Why do people use "Africans sold other Africans" as an excuse for slavery in the US?

Question

Don't tell me to "get over it", or " stop hating white people". I don't hate white people, I'm just curious as to why people bring this up whenever black people try to talk about the scars slavery left on the US.

I mean, just because people were selling slaves doesn't mean that others had to buy them. That's like me saying "It's okay I slept with that 15 year old, her own mom was pimping her out since she was 10."

Answer 1

Because Africans did sell each other into slavery. Did it ever occur to black people who want to complain about slavery that if the europeans didn't buy them that most of the african american population wouldn't even be over here right now? I mean by all means people will say what they want but people need to look at how africans enlsaved each other. But the way society is these days is blame the europeans for something that happened to our ancestors. Native americans had slaves too, are people going to complain to them? Let the past be the past, society can't move on if people still hold on to something that died a long time ago. We don't use "africans sold other africans" as an excuse, we say it because it's a fact.

Answer 2

To try and make it seem like some Africans collaborated with the Europeans, and that the Europeans were just buying what they were selling.. But, that's a flawed since Europeans set out to take over the world in the first place.. Also European colonialism impacted the world for the worst, so how don't you think there was some forced agreements among some African nations and Europeans.. This doesn't pit any blame on "White" people today.. Some people though are just being defensive, and sensitive of the group they are associated with.. Which is understandable..

Answer 3

It means whites were not the only race involved and blacks were among the perps as well as the victims.



Slavery was a world standard until several centuries ago. Literally every human on Earth is descended from vast numbers of slaves. The reason slavery in the US is still discussed is it lasted longer and was based on race not poverty. Pointing out that African raiders sold slaves blows away one of those two objections. And since slavery still happens in parts of the world the excuse that it was the most recent is also weak.



Slavery was and is bad. No one disputes that. But since no living person did it, the time for the topic to be history has been reached. Until there's a human trafficking case nearby. Hammer those perps.

Answer 4

Most people would agree that slavery was wrong, regardless of who enslaved who, or why they enslaved them. Since the dawn of humankind slavery has existed in one form or another. Usually slavery was the end result of one tribe conquering another; "To the victor go the spoils." Did you ever see the movie 'Apocalypto?' Indigenous, primitive people have been doing positively abominable things to one another for centuries, and this practice still continues in many regions of Africa, like Sierra Leon, Ruwanda, Somalia, Sudan, etc.



No sane, rational person thinks that Africans selling other Africans into slavery was a plausible, or excusable practice by "today's moral standards", the same way that most people are opposed to female circumcision which also happens in some regions of Africa and the Middle East. So, don't pay any attention to the loonies that use the African slave trade to justify a particular moral position.

Answer 5

The statement that Africans sold other Africans into slavery is a half-truth. People usually make that statement to shift the blame away from Europeans completely from slavery and blame the black people solely for it. Many of the slave markets in Africa were overseen by European settlers, who established the slave trading routes. In addition, sells cannot be made without purchases, meaning that the slave trade would not have occurred if the Europeans didn't purchase them. It also doesn't change the fact that Europeans owned the most slaves in the Americas, considered them inferior, and formed violent hate groups to lynch them when they were freed. Europeans aren't exempt from their slave-owning history just because some Africans were involved in the slave trade.

Answer 6

Slavery was already a long established system in Africa and the institution had always thrived partly because segments of those societies saw it as "normal" whereas most in the New World did not and could never be enslaved. This was particularly true in the Caribbean where entire cultures, such as the Taino natives were extinguished to extinction.



There we non black slaves in some parts of Europe but were called "servants" which many times had a harder time that black slaves.

Answer 7

I think the point those people are trying to make is that slavery was much bigger and more complicated than slavery in the US alone. Arabs and sub Saharan Africans bought and sold slaves around the world. They organized slave capturing raids and battles to keep their profit margin up. Americans fought a long and bloody war with themselves to abolish the cruel institution, and free the slaves. The real scarring imho, was the years of Jim Crow lasting well into the 20th century. Slavery is still going on in Africa today. Why is it still going on among those people? Probably because it is still profitable.

Answer 8

I`m not sure that would be a valid response to excuse slavery in the U.S. however on the occasion that someone makes the statement, as I have heard and seen some people do, that hatred or demonization of all white people is justified because of the involvement of white people in the slave trade is made, that this response would be appropriate. Not to excuse anything, but to counter the reasoning of the accuser, for making claims of racial superiority of the black race.

Probably not a good idea to compare black slave traders to moms who pimp their kids though.

I have seen some people, black, or purporting to be black, on this and other sites make the case for racial superiority on the basis of the fact that white people enslaved people of other races. Is that a valid standard?

When and if someone brings up the role of black slave traders as a defense of white slave traders, and slave owners, ask them why they think that is a valid point. You then may get a better idea for their doing so, not that they will make an honest or convincing case in response.

I know that you were specific in making the point that people try to make the argument as a dismissal of the the institution of slavery in general, or for the white role in it, but I can`t say I have seen that done to any great extent. If it were to be made, it would be a way of saying that black people are no better than white people generally on the matter.

Answer 9

Because there is no excuse for slavery, regardless of who did it.



When you hear something like that it's probably a reaction to someone else's attempt to demonize an entire ethnicity, not an attempt to justify slavery here or anywhere. If slavery is evil then slavery is evil. Period.



Who do you suggest I hate more?

The evil men who sold my ancestors or the evil men who bought them?

Should I dig them ALL up and stomp on their wicked bones?

Well I could never do that. Why? Because I don't know where they're buried!

Answer 10

I am white (UK) and I do not use "Africans sold other Africans" as an excuse for slavery, I have used that information however, to educate black people who have told me that slavery is my fault because I am white. The truth is blacks have been slaves and they have been slavers, whites have been slaves and we have been slavers as well. We are all equal.

Answer 11

Its to shift the blame (I don't care what anybody says), it's very childish and annoying. They took those slaves. I'll also bring up the fact that African slavery was in no way similar to chattel slavery in the United States. African slaves had hope for freedom after a time. They worked the fields in Africa, they ate well, could end up becoming part of the family and they and their children could become free. The Africans probably thought those enslaved by the Europeans would meet a similar fate but that wasn't the case, now was it? African slavery in the U.S., there was no freedom. An African child from an African slave would become a slave from birth and would die a slave unless they escaped, were freed on whim, or killed.



One could not even compare the depravity of what the Europeans did. Yes, slavery was going on for quite awhile but the fact remains, even the founding fathers knew it was unconstitutional, and still allowed it. I'll also put out there the Civil war was not fought to end slavery. That's a lie. Abraham Lincoln himself said he did not care if they slaves were freed or not. He just wanted the Union to stay unified. His main goal was to placate the Southerners.



"I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so." _Abraham Lincoln.



Lincoln repeatedly said the war was about taxes. Nobody was fighting to end slavery. That's BS.



Actually the Emancipation Proclamation did not free the slaves (it was issued twice for a reason), the 13th Amendment did that. Lincoln in fact ended slavery, officially, as a strategic measure. He did not want the South to have sympathizers, they were gaining some in other countries, so he took the moral high ground to discourage sympathizers who would come in the defense of the South. Actually slavery just kind of evolved to sharecroppers and now to our current prison system. Uhh....



When most Black people are talking about slavery, they're talking about how its affecting us now. I understand as a Black person the reason behind chattel slavery, doesn't make it right but I know why it came to be. I also know it became far worse for Black people AFTER slavery. Violence we experienced from Whites was worse, I feel, after slavery. This is the kicker here. Not too long ago 50-60 years ago, Black people were treated horribly. Today...we're still showing the scars. They have not healed and are repeatedly re-opened by systematic racism.

You can't get over something that's still bothering you. A wound that still opened and was never properly treated will continue to bother you through out your life.



I don't hate White people, they're not their ancestors, actually most White people here are probably descended from immigrants who came in after slavery was abolished. Which is why I find it SO annoying that some White people have the audacity to say, "Get over it." I'm like, 'know your f*cking place'. You have no right to speak on this matter, input is great but you don't stand in a place to tell people, who's lives you don't live, what's not affecting them. That's what I hate about some White people. It's not them I hate I personally but their characters.



Actually them saying, 'stop hating White people', is arrogant. They're putting themselves in an elevated position, that they don't even belong in. As if our sole purpose in speaking about slavery is because we hate them. Who. Are. You? Nobody. You're not what most Black people are up against, what we're fighting. We're fighting something much bigger than you. Something you can't fix. At least not easily.



My Answer: Deflection. Also, it comes from a herd mentality. They're actually purposely taking on the sins of those who have nothing to do with them because of how important they see themselves. That's what's up.

Answer 12

It's guilt, pure and simple. Pass the blame onto someone else. It was white people who chained up their slaves like animals and shipped them in worse conditions than they would their pigs, and exploited them so cruelly for so many years, stopping only when they were forced to do so. White people should own what THEY did and not concern themselves with what Africans did to Africans. Do I murder because others have murdered? Of course not! Oh, and for any haters, don't bother with the racist comment. I'm WHITE!

Answer 13

Cuz It's a legitimate point, LOL! Blacks did in fact own and sell Black slaves. Yes, there was a lot a genuinely racist Whites, but there was also good amount of good White people as well that didn't agree with slavery, even back in those old times. But you people always want to generalize Whites as ALL racist, which ironically makes you racist. Well, Abraham Lincoln was White and he freed the slaves.



I also don't get why Blacks think they have a monopoly over slavery. Blacks aren't the only slaves in history. And Whites aren't the only slave owners in history. All races have an ugly past, cuz no race is perfect. Even Black African tribes kill and tortured other Black African tribes. It's human nature for everyone to fight, but there has always been good and bad in all races.

Answer 14

To make it seem like since they (the Africans) also did slavery, it wouldn't be bad for whites to do it as well. No matter what, slavery is a cruel practice. No matter the race or the ruler.

Answer 15

It is not used as an excuse, it is used to point out the origins of slavery in the United States

Answer 16

Because the people that say that have no actual arguments, they rely on the same old information. Meanwhile they will ignore the African kings and leaders that DID outlaw and do their best to stop slavery within their territories.

Answer 17

To make those who were actually responsible for it look like less evil. Same excuse is given in case of Inquisitions and they say most people were killed because of Old World diseases but the truth is they were all deliberately killed by the soldiers of Christ. In few more decades they will even say Nazis were not Christians and whites. In fact many have already started finding atheistic roots of Nazism. Many even say Nazis were Muslim or influenced by it. Nobody should trust the evil white man specially if he is Christian. All the horrible crimes against mankind were committed by evil white Christians but they altered world history in such a manner so as to make themselves look like saints. Only Islam is the answer to this treacherous, evil cult called Christianity.



Nazis were Christians.

During Inquisitions 100 million Native Americans were killed by White Christians.

White evil Christians imposed false history on India.

Evil White Christians were responsible for two world wars.

Answer 18

What makes you think African American's are native Africans? There are black people all over the world who are native to their own country for thousands of years.



Not all black people are the same people.

Answer 19

they bring that phrase up as an aside and not the main comment. Europeans came to America from opressive circumstances too yet you don't hear them complaining all the time and over every little tidbit about racism and crap. So stop talking about the slavery stuff already. move on.

Answer 20

I'd like to take the racial thing out or it! Slavery was the norm in the world, for many thousands of years BEFORE it was practiced in the Americas.



Note that even the bible has many more chapters and verses dedicated to behavior of slaves and slave owners, that to husbands and wives.

Answer 21

It was just normal in that era! It's not the same as statutory rape, b/c we've accepted that as wrong (or illegal) at the very least. Back then, many cultures had slavery and they (to their knowledge) were not doing anything considered cruel. it was just a way of life. They weren't doing anything different from their counterparts and it was not illegal.



If a law gets passed in the future that abolishes eating meat b/c eating living creatures is wrong, does that make your descendants responsible b/c you ate a hamburger?

Answer 22

its is brought up bc it is a fact. slavery existed in africa long before the modern europeans came around..before the white romans and carthaginians too. It is important to understand and point out when slavery is brought up like that. Under the false belief that whites are solely to blame and blacks had nothing to do with it. Also if you look at the slave traders..who they were and who owned the slave ships..the cast majority were jews who are mixed race

Answer 23

The reason they LOVE saying that is called the "Escape from Guilt Clause." That way, rather than discuss the issue, they can digress and direct attention away, like when they say, "Get over it," and "Stop hating White people..."

Answer 24

Because all black people do for a living is whine about being enslaved years and years ago, and that's their excuse of being stupid, aggressive, and moronic.

Black people are idiots and are clearly subhuman compared to other races (i.e white people).

Answer 25

I think it's called something like deflection.



ps The people who say things like this would NEVER equate something someone did in the UK with something someone did in Italy, yet they say things like "their own" when talking about slavery. (It's not like a group or village sold "their own"; it was usually somebody hundreds of miles away.)

Answer 26

To teach black people that even black people can be evil. It shouldn't tell anyonethat white people didn't cause harm, they shouldn't have mistreated other human beings in the past.

Answer 27

I TOTALLY AGREE! I Dont know why they do this as if Two wrongs are supposed to make it Right. However I do think its a way to make themselves feel better about history and the white man.

Answer 28

because they ARENT using it as any excuse they are RESPONDING to the racial hate and cowardice of black people and the white liberal hatemongers that use them and THEIR fictional narrative of history and ideological HATE.



slavery is YOUR excuse as a black racist coward to get what you WANT i the here and now, to justify YOUR racial hatred and YOUR racial interests.



and no you black racist coward...it was BLACK people that sold other BLACK people into slavery. just as it was white people and white people alone that ENDED the enslavement of your disgusting people world wild...with black people themselves the LAST holdouts to slaverS.



AGAIN, you black racist coward... you are complaining about your fake narrative being obliterated... that morality play you vermin try to use.



ESPECIALLY when you consider that fact that it was white people that were trafficked by the millions for millias BEFORE the transatlantic slave trade.... so why then, as YOU use the excuse of slavery to justify why its ok for you to hate and CONDONE hate to white people today who did nothing to you... yet its not "fair" for white people to hate non-whites in turn?



this hypocrisy and double standard exists in YOUR "logic"... this "natural" anger you will allow to black people who experienced NOTHING of slavery makes perfect sense to you because its something YOU can USE and manipulate...it makes yourcowardice easier.



the FACT is, it was miniscule number of white people that bought slaves, the overwhelming majority of white people did not own slaves nor had a single thing to do with the transatlantic slave trade...with even an enourmous chunk of europe under the thumbs of the ottoman empire THROUGHOUT the entire history of the transatlantic slave trade... themselves not even becoming free until AFTER the end of the slavery in the usa.



and its black racist cowards just like you that will still USE and apply that fictional narrative you follow to ALL white people. decendents of people who had nothing to do with slavery while YOU will apply an identity of victimization to black people who ARE descendents of black slavers.



THAT is what you object to. history and reality.



from slavery to conquest... all these origins can be found in non-white "cutlures", this was the world white people were exposed to and experienced.... yet part of your narrative and cowardice involves the idea that white people someone "originated" all this.... completely dismissing reality and history to pit yoursleves as hapless victims.



there is this craven cowardice in black racists as they like to describe their racial hatred, the harm they perpetrate as somehow being "karma", what goes around comes around. but that ONLY WORKS when you follow that ideological dogma that IGNORES history.



why wasnt the enslavement of non-whites and white conquest around the world not "karma" as non-whites reaped what THEY sowed? you see this is YOUR logic at work WHEN you actually apply history and reality...and not your narrative.



slavery is YOUR excuse for the hate you perpertate today.

Answer 29

I'm proud to be white and I hate black "people". I'm glad blacks were enslaved raped tortured humiliated oppressed and killed.



White pride!

Answer 30

they dont - they point out that slavery was multi-ethnic, and not just "white" against "black"



(eg. - "passing through"

Whites did not just "take" slaves -- they "bought" them

arabs often bought them from african tribes, sometimes kidnapping them and sold them to white "slavers"

sometimes african tribes captured people from other tribes, or even took people from their own tribe, and did the same

(a thing to note- arabs also enslaved people from europe - including france, spain and the UK up to the 16th century)



(your claim "they didnt have to buy them" is a bit naive

they were "business men" and were selling "goods", they didnt care who they sold them to - if they didnt "sell" one day to "slavers" they would sell them later to somebody else. If they didnt sell them for some time I would assume they would just get rid of them - maybe kill them (to put it crudely - cos they were past their sell by date and they werent going to take the continuing drain of feeding them)



"slavery" in africa started well before "whites" became involved

admittedly they "bought" most of them, but the buying and selling of people started well before they got there



(dont the bible say the "jews" were slaves of the pharaoh?- and wasnt egypt in africa?

and THAT was 1700 years before "whites" ever got near to transporting slaves from africa to the US)

Answer 31

i know it's not an excuse

Answer 32

AS A BLACK MAN,I AM SO SICK OF HEARING BLACK AND WHITE AMERICANS ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT SLAVERY.BLACKS,IF YOU DO NOT LIKE AMERICA,GO BACK TO AFRICA OR HAITI.

Answer 33

They're dumb