Andrea Widburg
Getting the facts wrong on America's racial history is a profound injustice that prevents America from achieving racial harmony.Selective history that omits salient facts—especially those involving diverse races—is nothing less than grave injustice. When race is involved, it is itself a form of racism. Sadly, this is true of the general narrative and teaching of America’s slave history. Calls are made to teach more about what slaves endured, yet not about who all the oppressors were. The truth is that America’s slavery represents multi-racial guilt based on multi-racial participants, except for the slaves themselves.
It’s time to balance an untold record for justice’s sake. Selective justice is injustice. As to America’s slavery history, injustice has been allowed for too long. It’s time to balance facts and end racist blame games toward one race only. Teaching false or incomplete narratives as to the participants in this historical tragedy to America’s children and youth is unfair to them. Most importantly, it promotes unnecessary race-based enmities at a very young age. Many black adults are shocked to learn the role of blacks in that tragedy. Such omissions to authentic history sadly play a role in supporting racist huckstering and profiteering from a falsified blame game.
Where should we begin correcting a false, inaccurate, and incomplete record of America’s slave history? Rationally, of course, from where slaves originated, who captured them, and who sold them to Americans. American slaves originated in western Africa south of the Sahara Desert—thus, all black Africans. That historical narrative is true. Missing is who the oppressors were who captured and sold them not only to the Americas but also to millions more to the Middle East Arab Muslim world. Those oppressors were black Africans. Slavery was a very profitable commerce not officially ending in Africa until the late 20th Century. Mauritania—the last nation—finally abolished slavery in 1981. Since American slaves originated in Africa, why is the fact they were captured and sold by blacks not included in teaching in most K-12 schools? Blame is incorrectly and solely aimed at whites who bought, transported, sold, and owned them.
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Image by Andrea Widburg using AI.
Coming to America’s shores, the participants in slave trading, ownership, and escaped slave bounty hunting were racially diverse. One of the first legal slave owners in the American colonies, Anthony Johnson, was black, and he came from Angola as an indentured servant. Becoming free, he bought land and slaves. Virginia 1655 Court records indicate he owned slaves. He became significantly wealthy, as did other black slave owners. It is alleged the wealthiest slaveowner in Louisiana with the most slaves was black. It’s incredible to understand how so many relevant facts remain under wraps yet today.
History classes and textbooks mainly teach slaves were black and slave owners were white—neither accurate nor the total story. Far less than five percent of whites owned slaves. Though the free black population was much smaller, as is today’s black population, it possessed a much higher percentage population-wise of slave owners. Very few know these facts. Thanks to black historians and scholars, such historical data is addressed. Some of those writers are John Franklin Hope, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Larry Koger, Glenn Loury, and Carter G. Woodson, et al.
In both Carolinas and Louisiana, thousands of free blacks owned black slaves. Black slave owners existed in the North, too. Also noted is that their slaves were treated as poorly and abused as those owned by whites. One has to wonder if the descendants of black slave owners might also receive reparations where they are being paid out, as it’s difficult today to differentiate descendants of slaves from descendants of free blacks or black slave owners. Nonetheless, those slave owners justly deserve to be included in history textbooks and classes, sharing the same apportionment of blame as white slave owners.
Other important facts omitted from history textbooks and classes relate to Native American ownership of black slaves. Specifically, five tribes—Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cree, and Seminole—owned black slaves in the thousands. Three tribes would not emancipate their slaves following the Civil War but were forced to when signing a treaty with the United States. Where are they included in this tragic history? No mention of them is heard from those voicing a desire for more to be taught about the hardships slaves endured or demand for reparations.
Constant reiterations of slave history and claims of alleged continuing consequences in effect yet today via false, inaccurate. and incomplete narratives contribute to promoting racial division and enmity currently. Restoring factual history is just one antidote to the malicious division fostered by various individuals. A false emphasis is unhealthy diminishing a nation’s cohesion of national harmony and unity.
Furthermore, falsely blaming and holding people of one race guilty only among others who were guilty is pure, poisoned racist injustice. If “equal justice for all” is genuinely desired, this racist myth needs to end. If other parts and people of history are being canceled, the cancelation of this myth deserves prominence and priority.
Finally, no entire race is monolithic in actions or attitudes. To stereotype any race solely by the evil of some is racist. To do so exclusively to any specific race is unjust and, thus, grave injustice. Stereotyping any entire race made up of diverse individuals—some evil but most good people—demands every race be held equally guilty for those in their race who are also evil. Justice always demands a single standard—as opposed to a double standard—which this myth perpetuates.
Remember Rodney King’s question, “Can’t we all just get along?” Perhaps we should add, “Can’t we all just agree, ‘It’s time to balance racial history for justice’s sake?’”
