Africans Quote by Thomas Sowell
““It takes no more research than a trip to almost any public library or college to show the incredibly lopsided coverage of slavery in the United States or in the Western Hemisphere, as compared to the meager writings on even larger number of Africans enslaved in the Islamic countries of the Middle East and North Africa, not to mention the vast numbers of Europeans also enslaved in centuries past in the Islamic world and within Europe itself. At least a million Europeans were enslaved by North African pirates alone from 1500 to 1800, and some Europeans slaves were still being sold on the auction blocks in the Egypt, years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed blacks in the United States.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Black Rednecks and White Liberals, 2005
The quote highlights the disproportionate focus on American slavery in Western scholarship while neglecting extensive slavery in Islamic regions and European victims.
In simple terms: Western history often overlooks non‑American slavery.
Key Takeaway
Broaden research to include all slavery contexts.
Themes
history
bias
slavery
education
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
historical
educational
When to use this quote
- academic curricula
- public lectures
- museum exhibits
- policy discussions
Key Concepts
colonialism
historical narrative
global perspective
Questions to Reflect On
- How can curricula be rebalanced?
- What sources reveal overlooked slavery?
A Different Perspective
Limited sources may still underrepresent some regions.
