The Dominican priest Bartolom e' de Las Casas, writes historian Greg Grandin in America, Am e' rica: A New History of the New World, found truth in America rather than in Aristotle. In the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America, Las Casas discovers, everywhere, everyone is "fundamentally the same". Far from inferior, the so-called "born to be "'natural slaves'", were human. Their "skin color, hair texture, cultural practices, and religious beliefs" is evident of a "vast variety of the infinite divine".
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Equiano and Enslavement - Leg irons
(Image by ell brown from flickr) Details DMCA
In the Indians, for example, the indigenous people, Las Casas recognizes people, possessing both "free will and the ability to reason". The indigenous "could remember the past, imagine the future, estimate probabilities, and could see, hear, feel, smell, and taste".
Nonetheless, the conquerors of the New World recognized not humanity in its variety; instead, they imagined profits. Wealth. The conquerors recognized themselves atop a racial hierarchy. How could the indigenous represent humanity? The conquerors, writes Grandin, began "laying the foundation for race supremacy". The Spanish settlers and colonists, he continues "legitimate cruel killing on an unprecedented scale, forcing the riches of America-- gold, silver, pearls, dyes, and soon sugar and tobacco-- that Europe would use to gild its cathedrals, and pay for more voyages of conquest and enslavement".
The Portuguese already turning to Africa, evidence the humans there, as naturally inferior-- given their dark skin pigment.
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I suffered a heart attack on April 7, 2025, and, ever since, I've been thinking about what subject to write about next. Actually, not so much the subject. That is always about violence. And the attempt to erase it! Erase that violence in American history and, thus, erase black people. A violence repeated time and time again. Let's not forget.
The last piece I submitted here at this site, Oped News, was one already begun before that day last month. The subject is always difficult when forced to experience the violence of racism-- in your home!
I looked at the books on my shelves. I pulled out a number of books, but I decided to re-read a book I hadn't read or taught in some 15 years. I thought text on some historical event, such as slavery or conquest, would be a little much now. Three days a week, I have cardio-rehab, although my neighbors harass so much that I can't imagine the good of this effort in the long run. Particularly, if the therapist themselves can't find it in the hearts to say anything to me, except to announce the schedule for the session. Yet, I'm privy to conversations among the staff and the patients. I'm the only black in the room during this morning session!
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