Member-only story
I have had several experiences where black friends from Ghana and Nigeria told me they were sick and tired of hearing about slavery and that further slavery had nothing to do with them or Africa.
These friends have informed me there is more to African history than the trans-Atlantic slave trade. I agree that there is far more to African history and culture than the transatlantic slave trade. People, especially in the Western world, should not view African history solely through the prism of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. On the subject of slavery, the slave trade from Africa to the Middle East existed way before the Transatlantic slave trade.
These friends argue the focus on the transatlantic slave trade is due to black Americans and their cultural influence. They also infer that the emphasis on the transatlantic slave trade holds back blacks in the UK, particularly those from the Caribbean. There are also blacks from the Caribbean who would agree with this hypothesis. These individuals want to distance themselves from the slave narrative. They see themselves as the new entrepreneurs who will succeed through education and hard work.
In response to the argument that there is too much emphasis on the transatlantic slave trade, I would state that those who came before fought for the liberties you…
