslaved for any reason, you could earn or buy your freedom and become a “regular” Roman citizen. This did not happen with enslavement in the U.S., and the brand of slavery was so much different that 157 years after slavery was abolished, in many regards, the descendants of the enslaved West Africans still suffer the effects of this system.
While most of the major European powers were part of the transatlantic slave trade, the majority of the nastiness and ugliness of it didn’t usually occur in their countries. The nasty was happening somewhere far away in the Caribbean or in the Americas. But in the U.S., it was alive and active in everyday life. The ugliness was palpable, and if you were not a slave, you either went with it or kept your mouth shut.
Like everything in life, there are consequences. The ugliness of this system became part of the fabric of life in the U.S. It seems to be embedded in the nation’s “DNA.” It is so pervasive and central to life in the U.S. that, although unofficial, the racism that accompanied slavery became a belief system—almost a religion, something to believe in to provide unity against those West Africans formerly enslaved. It is so clear that often when humans from other countries immigrate to the U.S., some learn quickly how to align with the “majority” and against African Americans. This, even if they know nothing about them or their history. It is just the easiest thing to do.
Of course, much of what happened during slavery is in the past, but as I celebrate Black History Month, I remind myself that the Europeans had help in perpetrating this crime against humanity. For almost 400 years, more than 15 million men, women, and children were the victims of the transatlantic slave trade. Additionally, it is estimated that for every 100 slaves who survived, 40 died in Africa or during the journey.
Sadly, the Europeans were aided by other West Africans in perpetrating this crime. Often, I wonder if it would have even been possible without their help. They might not have known what their participation would lead to, but, without a doubt, at some level, they must have known it was wrong. This is a very important fact to consider processing for humans of African descent in the Americas who are still healing from this trauma. True healing requires recognizing the betrayal (even if it was an enemy tribe) and forgiveness.
Despite all the ugliness and the extreme abuse, there is reason to celebrate. The American system of slavery was so oppressive and so well planned that it attempted to strip every ounce of humanity from the enslaved. It was intended to keep them so damaged that their descendants would be enslaved forever. Yet, even in the midst of slavery, there were always extraordinary humans like Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Phyllis Wheatley, George Washington Carver, to name a few, who overcame the worst of circumstances, and did extraordinary things. Additionally, there is an extensive list of inventions by enslaved West Africans that were appropriated by their “owners,” who often profited from them.
Today, without a doubt, humans of West African descent in the U.S. still suffer the consequences of the entrenchment of racism caused by slavery. But again, it is interesting that even with the various forms of oppression that continue after the abolition of slavery, African Americans continue to do extraordinary things despite their difficult circumstances and to rise above every barrier. They have made headway in many fields and continue to contribute to the country’s growth.
Often, I chuckle when someone is astonished by what a human of African descent accomplishes. It is interesting to see the resistance to the election of Barack Hussein Obama, as the first U.S. President of African descent, particularly in a country that attempts to cast itself as “Christian.” It seems someone wants me to believe that the Creator of the Universe and everything in it, for whom nothing is impossible, cannot create a human of African descent who can be president of the U.S.? Someone tell me, are all things possible for the Creator or not?
At the end of the day, everything comes back to God, whom I call GEFS (God, Energy, Force, Spirit). This is the reason that despite all the repression, oppression, and abuse, African Americans continue to rise above their circumstances.
Those who seek to maintain a system of oppression are not just fighting to prove the inferiority of a group of humans; they are fighting to put limitations on what the Creator can do. Every time a barrier is raised, GEFS will “send” someone who can clear it. How can you fight to prove the Creator incapable? Who can win against the Creator of the Universe? It simply can’t be done. Those who choose to attempt to pretend that African Americans haven’t made invaluable contributions to the development and growth of the U.S. and continue to do so are free to maintain that position. However, just as you really can’t cover the sun with a finger because it is, in fact, much bigger than a finger, and the light shines all around it, you really can’t hide the truth about the contributions African Americans have made to this country because the light of the truth will always ultimately shine.
The important thing about Black History Month is that people of African descent celebrate the many wonderful contributions African Americans have made and continue to make to this country, many of which have been hidden to keep the fallacy of inferiority alive. We can read, study, and get informed, and understand that the Creator of the Universe, galaxies, solar systems, etc., didn’t create hierarchies and casts of humans—this is all human machinations; and despite everything humans do to keep those false barriers in place, they will always eventually be broken down. Maybe one day, those who attempt to cover the sun with a finger in America will learn there is no limit to what the Creator of the Universe can do.
Maybe one day the wrongs done can be acknowledged. Maybe one day the contributions of African Americans to this country’s growth will be acknowledged on a bus tour somewhere. Admitting the truth will not change the story, but it could go a long way in clearing the ugliness of that part of the beginning of this country.