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Yes, European colonists did benefit from the slave trade by seizing the opportunities presented to them by different rival African and Arab tribes competiting for wealth and power against each other. However, slave raids and kidnappings of vulnerable rival Africans increased to gain greater power and wealth through the slave trade to the new world by African and Arab slave raiders, traders, chiefs, and sultans. Just because the perpetrators failed to capitalize off their part in human chattel of innocent enslaved Africans does not absolve them of their complicity in one of the greatest crimes in human history.
Essentially, the practice of dehumanizing enslaved Africans were formed by certain African and Arab slave traders, and the majority if not all of the racist doctrine can be found in Arab Islam slavery system predating Trans-Atlantic slavery by European colonists. White supremacy gained more power towards oppressing enslaved Africans, and later descendants of those enslaved based by African and Arab supremacy. European colonists capitialized off white supremacy by expanding their global partnerships through economic growth of their colonies, controlling resources, and free labor bought from slave merchants in Africa. It all goes back to Africa. European Colonization of certain Africa nations is a small price to pay for Africa and Arab's damaging role in the slave trades.
And while most west African nations aren't racist towards Europe, most west Africans have an inexplicable disdain for Black Americans that have not gone unnoticed by most Black Americans perplexed by this attitude. I mean it's not like Black America sold west Africa to the new world for profit. It's not like Black America hasn't tried to reconnect to their ancestry that was lost to them during the Middle Passage and slavery. And, it's not like Black America taught European to dehumanize them. But those issues are for another thread.
There is no amount of blame shifting will ever change Africa's impact of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Good post, but I would disagree with the notion that 'most' West Africans have an disdain for Black Americans. This lie has been repeated so much, that many Black Americans seem to accept it as fact. The people I have met from West Africa and other parts of Africa have been very kind to me. I am not downplaying anyone else's experience, but I personally have never been treated with disdain from Africans. I suppose when a lie is told long enough, people will believe it. I really wish Black Americans would stop believing the lie that most Africans despise us. It's not true.
Good post, but I would disagree with the notion that 'most' West Africans have an disdain for Black Americans. This lie has been repeated so much, that many Black Americans seem to accept it as fact. The people I have met from West Africa and other parts of Africa have been very kind to me. I am not downplaying anyone else's experience, but I personally have never been treated with disdain from Africans. I suppose when a lie is told long enough, people will believe it. I really wish Black Americans would stop believing the lie that most Africans despise us. It's not true.
West African disdain is more than a notion since most Black Americans have experienced disdain from west Africans, especially new immigrants to America. My personal experiences are mixed, but the majority hasn't been positive here in America. Also, the same can also be said for East Africans and their attitude towards me. Some interactions have been good, but others not so good. And the onus isn't on Black Americans solely, but on whatever African carrying negative attitudes towards Black Americans to make the effort in positive interactions. But glad you haven't experienced any negative from Africans.
From what I understand, African societies across the continent and regardless who ruled where, are naturally very classist. Slavery was practiced in many African countries, even before the Europeans arrived there and, as was the case elsewhere on earth, slaves were at the bottom of the barrel and so were their kids and their kids kids and their kids kids kids.
Most black Africans don't descend from slaves, most African Americans do.
From what I understand, African societies across the continent and regardless who ruled where, are naturally very classist. Slavery was practiced in many African countries, even before the Europeans arrived there and, as was the case elsewhere on earth, slaves were at the bottom of the barrel and so were their kids and their kids kids and their kids kids kids.
Most black Africans don't descend from slaves, most African Americans do.
No, the stigma largely comes from negative stereotypes of Black Americans. Some African Immigrants tend to view Black Americans as lazy, violent(gangster culture), and ignorant. I'm sad to say it but that's what many of them think.
No, the stigma largely comes from negative stereotypes of Black Americans. Some African Immigrants tend to view Black Americans as lazy, violent(gangster culture), and ignorant. I'm sad to say it but that's what many of them think.
Do you mean the same 'lazy' people who who were brought here in chains to WORK FOR FREE UNTIL DEATH FOR OVER TWO CENTURIES? Those African Americans? Yeah, o.k.
Thank you for posting these videos. Dr. Gates has 50% of European DNA, according to his genealogy report, and his history report. I've been interesed in finding out which slave kingdoms in Africa were part of the slave trade to the Americas, but not excluding the Arab slave trade. These videos are most helpful.
The Ashanti, the tribe I belong to were major slave exporters, it was their biggest source of foreign exchange.
No, the stigma largely comes from negative stereotypes of Black Americans. Some African Immigrants tend to view Black Americans as lazy, violent(gangster culture), and ignorant. I'm sad to say it but that's what many of them think.
This is true but Africans like to keep these observations internal. Outwardly we tend to be more polite about these observations.
Good post, but I would disagree with the notion that 'most' West Africans have an disdain for Black Americans. This lie has been repeated so much, that many Black Americans seem to accept it as fact. The people I have met from West Africa and other parts of Africa have been very kind to me. I am not downplaying anyone else's experience, but I personally have never been treated with disdain from Africans. I suppose when a lie is told long enough, people will believe it. I really wish Black Americans would stop believing the lie that most Africans despise us. It's not true.
Honestly Africans can be very classist and can pick up on your status based on a few words. My guess you are educated and speak well and thus are treated well. Others probably fit the stereotype of urban Blacks and most Africans would have little use for them. Since they're not weighed down by political correctness they may speak their mind.
From what I understand, African societies across the continent and regardless who ruled where, are naturally very classist. Slavery was practiced in many African countries, even before the Europeans arrived there and, as was the case elsewhere on earth, slaves were at the bottom of the barrel and so were their kids and their kids kids and their kids kids kids.
Most black Africans don't descend from slaves, most African Americans do.
This assumes that the only people taken into slavery were people who were already long time slaves in West Africa. That's misleading. Many people taken into slavery were POWs. For example, many blacks in the Western Hemisphere have partial Yoruba ancestry. Yet the Yoruba as a group were not "slaves" in the way you are describing back on the main continent. They were a very strong tribe. Like the other tribes they got into conflicts with their neighbors. Those who were taken captive from those battles were often sold into slavery. The market for slaves to the new world was so great that the entire "slave class" of West Africa was not enough to satisfy it. So of course the larger tribes already in conflict with one another began to poach from one another.
The fact there are large numbers of slave descended blacks in the Americas with ancestry from the major tribes (Yoruba, Igbo, etc.) shows that it wasn't just the so-called weak tribes or the "slaves of slaves" being taken into slavery.
This assumes that the only people taken into slavery were people who were already long time slaves in West Africa. That's misleading.
No, what it assumes is that slaves and their descendants are seen as having lesser status than those that were never slaves nor descend from them.
A good example of this are the slavs from eastern Europe. Its from them that we get the word slaves and slavery, because the slavs used to be the slaves in many kingdoms and empires of Europe. Even to this day, slavs tend to be looked down upon in many places in Europe and part of the reason is that they descend from slaves. Not many people would admit that this is the reason, most people that look down on slavs do so because that's how it has been for a very long time among their people, but the origin of this lesser status started with the enslavement of the now known as slavic people.
Even here in the USA, the slavs were also looked down upon for many years by the mainstream society.
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