There is an interesting video making the rounds on the Internet. In the video a Black man explains how slavery has been with us for centuries. The enslaved people included all ethnicities, colors, and nationalities. Some people cite the Bible to perhaps demonstrate that slavery is “okay” if the ancient Hebrews had slaves.

The roots of slavery can be traced to the clan society where if your tribe looked differently they must be your enemy. When tribes fought against each other, prisoners were taken and became slaves. From this beginning, slavery became a business. People were captured, became slaves, and were sold to others. The slaves were used to provide a cheap workforce to their owners. This fostered the international slave trade, which was practiced by European nations, especially Portugal.

Britain and eventually the United  States outlawed the slave trade. This had little effect on slavery and only increased the value/price of a slave. Slave owners also used their slaves to produce more slaves. The plantation owners In the American South were the richest men in the country based on the value of the land and the slaves that worked the land. Emancipation threatened the plantation owners with poverty. With no slaves to work the land, the land became worthless. Secession was driven by these wealthy landowners who understood that slavery was the basis of the Southern Economy.

There is an idea that the American Civil War was fought to end slavery. This is a great myth of the conflict. The war was fought to preserve the Union. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation “freed” slave in the Confederacy, but preserved slavery in Union states. After the war, Lincoln was uncertain whether the two races could co-exist and supported an African Colonization plan to send Blacks back to Africa.

Amendments to the U.S. Constitution granted citizenship and voting rights to Blacks. However, U.S. Presidents refused to enforce the law. This created the Jim Crow era of pseudo slavery in the country.

To suggest that equality exists is nonsense. Whites continue to enjoy the riches of American economy and society. Conservative politicians, encouraged by bigots in Washington, continue to limit voting and education about race.

Every Black, woman, and child knows how it feels to be treated as a second-class citizen. Progress has been made, but real equality is a long way off.