Today we're listening to 1619 Episode 2: The Economy That Slavery Built. I promise we aren't just listening to 1619 for this challenge, but this episode is really important to understand the institution of slavery, and how the US valued (or, did NOT value) Black lives. By 1860 there were over 4 million enslaved people, ~15% of the US population but making up more than 1/3 of the population of The South.
In his accompanying essay "In Order to Understand the Brutality of American Capitalism, You Have to Start On The Plantation", guest host Matthew Desmond says:
“Those searching for reasons the American economy is uniquely severe and unbridled have found answers in many places (religion, politics, culture). But recently, historians have pointed persuasively to the gnatty fields of Georgia and Alabama, to the cotton houses and slave auction blocks, as the birthplace of America’s low-road approach to capitalism.”
Reflection Questions (feel free to comment here, join the conversation on Instagram, or journal):
- What is one thing you learned from this episode?
- What is one thing that surprised you?
- What current systems reflect the practices developed to support industries built on the work of enslaved people?
- How does this compare to what you learned about slavery previously? What is different? What is the same?
Links
1619 Episode 2
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