Slavery Is Not Just ‘Ancient’ History

My skin is dark, my hair is natural, and my narrative is intricate. My Black ancestors endured immense suffering: they were taken from their African homeland, forced onto overcrowded ships, and transported to a foreign land, stripped of their language and culture. The fear they must have felt is unimaginable, and there’s so much to unpack in that experience.

While we can discuss these issues in a college seminar or middle school classroom, the real work surrounding America’s history and racism must extend beyond educational settings. Slavery has profoundly influenced the America we know today, where racism persists and is often passed down through generations—a belief in the inferiority of Black people.

In a viral tweet, @NewNameJT provides a compelling perspective on the timeline of slavery, highlighting its recentness. “I was born in 1986 just 10 miles from that same plantation,” he writes. “The plantation still exists, including the slave cabins. This is not ancient history; it is very real and present. My grandmother knew her grandparents who were enslaved and worked the same land.”

As I explore my family’s history concerning slavery, I find clarity. Black individuals have consistently fought for equity and equality. Through my own lineage, I discovered my great-great-grandmother, who married her enslaver, received land in rural Virginia. I often wondered how we acquired so much land, and now I’m piecing together the truth. Was the land a form of atonement for past wrongs? Or a means to help his wife, a former enslaved person, establish her own life? Even today, homeownership remains a crucial way for Black families to build generational wealth, yet housing and wage inequities continue to impact communities of color.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed racial discrimination in various domains, was enacted not long ago—the same year my mother was born. In a recent investigation by VICE, journalist Alex Carter shares the chilling story of a Black laborer named Samuel Brown, who endured forced labor well into the 1960s. His experience and the injustices faced by his family are heartbreaking.

Every Black person is acutely aware of the ongoing struggle for equality. We face prejudice based on our names before even stepping foot into an interview or the all-too-common experience of being followed in stores—an experience I had at just 10 years old.

Racism is a deeply entrenched societal issue. Author Isabel Wilkerson, in her book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, states, “If caste is the bones and race is the skin, then class is the clothes, diction, accent, education, and the external achievements one may attain.” We must unite to dismantle a system that has defined our identities. Racism, rooted in slavery, remains a systemic problem. When Black people lack access to adequate healthcare or face disproportionate rates of incarceration, that’s systemic racism. When they struggle to secure mortgages or sell homes at fair prices, that reflects systemic racism. When Black children lack educational opportunities compared to their white peers? You guessed it: systemic racism.

We can discuss the lasting impacts of slavery—how it shapes the prison system, wealth distribution, and the tragic statistics surrounding police violence against unarmed Black individuals. The echoes of slavery continue to resonate, hindering our progress as a society. While we may never completely eradicate racism, our approach must evolve.

In his influential book How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi asserts, “There is no neutrality in the racism struggle … One either allows racial inequities to persist, as a racist, or confronts them as an antiracist. There’s no middle ground.” We can establish systems that challenge racist ideologies, ensuring that authorities and educators espousing such beliefs face serious consequences, including dismissal, rather than mere reprimands.

We must confront racism collectively, as a united front. It may seem daunting to eliminate racism altogether, but how we engage with it must change. The atrocities of slavery—murders, lynchings, rapes, beatings, human trafficking, and the tearing apart of families—are undeniable. And in a broader context, slavery was not that long ago, which explains why its effects linger today.

As J.T. concludes in his Twitter thread, “Slavery is the very recent past. It’s contemporary history. No different than the Holocaust, the Titanic sinking, Vietnam War, or the stock market crash. It should be treated as such. The blood is still on the leaves and in our veins.”

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Summary:

This article emphasizes that slavery is not merely a relic of the past but a contemporary issue that continues to shape societal dynamics today. By examining personal histories and systemic issues, it highlights the ongoing struggle for equality and equity faced by Black individuals. It calls for collective action against racism and acknowledges that the legacies of slavery still profoundly impact the present.