Summary Of Slavery By Michael Gomez

Everyone is always tought to be yourself and not try to fit in because everyone is different. No matter what skin color you are we are all just alike on the inside. When I was in middle school I had to come to a realization that i was different from all my friends. I was considered overweight unlike all my friends. This made me uncomfortable being around everyone else. This my only identity problem due to my school being completely caucasian. I did not have to experience any racism or being mistreated due to my color. Unfortunately there are millions of African Americans who are mistreated by white people when everyone is equal.
Michael Gomez does an incredible job outlining the life of an African American through the years of slavery. He
describes their lives from Africa, their journey to America and the life as a slave being controlled by a master. On page 13 Gomez writes “Of course, they brought with them their culture and worldviews, the blending of which varied from state to state and was dependent upon ethnic configurations specific to the area in question.
All, however, passed through certain stages in moving from ethnicity to race.” As previously stated the slaves had normal lives in their home country in Africa before being shipped over to America. An African could be a king or queen in their country but once they get forced onto the overcrowded ship they no longer have any more power than a regular African. These Africans were brutally stripped from any possessions and power they once had. They became new people and their lives were forever changed due to slavery. Once they became slaves they were no longer considered Africans they were known as “blacks” to the slave masters and their families. Their ethnicity no longer matter it was about their race. At this time if they had just the slightest bit of black tent to their skin then they were considered a slave and began the worst life possible. The
black American culture was extremely violated by these actions. Their cultural norms and traditions were destroyed and they had nothing. Since the white people stripped all of their traditions they had away the Africans needed to adapt and make the most of what they were given. Whatever was forced upon them they accepted it and made it their own new tradition or norm. This was the slave's way of living like they did back home except now they have a master and are told what to do. It was not near the same but at least they adapted with the new culture. On page 26 Gomez expresses how he believes that blacks are a product prohibition.
Gomez stated how race is just a external concept adopted but reimagined by Africans in America.
The whites did not care if they were African Americans or what religion they previously were they were just “blacks” in the American's eyes. Gomez believes that whites did the slavery by color of the skin just so they knew the difference from the free and not free people. The enslaved Africans did not want to be called blacks or slaves they wanted their true identity and were considered the “anti-American” symbol. The enslaved Africans did not go down fighting they kept pressed towards being called Africans. This showed how important it was to them to not be known as “blacks” or “slaves” they wanted to be known as their true
identity.
The Vesey abolitionist movement in Charleston, South Carolina is one of the biggest events on a white supremacist terrorist attack in history. The first African Episcopal church in America just so happened to be the location of this terror attack. This church is where the African Americans came to get away from the outside world to refresh mentally and spiritually. Dylan Ruth who was the terrorist disturbed their meeting place. This is a extremely bad racist act on a dumb white supremacists trying to get back at the African Americans. There is no reason for this action. This event can teach us many things which are the basics of respecting others property. Just because someone is a different color than you or has a different religion that does not mean you have the right to.
This book does an incredible job of describing the life of a slave and all the troubles they went through. Not only was their physical life miserable but their mental life was affected as well. These poor enslaved people were whipped, malnutritioned, and their families were torn apart. This outlines the transformations of the true African identity. I believe more people should read this book and the reader will understand the true value of what the African culture is to the Africans. They are an ethnicity not just a race. Today's racism problems are bigger than life and need to solved and equality needs to be enforced all over.