For far too long, the history books have NOT told the full unadulterated story of The Transatlantic African Slavery Trade throughout the world, but especially in America.  This is the reason why so many Americans are ignorant of the real facts about slavery and fail to understand why African Americans are protesting, fighting and demanding change. This is the reason why Americans are ignorant to why it’s so egregiously offensive to African Americans when they’re told “Why don’t you just let slavery go, get over it and move on?”

When The Transatlantic African Slavery Trade began, black slaves were classified by law as 3/5 of a human being and used as cattle. Due to this classification there was no documentation recorded of children born to slaves. And since slaves could be killed at anytime for almost any reason, (per legislation, slaves were legally allowed to be killed in the act of “correction”) there were no death certificates or even a ledger documented to record their deaths, whether from natural causes or from murder by slaves masters and company.

Therefore, to understand how we can state this Transatlantic Slavery movement was an act of  genocide, we can only refer to historians estimates of the death toll from this stained period in time. Historians estimate 4 million Africans died inside Africa after capture and in preparation of transport. Approximately 1.2–2.4 million Africans died during their forced voyage to the New World. It is believed so many slaves died in the sea that sharks changed their travel patterns to feed off the bodies thrown overboard. About 1 million died soon after their arrival to the Americas. Finally, about 6-10 million were killed from either being forcefully overworked, starvation, beatings and/or intentional murder from 1619-1965. These numbers amass to an estimated 14-20 million slaves murdered in the act of slavery are on the hands of America. 

Slavery is not something you can just get over and we should never forget the atrocities that were committed to African/black people! No one dares ask a Jewish person to their face to just get over The Jewish Holocaust. So, why are people so emboldened to do so with African Americans? Because no one knows the full history of Slavery and this was purposely/deliberately contrived to lesson the culpability of White America for a number of reasons.

The first reason was for World Economic Leadership Power and the retention of this economic power. The slave industry business has amassed billions for America. Slavery was so profitable, it created more millionaires per capita in the Mississippi River valley than anywhere in the country, due to tobacco, cotton and sugar cane crops. ($97,100,000,000,000: Estimated value of the labor performed by black slaves in America between 1619 and 1865, compounded at 6 percent interest per Harpers Magazine.) This new found wealth enabled southern states to become the economic engine of this blossoming nation. White America still needed to sustain their economic prosperity after slavery ended, America discovered they could continue this windfall by vilifying African America as they had before with propaganda statements that African Americans were lazy, stupid, unworthy and dangerous criminals. This enabled laws to be created to incarcerate African America’s to use as free labor once again and continue to widen White America’s economic stronghold.  

The second reason is for Dominate World Leadership Status. America is praised for starting out as a few small colonies who fought valiantly against British tyranny for the rights of all. Like a classic David and Goliath story, America battled for freedom against all odds and this gained the respect of the world. America then established itself to be the land of the free. A land where no one will be prosecuted for whatever their religious beliefs or any other reasons. America prided itself for being considered a wondrous place to make all of your dreams come true. Yet, with the true reality of the death toll of slavery, this facts will prove to the world that America was not all it claims to be. America did not want to be defamed as the Nazi’s were and classified as having committed great barbarity to fellow human beings. Having committed crimes against humanity. 

Finally, Michael Simanga states America itself doesn’t want to face the ugly history of slavery against the beauty of American history. Talking about slavery would require us to embrace a completely different American narrative. Talking about the true history of slavery would force all of White America to comprehend their privilege and prosperity at the hands, feet and breath of slaves. This realization would force America to confront the deliberately institutionalized factory of White superiority and Black inferiority. 

Please sign this petition to rewrite history to acknowledge the true horrific historical events; educate the masses on why the Transatlantic Slave trade was such a great human atrocity; why these events must never be forgotten and to give the power back to the race who has been dehumanized, vilified, crucified and to this day, still used for others economic gain but withheld from our own by legislation, taxation and law enforcement incarceration/harassment.