Overview Of The Atlantic Slave Trade

Legacy of slavery which lasted 460 years affected all facets of Africans lives including the following;

• Psychology
• Physical being
• Political
• Cultures
• Emotions

In 1441 Henry the traveller (Prince Henry of Portugal) gave slaves to the Pope Eugene as a gift. Because of this Pope Eugene said 300 miles of the West Coast of Africa was his to pick slaves from. Portugal planted the first seeds for slavery. In the same year the first African slaves from the West coast of Africa was taken to Lisbon, Portugal.

One interesting fact about the Atlantic slave trade was that it wasn't based on skin colour, the reason why West Africans were able to be slaves was because they weren't Christians but ''Pagan'' they may have practiced Vodun, Odinani or Orisha and many other hundreds of different types of spiritual beliefs. However when slavery started to develop properly in the late 1500s Europeans had to justify their actions towards enslaved Africans in the Americas (Brazil, The Caribbean, Central America and the current day Modern Southern USA) and the Africans who saw their various civilisations being destroyed by European invaders. White supremacy ideology was born out of Atlantic slave trade and the countless genocides that took place throughout the world.

During the 15^th century Africa started a dangerous relationship with Europe trading slaves exchanging resources. Some West African Chiefs sold other Africans as slaves to European nations (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch & British) for guns, mirrors and other stuff. During this period of 460 years of slavery (or war) In 1630, Queen Njingha Mbandi of Ndongo (in modern day Angola) attempted to drive out the Portuguese out of her realm but she was finally forced to compromise with them. In 1720 King Trudo of Dohamey not only opposed the trade but attacked the European forts along the coasts. Many other kings, Queens or Chiefs were against the slave trade. During the 1700s and early 1800s the trade got out of hand, European powers would forcibly take slaves to the Americas to work on plantations, Africa become weaker, poorer & impoverished due to European exploitation and psychologically brainwashed by Europeans ideals. – This now affects Africa today.

Fast forward to 1966 White People controlled 99.9% of the Wealth coincidently this was the same period when integration and race relation laws were passed in Parliaments and government institutions in North America and Europe.

The race relations act was passed in 1965 in the UK. This wasn’t a coincidence but a planned event as Whites Controlled all the wealth, were in positions of power Blacks were not able to compete with them psychologically, economically emotionally, culturally and politically. By the 1960s Whites have firmly won the ‘’race’’ to indoctrinate and have ultimate power.

The effects of the Slave trade in our day to day lives are the following:

• Feeling of inferiority when around Whites or lighter skinned people
• Preferring Light skinned people
• Feelings of self-hatred which manifests itself in the following ways: Black Women wearing weave, constantly shaving of natural hair, skin bleaching, negatively stereotyping fellow African people, divisions in the diaspora, having low expectations of your fellow people and more
• Higher poverty rates among Black people worldwide due to societal racism (laws, higher/harsher penalties for Black when they engage in criminal activity
• High rates of single Mums – Father’s not being Fathers.
• Degrading or fighting each other