Monday, March 7, 2011
Slaves For Sale
This advertisement makes me think. I look at this advertisement and find it almost unbelievable, especially because of the time period I've been raised in. Growing up, slavery was not enforced and actually was long gone, but this one advertisement almost belittles me, even though I don't even know what it feels like to be an African American, back in those days. To think that human beings, African Americans, the same people we see on the daily basis at local stores, jobs and school, were being sold, period is probably the most disturbing of all of the slavery images I have seen. To think that with &1200 dollars I can buy a Macbook and back then, you could have bought me with that same money, strikes a nerve. It's so weird to think humans were equivalent to mere objects. There was a time when human beings shared the worth of a laptop...not even a luxury car or a home, or even a used car, but just a lap top. There's actually lap tops out there worth more than the costs of slaves back then. There was actually a time when this existed and these very advertisements were considered normal, and actually people could be bought, sold, and traded. No human life is equal to money. A human's life is far more valuable and precious than anything that money can buy. It is a life, given by the divine that no one should be able to sell, buy or trade. But it did happen and it was actually considered normal at one point in time. Though this image is moving to me, and a bit disturbing, I can also be happy to know that this cruelty and unreal advertisement no longer exists and human life means much more than mere $1200 now. 
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I found this to be a very information photograph, and an inspiration for my contribution to this blog. It always sends chills down my spine just looking at this picture, and it fills with my heart with sadness. Some will argue that every person has his or her price, but what about his or her own freedom, independence, and self-respect? There are so many productive things one can do with the sum of $1200. I know if I had that sort of money, I would either save it up, spend it on something productive, or donate it to charity. The language used on this poster is downright degrading, and even the picture seems to be a tad bit stereotypical. This photograph also shows how low the value of a fellow human being was. These little details can really say a lot about how corrupt society was in the times of slavery. As much as it pains me to look at something like this, it is important to see it, and to understand it. It is very interesting to say the least. By understanding things like this to its fullest potential, we can work hard to prevent repeating a horrible event in history like slavery.
ReplyDeleteI really love this post. To believe that slave for sale is still going on in a more skillful way is what saddens my heart the most. These days, slave traders recruit in bus and railway stations. They look for bright eyed youngsters, newly arrived and ready for work. These youngsters get tricked, almost kidnapped and turned into slaves through threats or violence.
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