Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has affirmed his commitment to preserving Confederate history, specifically defending the restoration of a Confederate monument in Arlington National Cemetery. This monument, the Moses Ezekiel Confederate Memorial, has been criticized for its romanticized and sanitized depiction of the Confederacy and slavery. Hegseth’s stance is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to reinstate Confederate symbols within the government. This decision has been met with opposition from those who believe these symbols whitewash the history of slavery.
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Harvard University’s 2022 report, “Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery,” detailed the institution’s extensive ties to the transatlantic slave trade and launched an initiative to identify living descendants of those enslaved by Harvard affiliates. Richard Cellini, tasked with leading this genealogical research, uncovered nearly 500 living descendants, prompting concerns from university administrators who allegedly sought to limit the number identified. This led to Cellini’s dismissal and the project’s redirection, raising questions about the university’s commitment to full transparency and reconciliation. Jordan Lloyd, a descendant discovered through this research, now grapples with the emotional complexities of her newly uncovered family history and the university’s response.
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The recent statement by a conservative influencer advocating for the reinstatement of slavery if the majority in a state desires it has sparked outrage and disgust across social media platforms. The blatant disregard for human rights and the lack of empathy displayed in such a statement is not only shocking but deeply troubling. The nonchalant attitude of “What do I give a shit” in response to the horrors of slavery is a clear reflection of the selfish and morally bankrupt mentality that seems to permeate segments of society.
The notion that taking away someone else’s rights is justifiable as long as it doesn’t directly impact oneself is a dangerous mindset that can lead to grave injustices.… Continue reading
Reading about Fawzia Amin Sido’s harrowing story of being kidnapped by ISIS at just 11 years old and forced into a life of unimaginable horrors is a stark reminder of the atrocities that innocent individuals endure in conflict-stricken regions. The fact that she was trafficked from Iraq to Gaza, where she was essentially held captive, is abhorrent and highlights the dark underbelly of human trafficking and slavery that still persists in our world today.
To think that a young girl, robbed of her childhood and innocence, was subjected to such unspeakable acts is beyond comprehension. The trauma she must have experienced is unimaginable, and the long-lasting effects on her mental and emotional well-being are likely profound.… Continue reading
As I reflect on the recent news of Mississippi Governor Reeves proclaiming Confederate Heritage Month, I can’t help but feel a sense of disbelief and disappointment. How can a state in the 21st century still be celebrating a heritage rooted in racism, slavery, and treason? It’s baffling to me that in a country as diverse and progressive as the United States, there are still people clinging to a past that represents the worst aspects of humanity.
The Confederacy was a failed traitorous uprising that lasted a mere four years, yet Governor Reeves and others are intent on glorifying this dark chapter in American history.… Continue reading
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-economic-history/article/abs/long-shadow-of-slavery-the-persistence-of-slave-owners-in-southern-lawmaking/98B62393860C0F1B5A6E3A9F870F8C61
Cotton was still an important crop, even if they couldn’t produce at the same ridiculously high margins as when they had slaves working the fields. If you still had the cotton fields then you still had a means of accumulating wealth (and thus power). They also had the wealth accumulated during legal slavery, wealth creates more wealth. They had wealth to buy slaves and farmlands before ie they were wealthy to begin with. The georgia colony trustees didnt give out 5000 acre plots of land on the savannah river to colonists from english debtors prisons.
Here, the settlers would have to conform to Oglethorpe’s plan, in which there was no elected assembly.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood