When Europeans came to America, they brought poor Europeans with them and used them as forced labor. By means of debt bondage. Some people justify this by saying it is perfectly fine for a person to work off a debt through labor as long as they consent to it. That's fine in theory. In practice, the debt seems to get deeper and the worker is rarely justly compensated for their labor. And workers are abused in every way during their servitude.
In the meantime, Europeans took Africans to America to use as labor. Whether they were indentured servants or plain slaves...
The owners were killing (by disease or neglect) Indigenous people and poor Europeans they were using as laborers. Africans seemed to be the most profitable source of labor.
And all these worked side by side for the owners. All these conspired. Found that they shared a common oppression. Found the spirit to revolt. And so they did.
And the outcome of their failed revolt is what we now know as white privilege and racism.
Life long, hereditary servitude was legal. Owners made a shrewd decision. African labor was the way.
Create a rift between African and European workers. Free European workers and create justification for keeping African workers. By stating that they were savage, not worthy of rights, no more than animals, inferior.
Promote the notion that white workers were better, more superior, deserving of rights and privileges that Africans could not enjoy.
And when slavery ended, labor was still needed. Who better than Africans still. And to justify, they were imprisoned. By false charges or by unusual sentences. Then they were given to owners to use as labor.
Still perpetuating the idea that Africans, now free, were dangerous, uneducated savages, that proved to be unfit for society. Justifying their imprisonment.
Europeans still had greater rights and privileges.
And now, after the Civil Rights Movement, owners still use the lies and privileges to divide workers. Blaming Minorities for the plight of working class European Americans.
Hopefully one day we will unite.
In the meantime, Europeans took Africans to America to use as labor. Whether they were indentured servants or plain slaves...
The owners were killing (by disease or neglect) Indigenous people and poor Europeans they were using as laborers. Africans seemed to be the most profitable source of labor.
And all these worked side by side for the owners. All these conspired. Found that they shared a common oppression. Found the spirit to revolt. And so they did.
And the outcome of their failed revolt is what we now know as white privilege and racism.
Life long, hereditary servitude was legal. Owners made a shrewd decision. African labor was the way.
Create a rift between African and European workers. Free European workers and create justification for keeping African workers. By stating that they were savage, not worthy of rights, no more than animals, inferior.
Promote the notion that white workers were better, more superior, deserving of rights and privileges that Africans could not enjoy.
And when slavery ended, labor was still needed. Who better than Africans still. And to justify, they were imprisoned. By false charges or by unusual sentences. Then they were given to owners to use as labor.
Still perpetuating the idea that Africans, now free, were dangerous, uneducated savages, that proved to be unfit for society. Justifying their imprisonment.
Europeans still had greater rights and privileges.
And now, after the Civil Rights Movement, owners still use the lies and privileges to divide workers. Blaming Minorities for the plight of working class European Americans.
Hopefully one day we will unite.
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