Our uncle in America, Kanye West, First of his name, Rapper and Producer, the husband of Kim Kardashian, Father of North West, a black man who is the descendants of African slaves, opened his mouth and said ‘Slavery is a choice’.

In a way, I agree and disagree with him. Firstly, let’s talk about how I disagree with that statement. The white man coming to Africa, stealing and imprisoning men and women and turning them into labourers without civil rights wasn’t much of a choice for the African slaves. If they didn’t succumb and do what they were told to do they would have been killed or tossed into the sea. Researchers claim that there are thousands of Negro bodies on the seabeds of the Atlantic ocean, bodies of the Africans tossed overboard, the Africans who tried to rebel when being brought to America.

How do I agree with Uncle Kanye that slavery is a choice? Well, the 2018 black Americans still shout slavery till date. They talk about being oppressed and talk about how the system is against them and how the system doesn’t want them to win. They teach their kids that the sky is the limit for a black man and succeeding is for mostly the white people. Then, Africans migrate to the US and face the same racism the black Americans faces and still excels. They face the same police brutality and systematic oppression the black Americans face and still they come out on top while the black Americans still sit and blame their failure on racism and the system being against them. That in a way is slavery (of the mind) and it is a choice the Black Americans choose to dwell on.

Agreed their ancestors were enslaved and raped, yes it would have some lasting effects on them. Until they choose to move on and stop believing the system is against them, they will forever remain slaves and Africans who migrate to the US will outdo them in their own country as it is already happening. So technically, Kanye was right. Slavery is a choice.