 |
The idea for Slavery Never Existed came from... |
Chapter 1 In the beginning
This book in no way tries to discredit, dishonor, or bring shame onto any group, sect, or religious order. I write these words from a heartfelt wish to help people understand African-American slavery never existed. African-Americans entered this continent under some of the most horrific conditions ever endured by a people, but it was not slavery.
Early on in life, I couldn't fully explain why I believed this. I felt mocked for making such allegations. As I learned how to conduct objective research and examine the facts, I became even more convinced. Therefore, I now firmly believe the African-Americans enslavement, as we understand it, never happened.
I know how people react to this statement: Slavery never existed? What are you talking about? You're digging up old issues. Haven't you seen "Roots? But if you read this book and genuinely consider the ideas it contains, I'm convinced you'll agree with me that on Africans in America - Slavery Never Existed.
The research presented in this book offers explanations to why African-Americans have experienced a lack of progress over the last 200 years. These facts and ideas challenge the idea of slavery, as we currently understand it.
I am a stickler for understanding. I heard that, in all my getting I should get an understanding, so I got an understanding. This understanding has in turn giving me over-standing - an outline of slavery. If we agree African-Americans were enslaved, we accept the notion that we are still dealing with the results of slavery. This is not true. By exploring alternative explanations for the experience of Africans in America, we open the door to new understanding and, more importantly, to new remedies for African-Americans' difficulties.
While you may initially disagree with the premise of this book, you'll quickly see the implications of changing the way we view the early African experience in America. I will develop my case by (1) by establishing definitions; providing a foundation for my assertion (2) providing a historical review of slavery (3) discussing laws and rules that governed slave treatment (4) offering an antithesis to the traditional view of slavery, and (5) offering possible solutions.
Why is the notion that slavery never existed so significant? How is it relevant to the issues that face African-Americans today? I will address this topic from three angles:
(1) the notion that slavery never existed offers an opportunity to redirect the energy of the African-American people toward more progressive strategies for restoration
(2) emerging characteristics called "Latent Greatness" and the implications of nurturing these traits
(3) finally, I'll show how this notion challenges some of the most basic core values in the heart of many African-American communities
I urge you not to take my word for everything you read in this book. I hope you'll read it with an open mind and explore the issues with me. This will reduce your susceptibility to misinformation and place you in a position to gain a true understanding of the topic.
........................................................................................................................... >Back to top
The idea for Slavery Never Existed came from a book entitled Death of a Slave Generation. Death of a Slave Generation was my first book written in hopes of conveying one key factor: I wanted to communicate the idea that if African-Americans wanted to progress they must eventually call for the "death of a slave generation." This referred to a mental rather than physical slavery. During this time, I attended a family reunion and met an aunt who is of the Jewish faith. We discussed the history of the Hebrew people. More importantly, we discussed the Hebrew liberation from Egypt. As she pointed out, freeing the Hebrew people was an ordeal. When freed from the Egypt, the Hebrew people carried with them a slave mind-set. This becomes clearer when the Hebrews arrived on the outskirts of the Promised Land. The Bible records in the book of Exodus that people often complained, "...we don't have any food, there is no water...we told you to leave us with Pharaoh." Essentially, people complained because they were sorry they'd left the comforts of Egypt behind. The Hebrews were doubtful about the "promises of God." Eventually, amid their complaining and disbelief, God passed judgment against them, causing the children of Israel to roam in the wilderness for 40 years. They roamed until the entire slave generation died off (including Moses).
When thinking about the Hebrew flight from Egypt, I began considering analogies to African-Americans in current times. I thought, if God knew that for the Hebrews to grow, the slave generation with their ways and mind-set had to pass away, then isn't the same true for African-Americans? From this, I began to assert that for African-Americans to progress there must be a "death of the slave generation." I began examining this story found in the Bible. I came across a significant question. Why did the children of Israel demand to return to Egypt? And more importantly - why did they resist freedom?
This is a serious question. How could freed people demand return to a crisis? As I began my research, I found that while the idea slavery of wasn't desirable, the records point to a different environment different from what many people consider slavery. Before I begin an explanation I would like to offer this example: Suppose I own a real estate business and tell you I need an office manager to manage the day-to-day affairs of my organization. On accepting the position you come in for your first day and... I hand you a shovel. I tell you the first part of your management will involve shoveling dog poop. The next day, I tell you to fix the fence in the parking lot, and then I ask you to paint it. As the weeks pass you're assigned only to menial jobs. If this were your working condition, you would quickly realize you weren't an office manager, but something similar to a maintenance person or groundskeeper. Even if you received great medical benefits and stock options, the duties you performed wouldn't be consistent with the duties of an office manager.
African-Americans experienced this treatment. Essentially, if a group of people held as slaves, treatment or tasks do not make up a master-slave relationship, they are not slaves.
Fully develop my case we will begin by defining slavery, freedom, and disease (dis-ease)....definitions that help set up the foundation for my case. I must ask readers to forgive the overuse of technical terms in this first section. To provide information it's necessary for me to use frequent quotes and citations.
...........................................................................................................................
Slavery
First, what was slavery? Webster (1994) defines slavery as, submission to a dominating influence. In a later chapter, I'll discuss various views of slavery in different regions of the world during different ages. This examination shows slavery as common and provides an understanding of the real nature of slavery. As you will see, the idea of freedom is more strange than slavery. Charles B. Paul, 1995, . Throughout history, many civilizations survived economically through the practice of slavery, which provided a means for a culture to grow, trade, and develop. Therefore, it is easy to regard slavery as a profession rather than an institution. Clearly, it wasn't a profession which one trained for or aspired to, but neither could slaves expect deadly beatings or constant mistreatment. This was not in the best interests of their masters.
Disease (dis-ease)
As we shall see in the following chapters, the actions that historically made up slavery were drastically different from the experiences of the early African-Americans. If the ancestors of the African-Americans were in fact diseased (dis-eased), immediate questions arise such as: what is a disease (dis-ease), what disease (dis-ease) were the Africa American's ancestors infected with, and the treatment choices.
Obviously then, the term disease (dis-ease) holds much weight in proving the foundation of my case; therefore, I will thoroughly develop this point. I will show through the course of this book why I have settled, African-Americans were not enslaved, but diseased (dis-ease).
Webster (1994) defines disease (dis-ease) as a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts, which hinders normal functioning. I will use this term to prove the foundation for what I feel was the real injustice done to African-Americans
Blakiston defines disease (dis-ease) as:
"The failure of the adaptive mechanism of an organism to counteract adequately the stimuli or stressors to which it is subject, resulting in a disturbance in function or structure of any part, organ, or system of the body."
This definition of disease (dis-ease) is not circular and may now be the most comprehensive. The disease (dis-ease) process has four stages, which eventually end in death. The stages of disease (dis-ease) according to the Blankiston medical dictionary are:
DISTRESSâ€"Stage 1"Distress exists within a living system when stressors acting on the living system exceeds the stressor adaptability of the system producing a localized or generalized loss of function. The living system, by using reserves and stored energy, is able to restore function without disability.
DISABILITY"Stage 2"Disability exists within a living system when stressors acting on the living system exceeds the stressor adaptability of the system producing a localized or generalized loss of function. The living system is unable to restore function even using reserves and stored energy. This must always include functions considered essential; should include functions considered normal; and in time will include functions considered ideal. When using this definition of disability, it is necessary to state the level of organization with the living system to which the disability refers. Disability, by definition, is reversible.
DAMAGE"Stage 3"Damage exists within a living system when the sum of stressors acting on the living system exceeds the stressor adaptability of the system producing a nonreversible disability. Damage can exist at any level of organization within the living system or within the living system as a whole. No cure is possible at this stage of disease (dis-ease).
DEATH"Stage 4"Death exists within a living system when the sum of stressors acting on the living system exceeds the stressor adaptability of the living system producing a loss of ability of the living system to produce negentropy or order. Death is irreversible. Disease (dis-ease) is evolutionaryâ€"first distress, then disability, then damage, and finally death.
Restated in simple terms: distress describes an organism that has faced a painful stimulus and is able to overcome the suffering, using reserves and stored energy, without suffering any disability. Disability describes an organism that has faced a painful stimulus and is unable to restore function by using reserves and stored energy, and therefore needs outside support (i.e. medicine or surgery). Some disabilities are reversible. Damage occurs when an organism faces a painful stimulus and suffers a nonreversible disability. The definition points out that damage can exist at any level within the living system, or throughout the system. Finally, death is the simplest definition to grasp. Death is the irreversible result of an organism's inability to adapt to stressors.
Distress, disability, damage, and death can exist is cells, in an organ of the body, or throughout the body. An example of this is a person with an infected cut on their finger, versus a person who is HIV positive.
A literal bacteria or virus did not infected with culture was African-American. The allegorical disease(dis-ease) suffered by African Americans was and is hegemony - defined as the predominant influence of a state, region, or group, over another or others. Hegemony can be examined from what are called the strong and weak perspectives:
Strong Perspective:
The capacity of dominant classes to persuade subordinate ones to accept, adopt, and internalize the values and norms which the dominant classes have adopted and believe are right and proper.
Weak perspective:
A situation in which the subordinate classes may be dissatisfied with the prevailing socio-economic order, but however alienated they become, they're persuaded that any alternative would be drastically worse.
Gramsci used the term hegemony to denote the predominance of one social class over others. This represents not only political and economic control, but also the ability of the dominant class to project its own way of seeing the world so that those who are subordinated by it accept it as 'common sense' and 'natural'.
Gramsci emphasizes the struggle associated with hegemony. According to researchers people's material social experience constantly reminds them of the disadvantages of subordination and thus poses a threat to the dominant class... Hegemony... posits a constant contradiction between ideology and the social experience of the subordinate that makes this interface into an inevitable site of ideological struggle' (Fiske 1992: 291).
Simply stated, what someone sees as successful and/or struggle constantly changes. Luxuries in the 40s and 50s such as: televisions, vehicles, and airplanes, have now become everyday occurrences. The luxuries have now become plasma televisions, Aston Martins, and privately charted jets.
........................................................................................................................... >Back to top
Chapter 2
The History and Laws of Slavery
One of the unique things about human existence is the progression of language. There is a book entitled Anacalipsis (revelations in Latin) which chronicles the progression of many languages and religions. A very interesting fact is, as the author points out, many of the different religions and languages that exists have common origins. You will find groups of languages that have very similar words with similar meanings and very similar pronunciations. English, French, Spanish, and Italian are one example. Chinese, Korean, and Japanese have many similarities in their writing styles and dialects. Is possible, in some instances, to track the progression of words and their meanings...etymology. Let us take a specific look at the English language. English is by far one of the most interesting languages to study. When you look at the English that is presently spoken in America it differs from the English spoken in England and Britain. In fact, when you begin to study English in depth you find a very interesting history. English has progressed through three phases (1) old English (2) Middle English and (3) modern English.
I trust you see in this provided example, the tremendous difference between Old English and Modern English. These phases represent the progression of the English language over the past 2000 years. As demonstrated, the English that we speak today bears little to no resemblance to the earliest form of English used. What's more, English as a whole is a new language and as such is a very difficult medium to use when attempting to grasp some of the more profound concepts discussed in ancient texts. As an example, my Christian readers may notice every few years a new revised translation of the Bible is published. In each new translation there are consistent themes; however, through the course of 2000 years, old, middle, and new English these text generally bear little resemblance to their initial translations. These changes can be attributed to an increase in knowledge, increased understanding of the ancient text as well as, increased understanding of the ancient cultures. To demonstrate the difference between the languages the following shows the dramatic evolution of Christianity's The Lord's Prayer:
Old English
Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum; Si þin nama gehalgod to becume þin rice gewurþe ðin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum. Urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice.
Modern English
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
This brings us to our current topic because ironically, these progressions have in many ways contributed to the misunderstanding of the word "slave." As we shall see in this chapter, the word "slave†as we understand it today, bears little resemblance to its initial meaning.
The word "slaves" is the rendering of a Greek word meaning "bodies." In modern translations the Hebrew and Greek words for slave are usually rendered simply "servant," "bondman," or "bondservant" to avoid confusion. Thus, in many readings the frequent mentions of servants were in all likelihood references to "slaves." A corrupted understanding of the word slave was used in the Americas and came to embody an ulterior set of ideals. The usage of the word slave in more modern times excluded the former understanding for a very different definition, in which people were treated like no group before.
Prior to the dis-ease of the African Americans, people had been in different forms of master servant relationships for thousands of years. Societies had long maintained the practice of slavery and bondage, and were not far removed from the emotions, values, and beliefs of the people whom they enslaved. Today countries develop laws to regulate new forms of businesses that enter their boarders. In a very similar fashion, ancient societies developed laws to regulate slavery. This was in part due to the fact people were often in master-servant relationships for various reasons. As we shall discuss, in some cases, people were not forced, but rather [at times] petitioned to enter into master-slave relationships.
As we explore the idea of slavery, we will find in some cultures slaves had holidays and sick leave as well as a type of medical and life insurance. In reference to a slave's general quality of life, the pendulum swung towards both extremes; however, a significant number of slaves lived and worked decent lives. The fact was, many societies supported the institution of slavery, according to its original meaning. These ideas will be more clearly developed as we examine slavery, as it existed in the Biblical, Egyptian, Roman, and American cultures.
........................................................................................................................... >Back to top
Biblical Slavery
What you see here are the emergence of laws and regulations governing the development of slavery and servitude and their treatment therein. There were various circumstances, which would lead a person to slavery, apart from war. Famine and debt often were the gateway through which many people volunteered themselves into slavery. There are passages in the Christian Bible that discuss God's view on slavery. As we discussed, the Hebrew and Greek words for slave were usually rendered simply "servant," "bondman," or "bondservant." Therefore, the Bible often uses the words slave, servant, bondman, or bondservant interchangeable. Slavery as it existed under the Mosaic Law has no modern parallel, apart from W-2 wage earners. According to Biblical commentators, Mosaic Law did not establish slavery, but Mosaic Laws recognized slavery and established laws to regulate the already existing tradition. Vast numbers of Hebrews were reduced to slavery as war-captives at different periods by the Phoenicians, (Joel 3:6) the Philistines, (Joel 3:6; Amos 1:6), the Syrians, 1 Macc. 3:42; 2 Macc. 8:11, the Egyptians, Joseph Ant. xii. 2,3, and above all by the Romans.
The majority of non-Hebrew slaves were war-captives, either of the Canaanites who had survived the general extermination of their race under Joshua or that were conquered from the other surrounding nations. (Numbers 31:26). Besides these, many were obtained by purchase from foreign slave-dealers, (Leviticus 25:44,45) and others may have been resident foreigners who were reduced to this state by either poverty or crime. The children of slaves remained slaves, being the class described as "born in the house," (Genesis 14:14; 17:12; Ecclesiastes 2:7) and hence the number was likely to increase as time went on. The average value of a slave appears to have been thirty shekels. (Exodus 21:32) [My Christian readers may recall in the new testament writings Jesus the Christ is "betrayed†to the Roman soldiers by Judas Iscariot for 30 pieces of sliver or shekels.] The slave is described as the "possession" of his master, apparently with a special reference to the power which the latter had of disposing of him to his heirs, as he would any other article of personal property. (Leviticus 25:45,46) But, on the other hand, provision was made for the protection of his person. (Exodus 21:20; Leviticus 24:17,22) A minor personal injury, such as the loss of an eye or a tooth, was to be recompensed by giving the servant his liberty. (Exodus 21:26,27) The position of the slave in regard to religious privileges was favorable. He was to be circumcised, (Genesis 17:12) and hence was entitled to partake of the paschal sacrifice, (Exodus 12:44) as well as of the other religious festivals. ( 12:12,18; 16:11,14) The slaves were often given menial jobs (unskilled labor), as implied in Leviticus 25:39 divided between housework and personal attendance to the master. The whole tendency of Mosaic Law and Biblical legislation was to mitigate slavery, making it little more than hired service. There were generally three circumstances, which might reduce a Hebrew to servitude. These circumstances were: (1) poverty (2) the commission of theft and (3) the exercise of personal right/paternal authority.
Poverty
The Bible discusses both the prevention of poverty and the treatment of those already impoverished. In the book of Exodus God details the crop rotation for farmers. Exodus Chapter 23 contains what some refer to as the Laws of Justice and Mercy as well as Sabbath laws. Starting with Exodus 23:10, God commands the people saying, 10 For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, 11 but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. This was not done to perpetuate segregation but rather equity. Essentially, God is saying make provision for the poor or slaves, do not push the poor away from your society. Deuteronomy chapter 15 discusses the freeing of slaves and the cancellation of debts. In Deuteronomy 15:4, the Bible reads, 4 However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. Essentially, God is making it known, with a blessing comes responsibility, which included the poor. Frequently restated, the Bible begins to set the tone for the treatment of slaves and poverty-stricken people. In Deuteronomy 24:14-15 the Bible expresses, 14 Do not take advantage of a slave who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. 15 Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it.
Theft
The commission of a theft was the second condition under which a Hebrew might become a slave. According to Exodus 22:1,3, If a man takes without right another man's ox or his sheep, and puts it to death or gets a price for it, he is to give five oxen for an ox, or four sheep for a sheep, in payment: the thief will have to make payment for what he has taken; if he has no money, he himself will have to be exchanged for money, so that payment may be made. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. Therefore, according to the Laws of Moses, if the thief was not able to make restitution, the theft rendered the person a slave. In most cases, the thief was bound to work out the value of his restitution money in the service of the person against whom he committed the offense.
Personal Right/Parental Authority
It is from this notion that God expresses, if one of your fellow citizens becomes poor and sells himself to you do not treat him as a slave. Very similar to the parental rights exercised in Egypt, Hebrews could exercise the paternal authority to sale young children into slavery (servitude). According to Exodus 21:7, ...if a man shall sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not depart as the men-servants do. Essentially, while the parental authority to sell children into slavery was not largely discussed, it is important to understand there were provisions implemented to regulate its existence. Essentially, if your fellow citizen becomes poor do not treat him with disregard.
Additionally, if a man did in fact become a slave but later accepted Christ he was, according to the Bible, to be treated like a brother. In the book of Philemon, Paul directs the former owner of the slave, to receive him as a brother rather than a slave. The story develops as Onesimus (a slave), had run away from his master, Philemon, in Colosse a city somewhere near Laodicea. Onesimus found his way to Paul in Rome, where he was converted to Christianity and persuaded by Paul to return to his master. Paul writes a letter to Philemon urging him to receive Onesimus, because of his conversion, as a brother and not a slave.
In Philemon 1:10-17 Paul writes:
10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,[1] who became my son while I was in chains. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12I am sending him--who is my very heart--back to you. 13I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced. 15Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good-- 16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.
17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back--not to mention that you owe me your very self.
Onesimus in fact returned to perform many of the same duties he had previously preformed; however, Onesimus was not regarded as a slave. This passage presents a topic to be more thouroughly developed in the chapter on hegemony. Essentially, this presents a stark contradiction to the treatment of the early African-Americans who accepted Christianity as their new religion, but were still regarded as slaves. An examination of various cultures reveals slaves in ancient societies often enjoyed more security and were better off than the masses of the free poor. It was for this reason that many free men sold themselves into slavery...to escape poverty and debt.
So what about not being a slave voluntarily? What about captured people made slaves and enter into the forced labor? The Bible addresses servants and personal injury in Exodus 21:16. The Bible reads, 16 "Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death. Deuteronomy 24:7 reads, "If a man is caught kidnapping one of his brother Israelites and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from among you." As you see, God takes a very strong stance against involuntary servitude.
What about the treatment of a person who voluntarily enters into slavery? This is addressed in Deuteronomy 15:12, which reads, "if a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you insert use six years, in the seventh year you must let him go for free." In this situation, if servitude continued against the slaves will, it would constitute an involuntary act and no longer be slavery. Slavery a voluntary act? In modern times that would have to be the greatest oxymoron! However, in Exodus 21:5 the Bible reads, "But if this servant declares, I love my master and my wife and my children and do not want to go free, then his master must take him before the judges. He should take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life." This is why historically parents did not want their children to have pierced ears. Pierced ears were a sign a voluntary slavery. This is restated again in Deuteronomy 15:16, "But if you're servant says to you, I do not want to leave you, because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, then take an awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become you're servant for life. Do this same for your maidservant." While this may be difficult to understand in modern terms, the institution of slavery, as it existed formerly, often provided a means for survival. An individual could enter servitude to avoid starvation and in some cases satisfy debts. What is more interesting is, if a servant decides to leave and has not made sufficient in his debt by the Year of Jubilee he is to be set free and giving gifts when he parts (Deuteronomy 14:12).
The book of Exodus gives several examples of the punishment inflicted on a master if his slave is injured or murdered. This is extremely important in that, early American masters regarded Negros as subhumans, at times possibly as much as one third of a man, and many times not even human at all. However, in the book of Exodus the Bible states: "If a man beats his male or female slave with the rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished"
"If a man hits a male or female servant in the eye and destroys it, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the eye. And if he knocks out the tooth of a male or female servant, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the tooth."
Wait a minute, people were always beat in Biblical days, right? You might ask, weren't there floggings and people being stoned to death every day? If so, you are very correct. People were flogged and stoned regularly, but these forms of punishment were to govern the actions of free men. Slaves were not free men and subsequently, unique precautions governed their safety while in servitude. So what happened when a slave was not happy and ran away? And more importantly, what does the Bible say should happen to a slave when he runs away or escapes?