Accurate as the headline is, I prefer the dignity and empathy afforded by a phrase like "Portraits of Men & Women Once Enslaved in America." Before someone rea

Accurate as the headline is, I prefer the dignity and empathy afforded by a phrase like "Portraits of Men & Women Once Enslaved in America." Before someone reacts with a kneejerk cry of "political correctness," think about the difference between giving someone an identity ("Slave") and describing their situation ("enslaved"). The first time I heard people described as "enslaved" rather than "slaves," it made me reflect on how we can dehumanize people instead of empathizing with them, and imagining what it would be like to be in their situation. Looking into the eyes of these men and women, I'm given to reflect on how little time most of us, certainly myself, spend outside our own experiences and social circles. As Americans, we all owe a debt of gratitude, remorse, and atonment to our ancestors that were treated with such inhumane violence and bondage.