The Tulsa Race Riot Traded Progress For Terror

In our quest for racial peace, society sometimes conveniently forgets the stunning events of the past which have contributed to the ongoing American narrative. Remembering such phyletic stories is not only key to our survival as a species, but it also illustrates the need for tolerance and healing on the heels of an incredibly dark…

The True Story of An American Slave in Africa

In the early 19th century, tales of slavery throughout the world were common. Not only was the transatlantic slave trade in full swing, but countries like Cuba, Spain, and Sweden were also grappling with the horrific cycle of human ownership. It was a pervasively one-sided relationship, typically demonstrated by the classic white master/dark slave dynamic….

This Former Slave Stole A Confederate Ship And Literally Sailed To Freedom

Even though Robert Smalls was born in 1839, poor, black, and a slave in the Antebellum South, his existence was anything but predictable. His incredible fight to freedom and subsequent life merit the accomplishments of three lifetimes. During a harrowing historical period of intense fear and racism in America, Smalls managed to dramatically turn his…

Cudjo Lewis: The Heartbreaking Story of The Last American Slave

On March 2, 1807, Congress banned the importation of slaves from Africa, and the law finally took effect on January 1, 1808. Cudjo Lewis was the last known survivor to arrive on the final slave ship to the United States. Through his life, he watched his world change in unimaginable ways, taking him from the…

How The Slave Ship Zong Traded Sanity For Profit

The stinking, corrupt vessel known as the slave ship Zong carried hundreds or poor souls across the Middle Passage during the Atlantic Slave Trade and is regarded as one of the vilest and most barbarous trips to ever set sail. It departed from São Tomé, an island off the coast of west Africa, in 1781…