Sophisticated Slavery

The Gantt Report

By Lucius Gantt

      Do you remember what happened to your ancestors during the days of slavery?  I know what happened to mine.

I know my ancestors were beaten, whipped, and worked so hard from sun up to sun down. A lot more was done that was a lot worse.

One of the worst things that was done to our ancestors was they were all divided.

The practice of dividing Black people in slavery days continues today in 2024. Too many of the “Black leaders” that you love get paid to say Black progress in the United States will occur when all Blacks unite.

     For example, Claud Ander son, of “Powernomics” fame often opines about Black economic unity. Sounds good but any printed progress plan that requires “all” Blacks is fantasy, much like the writing of Aesop, Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen.

     Hmmm? Let me elaborate. Well, Jesus worked miracles with only 12 disciples. Fidel and Che inspired a revolution with seven comrades, Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, and Walter Sisulu’s African National Congress had a number of dedicated followers and supporters but nowhere near all South Africans.

     Let’s dig deeper. Once upon a time, there seemed to be unity in many Black organizations. Black media professionals were united, Black health care professionals were united, Black businesses collaborated, and so forth.

     The slavery of today is “Sophisticated Slavery”. The Blacks that roam the halls of the “government house” have no desire to interact with the brothers and sisters that may be in the poor house, the crack house, or the whore house.

     Why are Black comedians beefing with each other? Why do Black writers and columnists accuse each other of ranting and raving?

     Stop it! We’re all in the same boat or the same slave ship, so to speak.

Oprah Winfrey and Sister Soulja will both catch hell trying to hail a cab on Wall Street in New York, not because one lady has more money than the other, they get passed by because both women are Black.

     Black unity begins at home. Family members must inspire each other, compliment each other, protect each other, inform each other, do business with each other, acknowledge each other, and more.

     The idea that we would be better if we bowed down and obeyed the slave master’s offspring, the way we were forced to obey slave traders and overseers, is unwarranted and undesirable.

     There is more truth in standing up!

     Since our dreams of Black progress will remain fleeting illusions, Black men and women with more solid and inclusive ideas about how we can thrive as a race must be given real chances to add to the progress discussions. Let all of our people with ideas about Black progress be heard.

I think to go forward, we have to go back. We have been kings and kings, we have been scientists and astronomers, we have been rich, and wealthy. We have controlled the world’s commodities like gold, diamonds, and oil and we can control our people’s communities and nations again.

There are Black people in the world who have solutions to our problems.

Don’t let non-Blacks tell you how to be Black and progress. Don’t let TikTok and white media tell you who your leaders are. And, don’t let anybody divide you and turn you against y