As a historian, I echo Obarima Kwaku Mensah's very brief but useful explanation below about indigenous slavery among the Asante people (or Ashantis). However, I learned a lot more from my own research about the topic of indigenous enslavement and comparative slavery (studying with Jamaican-born Professor Olando Patterson of Harvard University). Interviewing several Asante royal family members and chieftains (including the current Nana Juabenhene, who buried History Professor Albert Adu-Boahen with honor and fanfare at Juaben, Ashanti Region), I was shocked to learn that most of those ensalved in Asante (or Ashanti) areas of the former Gold Coast were ex-convicts, who had committed such heinous crimes as rape with violence (or Monaatofo, in Twi Language), armed robbery, capital murder, etc. In fact, some of these convicted persons were, allegedly, enslaved by Ashantis and, during commercial slavery, others were sold to Europeans to be taken away. I also learned that civil war captives were, instead of being killed by opposing Ashanti armies, later "pardoned" and made slaves. The issue then became: one has been convicted and sented to be hanged; does he/she like being hanged or to be enslaved?
In my own town, in Ashanti Region of Ghana, we saw some of these enslaved ex-convicts, who had names or designations like Akoa Kofi or Kwame, Donkor or Donkorba, Adwoa or Ama Moosi, et al. However, they were treated with respect, as some of them eventually married free Ashanti men and women. For example, my grandparents or elders never allowed us to refer to such enslaved or previously enslaved persons as slaves (or akoa).
Sadly, revisionist Western Historians often like to misuse the above-mentioned information to indicate that there is a lot of crime or violence among today's Blacks in the Caribbean or in Black ghettos because of the scenario of ex-convicts or criminals being sold into slavery during the Cross-Atlantic Slave Trade. In order not to buy into these unfortunate mischaracterization, I rfeused to do my master's degree thesis on the suject of indigenous enslavement. Of course, Professor Akosua Pabi (or Peri) and others in Ghana do a lot of research on the topic. By the way, one can read a lot more aout some of these slave topics in Professor Orlando Patterson's seminal book, Slavery and Social Death: Compartaive Slavery (Harvard University Press).
I also know a few things about the Osu caste system that I learned from some Igo brothers, sisters, some Osus as well as from books, but I prefer for Igbos to narrate their own story!
A.B. Assensoh, Eugene, Oregon.
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 7:26 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Henry Louis Gates is Wrong about African Involvement in the Slave Trade
That is true, according to historical accounts. But these slaves soon became citizens, married Asante women, and acquired properties. In fact, it is said that the mighty Asante army that fought and even defeated the mighty British army on a few occasions, had slave fighters and officers, who also became citizens, married Asante women, had families and properties. It is no secret that members of certain Asante royal families are descendants of former soldiers who themselves were slaves. All societies, especially the militarily successful empires, had slaves in one form or the other. But treatment of African slaves in North Americas for over 4 centuries elevated cruelty to a new level. Yes, the Asantes hasd slaves.
Kwaku Mensah
Chicago
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of OLUWATOYIN ADEPOJU
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 3:37 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Henry Louis Gates is Wrong about African Involvement in the Slave Trade
I read somewhere that the Asante used slaves in clearing the forests on which they built their communities.
Is that true?
What about the osu cast system in Igboland? To what degree were the osu not slaves? I know little about this but a pic I saw of an osu and a dibia on the Igbocybershrine blog a powerful and unforgettable pic, suggested something that reminded me of slavery.
toyin
On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 6:48 PM, Ibrahim Abdullah <ibdullah@gmail.com> wrote:
Skip gates is not bill gates. And a slave mode of production was not dominant in any african society by 1500. It became dominant and hegemonic in some societies only in nineteen century--a result of their involvement in the european slave trade.
History does not repeat itself: you do not swim in the same river twice. Agents of /in history make mistakes but it is not the historical process that is being reproduced. You cannot drink in the same cup twice!
Ib Abdullah
------
On Mar 19, 2013 10:45 AM, "Ikhide" <xokigbo@yahoo.com> wrote:
"There are some fundamental facts. First, no African kingdom used slavery as its principal mode of production. Africa has produced no economies based on slavery. It was left to Europe to create a system of slavery where humans were chattel to be used as tools in the development of wealth. Secondly, in all massive enterprises where there are oppressors and the oppressed there will be collaborators. It is no secret that some of Afriica's best minds, Fanon, Memni, Karenga, have isolated incidents of collaboration among victims of oppression. Blacks were police officers in the white minority regime of South Africa but one cannot blame apartheid on black people. So when Gates claims that Africans were involved in the slave trade one can accept this, but what one cannot accept is that Africans were equally culpable for the slave trade. Nor should one blame the Judenrats (Jewish Councils) of Germany for Nazi atrocities although they often collaborated with the Germans. Indians collaborated with the British colonialists in India and some Chinese collaborated with the Japanese in occupied China, and while there is no excuse there is certainly explanation for collaboration."
- Molefi Kete Asante
http://www.asante.net/articles/44/where-is-the-white-professor-located/
Hmmm/ It is incorrect that "no African kingdom used slavery as its principal mode of production." That is silly hagiography. There are many ways to counter Bill Gates without minimizing the role of Africans in the transatlantic slave trade. Africans are just as culpable as those that came to take away our siblings. *cycles away slowly*
- Ikhide
Stalk my blog at www.xokigbo.com
Follow me on Twitter: @ikhide
Join me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ikhide
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