Slave and Slavery vs. The Enslavement and Enslaved Person — Emancipating Semantics

…it is about time the United States emancipated the semantics of these terms and stopped playing racially linguistic games designed to dumb down, put to sleep, and gaslight the nation.

When people try to justify American slavery or enslavement, whether for academic research or casual conversation, they often rely on the argument that slavery has existed for thousands of years. However, this argument can make slavery seem less significant in history. Additionally, there are references and stories about white people being held as slaves throughout history, which can also diminish the impact of American slavery on African people who were forcibly brought to these shores many generations ago.

It should be evident that slavery was a significant issue in American history, especially considering its role in causing the Civil War. However, some liberal white Americans tend to shy away from discussing the cruelty of slave owners, even if they acknowledge the link between slavery and the war. Conversely, more Americans than commonly believed argue that the war was about states’ rights, and they may choose to keep their opinions to themselves or express them openly. In an article in the Washington Post called, “Lots of Americans don’t think slavery caused the Civil War,”[1] John Sides…