Via Flickr
In 1566 in England, a Black man named Edward Swarthye WHIPPED a white man. You might think that, especially because the white man’s complaint went to trial, Swarthye would face intense consequences.
But that’s not what happened.
The complaint was not against Swarthye, but against the men’s employer - who had ordered the whipping. Swarthye had higher status than the other man, was just following orders, and wasn’t in trouble!
For hundreds of years, Black Africans lived and moved through Europe as free men, some occupying high positions in court and among the nobility.
Race relations in much of Europe in the past weren’t NEARLY as contentious as we’ve been taught.
Records exist of hundreds of Black artists, musicians, generals, religious figures, philosophers, scientists, and doctors who lived and worked in Europe for centuries.
All this was long before the creation of the United States, and race-based chattel slavery would forever change the world’s understanding of race.
American history books want you to believe that Black people are nothing but slaves. But the history of Africa, with its incredible civilizations and accomplishments, and Europe, with a diverse array of free Black people, teaches us the truth!