3 ms·
>The connection strengthened when, at some point, probably in the late 1700s, European and American ships started taking the West Africans aboard to serve as pi
by alboy 6y ago
>The connection strengthened when, at some point, probably in the late 1700s, European and American ships started taking the West Africans aboard to serve as pilots, interpreters or scouts.
The fact that the author nonchalantly omits the part about those services being performed originally aboard slaver ships and then fast-forwards a century makes the article seem like an exercise in framing. Which is a shame, the history of Sierra Leone is fascinating stuff.
- x86_64Ubuntu 6y agoFraming in what way?
- wahern 6y agoPresumably that the Kroomen were anti-slavery, and more generally black saviors, which are typical themes (along with their antitheses if your beliefs skew a little more anachronistic) of American literature on African culture and history. The author left it conspicuously ambiguous whether the Kroomen previously assisted slavers. AFAICT from a brief Google search, in earlier years Kroomen didn't just trade with slavers but also assisted them in their activities--possibly even going so far as being purchasing agents[1]. Which is unsurprising. Africans' relationship with slavery was different, to say the least, than Americans' comparatively simple, black and white, relationship. [1] Though I'm a little skeptical. I didn't have the time to dive down deeper into the material. The urge to blame Africans' for slavery arises from the same sort of biased American perspective as the urge to create black saviors.
- alboy 6y agoThe Kroomen acted essentially as guns (oars?) for hire but the author tries his best not to let that get in the way of presenting them as "black slaver hunters". They were strongly opposed to their own enslavement, but not the idea of slavery itself. This article paints a group of people with a unique ethno-occupational identity as some sort of old-timey Black Panthers. Unsurprisingly, the author is American.
- x86_64Ubuntu 6y agoI'm kind of confused about where you get the comment "They were strongly opposed to their own enslavement, but not the idea of slavery itself" The article never really speaks about them being opposed to one and not the other. There seems to be some anxiety on your part concerning the subject matter, and you are reading things that simply aren't there. Especially when you complain about some sort of American-centrism, but then reference the Black Panther which is a US organization.
- alboy 6y ago>The article never really speaks about them being opposed to one and not the other. "The history of anti-slavery patrolling is at the essence of what made a Krooman a Krooman." Right.
- x86_64Ubuntu 6y agoThat line doesn't prove the point you are trying to make. Where does it say they are opposed to one and not the other??