By Nicholas Gochai.
Zimbabwe. (News of The South) – JUNETEETH – Freedom Day March on June 19 marks the end of slavery in the United States about 150 years ago.
The first European countries to engage in slavery back in the 16th Century were Portugal, Spain, Britain, among others.
Among some of the reasons for the proliferation of slave trade were a precarious shortage in slave labour in the West Indies, Carribean regions, Britain and other regions to the north.
The main sources of slave labour were West Africa, West Central Africa and Eastern Africa.
From its advent, slavery is about 600 years old with recipient countries largely benefiting in areas such as Industrial Revolution, innovation, military prowess, religious manipulation, constitutional framework supremacy, among others.
But in an unprecedented move a white military officer, Major-General Gordon Granger, read General Order No. 3 to the people of Galveston. It stated:
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.
‘This involves an absolute7 equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.
“The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages.
“They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere,” he said.
But were pronouncements made by General Granger and constitutional reforms towards the emancipation of blacks in America and Europe acceptable.
Recently in the United States, manifestations of segregation against blacks (George Flyod and Rayshard Brookes) reared their ugly head in the wanton killing of two blackmen by white law enforcement agents.
The two white police officers and their accomplices are now being charged with culpable homicide.
The demonstrations were accompanied by widespread riots by the black community and other sympathisers of all racial persuasions across the globe who thought racial segregation had no place in the New World Order.
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