Garth RattrayMOST, IF not all, civilisations have practised slavery at one time or another. It had been accepted and even endorsed by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as other religions of the world. Slavery, especially involving children, still exists to this very day in certain regions of the world. In Africa slavery remains in pockets. It was officially abolished in Mauritania only in 1980.
The European involvement in the transatlantic slave trade began when the Portuguese sailed down the Atlantic coast of Africa in the 1430s seeking gold. Their interest in that region was roused way back in 1325 when the king of Mali, Mansa Musa, made a pilgrimage to Mecca with 500 slaves and 100 camels each carrying gold.
At that time there was only a small market for African slaves. In fact there was a "white" slave trade elsewhere in that region. The Portuguese soon learnt that they could earn a great deal of gold transporting "black" slaves along the Atlantic coast of Africa because Muslim traders always wanted slaves, but more importantly the Europeans also discovered a ready market for African slaves on plantations.
This set the stage for the European involvement in the slave trade. The transatlantic slave trade was particularly brutal, horrible and racial.
Between 1450 and 1834 about 21 million Africans were enslaved and it is estimated that some seven million to nine million died on the way to the slave ports and during the Atlantic crossings. The Caribbean received between three million to four million slaves.
The impression given to us as naive children was that the European slave traders went into Africa and somehow managed to raid our homeland, defeat our warriors, drag the vanquished off and sell us into slavery thousands of miles across the ocean. In fact tribal wars provided the "chattel" for the African transatlantic slave trade, so we are not blameless. The fighting resulted in the capture of men, women and children as prisoners of war. They were often sold to the European traders as slaves. Some were stolen away by fellow countrymen and others sold their neighbours, relatives or children. In times of famine some people even sold themselves into slavery. The reparation thrust sounds plausible but in all fairness we must never forget that we are the victims of the greed of our own people and of our cruelty toward one another. This situation pertains even today and so reparation should begin at home. The transatlantic slave trade nightmare could never have existed were it not for our own tribal wars, thriving internal slavery practices and the atrocities that Africans committed against their fellow Africans. It was our very own kings, countrymen, race, and indeed our very own people who enslaved and sold us to the opportunistic European "businessmen". They committed us to unspeakable horrors. Africans sold fellow Africans for mere baubles, cloth, liquor, shiny cheap metals and eventually arms and ammunition and sent us into a veritable hellish existence.
The very idea of slavery makes us cringe yet many Jamaicans remain enslaved by modern-day tribalism, greed, desperation and ultimately fear. Obviously we have not learnt the bitter lessons from our past and are therefore bound to repeat some of the horrors that slavery brings. Although traditional slave-masters are obsolete, people remain slaves to "political affiliation" and "gang membership". We don't speak of opposing tribes any more; now we speak of political factions, we speak of this crew, that gang and various posses. We create invisible boundaries and label others as "man from here" and "man from there". We no longer mention antiquated iron restraints, modern day shackles are moulded out of dependency and ignorance. These shackles not only imprison the body but also the mind, freedom of thought and will. Beguiled by silky promises of financial support, protection, friendship and a carefree life; the inner-city youth sell their bodies, hearts and souls into a lifetime of modern-day slavery. We are still killing and selling-out one another for the baubles and trinkets of today. When I saw the TVJ Exposure piece on the Joel Andem gang, I didn't only see antisocial, misguided miscreants -- I also saw a bunch of crazed slaves. Slaves to evil, violence, the gun, drugs, hate, ignorance and greed. The communities that shelter and protect them and indeed our entire country remain enslaved by fear because of sociopathic deviants like those. Many people aren't cognisant of their slavery status; they mistakenly perceive the possession of guns, drugs and money as power, glory and a means of ensuring plenitude. The craven who call themselves "warriors" and "gunmen" are only lowly pawns that are soon betrayed and slaughtered (often by their own ilk) when they no longer serve any useful purpose or become a liability. Their inability to learn from their hapless predecessors is astounding. Our current political customs perpetuate ignorance and dependency. These traits not only engender a malleable electorate but they are also in keeping with a slavery mentality. When we become totally dependent on the "favours" of others (be they politician or don), we cease to exercise our freedom and reason. When we compromise our integrity and forfeit truth for the promise of political and pecuniary favours we cease to be free men, we become slaves to an innately corrupt system. We have remained unnecessarily polarised for much too long. Tribalism (the bane of our existence) sacrifices the many for the benefit of the few. Africans had been killing and enslaving their own for centuries before the opportunistic Europeans seized upon the situation for financial gain and instigated 400 years of unmitigated anguish, the effects of which lasts until today. Although the British Empire abolished slavery in 1834 and emancipated the ex-slaves (apprentices) in 1838, today Jamaicans continue killing and "enslaving" one another because of selfishness, greed and the quest for power. Only we can free ourselves from this destructive cycle. It's time to start reparations by emancipating ourselves with pride, respect and love for our race, people and country.
Dr. Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.
