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Slavery

A man dressed as independence hero Jean-Jacques Dessalines in Port-au-Prince,

Haiti was the first nation to permanently ban slavery

By Reparations

Why this matters today. By Julia Gaffield, The Washington Post — Global protests in support of Black Lives Matter have systematically exposed the legacies of slavery and colonialism today. This has put many on the defensive. White people are quick to tout stories of abolition, emphasizing the path bravely forged by imperial powers like Britain and France. They diminish the realities and consequences of slavery and colonialism by demanding gratitude for ending…

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Five generations of a slave family.

American slavery: Separating fact from myth

By Reparations

By Daina Ramey Berry — People think they know everything about slavery in the United States, but they don’t. They think the majority of African slaves came to the American colonies, but they didn’t. They talk about 400 years of slavery, but it wasn’t. They claim all Southerners owned slaves, but they didn’t. Some argue it was all a long time ago, but it wasn’t. Slavery has been in the…

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Muslims of all backgrounds pray during the 2019 Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

Islam’s anti-racist message from the 7th century still resonates today

By Commentaries/Opinions

The Quran recognizes ‘no superiority of a white person over a black person.’ That notion, radical in 7th-century Arab society of slavery and tribal divides – remains unrealized 1,400 years later. By Asma Afsaruddin — One day, in Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad dropped a bombshell on his followers: He told them that all people are created equal. “All humans are descended from Adam and Eve,” said Muhammad in his last known…

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A woman takes part in a rally to mark Juneteenth on June 19 in San Francisco.

Reparations need to be part of the conversation about racial justice

By Reparations

Police violence sparked an uprising, but racial equality demands economic reforms as well. By Nichole Nelson, The Washington Post — Over the past month, protests across the country, and even the world, have erupted in response to the death of George Floyd by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. While the protests have focused on police violence, the issues of racism are deeply rooted and multifaceted. In fact, addressing police…

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