by Kaila Boulware

Slavery was the single greatest atrocity of the African race. It was the premeditated attack, kidnapping and torture of African people, an invasion with only two goals in mind: to either enslave us physically and psychologically, or to kill us. Millions of our strongest and smartest African women and men were ripped from the continent, and forced into servitude. Slavery is the only reason why there are African people in America today. But white people continue to undermine and dilute the systemic consequences of slavery by pretending like slavery “wasn’t that bad,” or like it didn’t happen at all.

by Jessica S. Samuel

I was only a high school student when I first realized the impact of the white gaze. A high-achieving pupil I, along with similarly-talented peers, quickly became the idols of white attention. We were anomalies in the eyes of these people who could only see us as far as they could see the next island. Their understanding of our capacity for success was as narrow as the one-third of the island unoccupied by the U.S. National Park. “Small-time” island kids, we quickly became the objects of white attention. In fact, were it not for these condominium-owning, island-trotting, land-thieving white benefactors it would have been largely impossible for me to attend the only (private) high school on island. The quality education afforded to me was a dream come true thanks to my elusive and yet seemingly-omniscient donors. Like clockwork, I was responsible for constantly demonstrating my sincerest gratitude for their generosity by way of “Thank You” cards. The time would come, at least once a semester, when all the good little brown and poor kids, had to make it our business to offer praise and appreciation to the good ol’ white folks. After all, it was important that they see a return on their financial investments.

by Dee Rene

Growing up Black and Southern is a life of subtle racism, one that you learn to choke down in between sips of your sweet tea. The Confederate flag looms at the entrances of roads where no people of color have lived for as long as anyone can remember. It’s worn as a headband by the waitress who drops your plate off with a bit of annoyance, but provides exceptional service to the blonde hair, blue-eyed patron next to you. It waves proudly above state capitol buildings, where laws are passed that seem to choke the life and resources out of our communities.

1.5 million digitized images contain an estimated four million names of formerly enslaved people. The names were originally collected by the Freedmen's Bureau, a program established by Congress to help newly freed Black people transition into citizenship post-Civil War. Because the bureau was a government agency, the records were kept by the National Archives until now.

by Brit Bennett for The Paris Review

In 1864, a nine-year-old slave girl was punished for daydreaming. Distracted by rumors that her brother and father would be sold, she failed to remove worms from the tobacco leaves she was picking. The overseer didn’t whip her. Instead, he pried her mouth open, stuffed a worm inside, and forced her to eat it.

by Anna Gibson


Ben Affleck has been under fire, for actions he took in response to finding out one of his ancestors owned slaves on the PBS show about genealogy and family history, Finding Your Roots, hosted by Henry Louis Gates. Upon learning that one of his ancestors was a slave master, he asked the network to remove this segment from the aired version of the show, and they complied. The email in which he made this request was released on WikiLeaks, and many people are furious that he would do something like this.

Comedian Artie Lange, best known for his stints on MADtv and The Howard Stern Show, took to Twitter last night to post some disgusting tweets about ESPN First Take host Cari Champion. During his rant that was both strange and incredibly offensive, Lange imagines a sexual scenario in which he is a slave owner and Champion is his property.

In 1838 when William Hendry of Greene County, Tennessee drew up his will, he included this passage: “It is my will and desire that Nancy McEfee have $300 in place of a Mulatto girl named Delfey [that] I once gave her as a legatee and McEfee gave her back and gave her mother a bill of sale for the girl that she might have [a] chance to free her for which above named $300 McEfee holds some obligation to me to be paid at my death.” [McEfee sometimes appears as McFee.]

by Stephanie Gates

“Slavery is in the marrow of this country.” Dr. Cindy A. Crusto

12 Years a Slave is a movie that is racking up accolades, and I’m glad. I have seen it three times, and I thought it was such an important film that I took more than 120 students on a field trip.

It is a film that continued to marinate in my mind long after the last credits rolled. And though I have heard a number of people grumbling about another movie about slavery, I don’t see it that way. This powerful, must-see-movie was one filled with lessons for me. And I am not alone. When I read the article Watching “12 Years a Slave” Could Save Your Life by Dr. Cindy A. Crusto recently on the Root’s website, I better understood the movie’s lingering affect on me.

Walking down the streets as of late, I cannot help but notice the increase in the number of Black women I see pushing the strollers of white children. There had always been a few familiar faces in the area, but now I hardly recognize any of them. Coming from every direction imaginable, they line the streets of my neighborhood like dutiful soldiers. It is quite a sight to see believe me. Women whose faces look like my very own displaying the same nurturing and caring affection as my mother had once did when I was child, but to their white charges. I will admit that it is hard to control the intense feelings that come upon me at the sight of these women. I become angry, frustrated and then confused.