We NEVER sold our own-The Truth About the Transatlantic Slave Trade #26
????Happy Tuesday and Happy Black History Month!
????Our black history and black excellence lessons continue unapologetically ????!
As we wrap up Black History month this week, I feel led to post everyday of the week until Friday as there is so much about the continent of Africa, Black excellence and our melanin experience the world needs to know. For such a short month, yet with the one with the heaviest historical baggage as we keep unpacking some long-told tales, dust off the truth, and serve it up with a side of historical receipts.
Now, if you’ve ever dared to challenge the “Africans sold their own people” narrative, chances are someone hit you with the classic, “Well, technically...” But today, let’s get real because history is not a technicality, and neither is truth.
Indentured Servants, Not Forever Slaves
Let’s set the record straight: African societies had complex systems of labor long before Europeans showed up uninvited. Captives of war, debtors, or criminals were often put into servitude, but it was not the chattel slavery that European powers perfected. Africans had a system of indentured servitude, meaning people worked for a certain period and could regain their freedom. They weren’t shackled for life, beaten into submission, or treated as non-human property. In many cases, these servants were integrated into their new communities and could even rise to positions of power. So, when Europeans showed up with their insatiable appetite for free labor, they didn’t just take prisoners of war—they took the system itself and turned it into an industry.
The "Sold Their Own People" Myth
Now, let’s tackle that infamous claim: “Africans sold their own people.”
Imagine you’re in 1400s West Africa, chilling in your village, minding your business, and someone tells you, “Hey, in 400 years, we’re all gonna be considered one race and lumped into a category called ‘Black.’” You’d be confused, right? That’s because back then, people identified with their ethnic groups—Yoruba, Wolof, Igbo, Ashanti—not some generalized “Black identity.”
When rival groups sold captives, they weren’t thinking, "Oh no, I'm selling my long-lost African cousin!" They saw them as members of opposing tribes—just like European kingdoms constantly fought, captured, and sold each other’s people. The difference? European captives didn’t become an entire economic system that lasted for centuries.
Africans had no idea what awaited their people across the ocean. Europeans weren’t exactly handing out brochures titled “Welcome to the Middle Passage: A Free Trip to Hell.” Most African leaders thought they were engaging in trade as they had done for centuries. By the time they realized the horror they had inadvertently helped build, it was too late.
Who Profited the Most? Definitely, Not Africa.
Let’s not pretend that the real economic winners of the transatlantic slave trade were African sellers. The real money went to European nations, American plantation owners, and the global financial institutions that still exist today (yes, some of your favorite banks had a hand in slavery). Meanwhile, Africa was drained of its strongest, brightest, and most capable people—setting the stage for colonial exploitation.
And let’s be clear: If African rulers had truly benefited from the trade, the continent wouldn’t have been left in shambles while Europe and the Americas built their empires off free labor.
Time for a History Update
The narrative that “Africans sold each other” is pushed to remove blame from European and American powers and make the descendants of the enslaved feel guilty. It’s the historical equivalent of saying, “Well, you started it!” in a fight where one side threw an entire economic system on top of human suffering.
But here's the thing: We’re not here for guilt—we’re here for truth.
So, What Do We Do Now?
History is written by the victors, but it’s corrected by the truth-seekers.
? Educate yourself and others—because the biggest revolution starts with knowledge. ? Support Black-owned businesses—because economic power is real power.
? Challenge false narratives—because if we don’t, the next generation will still be learning history written to make us doubt our greatness.
Black history is not just about suffering; it’s about resilience, innovation, and a future that we shape. Let’s reclaim our story, correct the record, and celebrate the power of Blackness—not just in February, but every single day.
?? Call to Action:
Share this article, discuss it, challenge misconceptions, and let’s keep the conversation going. The past was written, but the future? That’s still in our hands.
????Purchase books from my Africa is NOT a Country Series - https://lnkd.in/gVPr2J-9
Happy reading!
Olunosen Louisa Ibhaze
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