"On the History Channel website, here is how slavery is described:
“Slavery in America began when the first African slaves were brought to the North American colony of Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619, to aid in the production of such lucrative crops as tobacco. Slavery was practiced throughout the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries, and African-American slaves helped build the economic foundations of the new nation. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 solidified the central importance of slavery to the South’s economy.”
You see the word choice? Brought. Aided. Helped. They make it sound like we actually wanted to be there. These words do not present of the reality of slavery.
Here is a picture that is much more vivid and accurate:
“During the 17th and 18th century, white Americans forcibly removed over 7 million African people from the African continent, forcing them into enslavement.”. . .
Enslaved Africans were not seen as people, but rather an essential and valuable piece of property that was traded overseas, and on American soil. Enslaved African people were tortured daily, and forced to work in the plantations, producing America’s most lucrative crops, cotton and tobacco. Without the enslavement of African people, today, there would be a different America.
We have to get the language right when we talk about slavery. When white people tell the story of American history, they focus on the economic success of the country. The real focus should be on the lives of the African people."
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