The journey from Portugal to the Caribbean was brutal. Whites had illegally crammed more than 300 kidnapped Africans onto the slave ship “Arrogante” in 1837 – a year AFTER slavery had been abolished!
When authorities captured the ship, they learned disturbing details about its time at sea.
Captured just off the coast of Cuba, the Arrogante's sailors were caught with more than blood on their hands. A cruel act was described by those who had survived.
The formerly enslaved survivors reported witnessing a heinous, disgusting act. The Portuguese sailors had killed an enslaved person, cooked him, and served the meat to the other kidnapped people on the ship!
Cannibalism has historically been considered an indication of an "uncivilized people" – something Europeans have always tried to frame Africans as. Yet here they were, savagely eating humans and getting away with it!
Although the Arrogante is the only officially documented case of cannibalism, some scholars argue that history has severely downplayed white barbarism during the Middle Passage.
History books have always tried to minimize the realities of enslavement beyond it being forced labor. It was often so much more sinister.
We must continue to be resilient while recognizing that these atrocities can manifest as deeply-rooted trauma in descendants today. Having compassion for each other and ourselves is crucial to our continued fight for liberation.