Scholars discussed Britain’s rationale for suppressing the slave trade. Many dismissed lofty idealism and scruple-driven humanitarianism as depicted in the critically acclaimed film, “Amazing Grace,” as the reason the trade was abolished.
“There are various schools of thought. You have the humanitarian impulse. Some will argue the British abolished the slave trade because they were humanitarians, but that isn’t true. They were not being altruistic. There were some economic imperatives involved,” Kargbo said.
Attendees were charged by panelists to use a global scope in their research of the African experience. “If we do not understand the global impact of the trade of enslaved Africans, then we do not understand the world,” said Dr. Sheila Walker, executive director for Afro Diaspora Inc., a non-profit organization.
“We don’t know [about all] of where we are or the impact of the cultural contributions the descendents of Africans have made in the locations they are found. We must understand the cultural ramification of the African presence globally,” Walker said.
--Michelle J. Nealy
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