SLAVES

Slaves were brought to America in the early 1600’s.
Slavery and servants were nothing new
People were needed in the fields
Slaves provided this need
Often they were part of the family
Owners treated them with dignity
Trusted them with their lives
 
There were the proverbial bad apples
This number seems to have increased
They treated the slaves miserably
Punishment was whipping and death
The families of slaves were broken up
Sold in the market place to the highest bidder
Never to see their family again
 
The Speaker of the House was
Named Kunta Kente and
Her co-leaders marched into the
Capitol Visitor Center and kneeled
For 8 minutes and 46 seconds
They all wore African Kente cloths
Many accused them of pandering
 
Those Kente cloths have roots
In the African Slave Trade
Kente cloth was worn by the Ashanti
It's made of silk so the affluent wore it
The Ashanti were also known as
Slave owners and traders
The Ashanti's long-time ally, the Akwamu,
 
Were among the first ones to profit from
The slave trade with the Europeans
Their captives were almost always prisoners of war,
But they were not above to selling Akwamu
Men who offended the chief. They also
Kidnapped able-bodied men from other tribes
And sold them in the coastal slave markets
 
President Lincoln freed the slaves
His was not a political stunt
 
Stanski
June 17, 2020 ^