Just another point about the apparent absence of racial solidarity when
Africans enslave "fellow Africans," etc. Throughout recorded history,
members of the same "race" have been known to slaughter each other with
abandon; occasionally the carnage has crossed racial lines as well, but
the prevailing pattern has been antagonism toward, not solidarity with,
one's near or somewhat distant neighbors. Certainly from medieval times
on, we see Europeans ("whites") warring with other Europeans, Africans
("blacks") doing the same with other Africans, native Americans ("reds"?)
with other native Americans, and so forth. Expecting to see solidarity
instead of antagonism *within* any given racial grouping is ahistorical.
"African" and "black" were not meaningful categories for the many diverse
peoples of that vast continent. Tribal and religious identities did
matter. Ditto Europe and the Americas.


Douglas Deal
Professor of History
State University of New York at Oswego
Oswego, NY 13126
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(315)-312-3441

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