Black Women Slave Owners and Traders in Africa

The movie The Woman King is about female warriors of a fictional African kingdom. The story makes heroes of them. But it is based on the historical existence of an all-female army in the kingdom of Dahomey, and in reality the women were savagely evil. They captured and sold hundreds of thousands of members of rival tribes into slavery. Many of the slaves were shipped to Brazil. The British Navy sometimes succeeded in intercepting the slave ships and setting the captives free in the Bahamas.

Daniel Greenfield writes about the real history:

Edited Quote:
A British embargo of Dahomey and pressure on Brazil and Portugal proved especially effective in finally shutting down the slave trade.

Frederick Forbes, a British naval officer – visiting Dahomey to try persuading the monarch to stop trading slaves - described “guards of amazons” following in a procession behind a member of the [male] king of Dahomey’s harem, some using umbrellas to shade her. One such umbrella was “decorated with 148 human jaw bones”.

When wealthy Dahomeyans were dying, they took wives and slaves with them as human sacrifices. Large scale mass sacrifices were practiced, including the brutal and horrifying killings of hundreds to thousands of slaves to honor Dahomey’s monstrous monarchs.

One account from 1860 presented in Parliament described how “a great pit has been dug which is to contain human blood enough to float a canoe. 2000 persons will be sacrificed on this occasion.” Those killed were captives from other tribes. “The young people among these prisoners will be sold into slavery, and the old persons will be killed [by being chopped up] at the great custom.”

Later the British imperialists also fought to stop the land traffic in slaves through Egypt and to the Muslim Middle East. They were successful until the end of colonialism. Then the slave trade revived. So now again cargoes of enslaved human beings are worked to death – in Qatar for example – just as they were before the days of European imperialism.

1 Like

image

Female (and a few male, and a child) warriors of Dahomey

1 Like

The White Man’s Burden
by Rudyard Kipling

Take up the White Man’s burden -
Send forth the best ye breed -
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives’ need;
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild -
Your new-caught sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child.

Take up the White Man’s burden -
In patience to abide
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple,
An hundred times made plain,
To seek another’s profit,
And work another’s gain.

Take up the White Man’s burden -
The savage wars of peace -
Fill full the mouth of famine
And bid the sickness cease;
And when your goal is nearest
The end for others sought,
Watch Sloth and heathen Folly
Bring all your hopes to nought.

Take up the White Man’s burden -
No tawdry rule of kings,
But toil of serf and sweeper -
The tale of common things.
The ports ye shall not enter,
The roads ye shall not tread,
Go make them with your living,
And mark them with your dead !

Take up the White Man’s burden -
And reap his old reward,
The blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard -
The cry of hosts ye humour
(Ah slowly !) towards the light:-
"Why brought ye us from bondage,
“Our loved Egyptian night ?”

Take up the White Man’s burden -
Ye dare not stoop to less -
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloak your weariness;
By all ye cry or whisper,
By all ye leave or do,
The silent sullen peoples
Shall weigh your Gods and you.

Take up the White Man’s burden -
Have done with childish days -
The lightly proffered laurel,
The easy, ungrudged praise.
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years,
Cold-edged with dear-bought wisdom,
The judgement of your peers.

1 Like

So once again, the truth is the exact opposite of what the left’s narrative portrays it as.
The “evil” colonialists ended up being first to stop the slave trade, and fought to stop it’s traffic by all the “people of color” who wanted to continue it!
People who were brutal savages.

1 Like

That movie is a “historical fiction” of the made-up nation of Wakanda, of Black Panther fame? That explains it, then. This is a “documentary” for people who believe that Wakanda is a real place. If Captain America is from America and that is a real place, then…

It doesn’t portray anything except make-believe in the Marvel World. And, that doesn’t translate to the real world, why should this movie? Are we upset by this because it doesn’t portray the truth of the Dahomey tribe? There is no reason it should. I thought it was based on some sort of historical figure, but misrepresented BLM purposes.

1 Like

Well put - “a documentary for people who believe Wakanda is a real place”!
Propaganda to further brainwash the ignorant.

2 Likes

The movie will mislead many people into believing a false story of the women warriors of Africa, and of Africa itself. Americans need to be informed, not misinformed, of the role of Africa in the slave trade. They need to know that to this day certain African nations hold and trade slaves.

2 Likes

Okay. It is NOT based in the fictional kingdom of Wakanda, which is a Marvel creation for Black Panther.

It IS based on the Agojie that protected the Kingdom of Dahomy.

The initial post needs correcting.

That said, yes it will influence people, especially black women. It will move them emotionally and it will inspire them. It is heavily fictionalized and romanticized. It is like many movies that have white characters that are based on a true story, but is heavily fictionalized and romanticized. It is Hollywood and that is what they do the vast majority of the time.

If it is okay for white characters and for Western Civilization, then it is okay for black characters and African Civilization. You can disagree and complain all you want, but it is a movie, not a documentary, and there is no ruling that movies must not mislead people either intentionally or unintentionally.

1 Like

Yes, and Hollywood has been taking advantage of that and misleading people intentionally pretty much ever since they got started.
Even Charlie Chaplin was a commie!

2 Likes

I’ve removed the reference to Wakanda. I know nothing about it and made a mistake. Thanks for the correction. It was not a main point of the post.

As for complaining, I wouldn’t think of doing such a thing. Perish the thought!

I look forward to romantic Hollywood movies making heroes of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Castro and Maduro.

I read that there is already one that makes heroes of Guantanamo terrorist prisoners. No doubt it is moving and inspiring. Exactly what it will inspire makes me a little nervous. But no complaint!

1 Like

If I understand the movie plot, the heroine is a trainer and leader of an army of women, who defend their King and his Kingdom from invaders, who are white Europeans. That is what I assume that people will understand when they watch the movie. That is an inspiring movie, whether it is accurate history or not.

Using the term “romanticizing” I meant to make all seem heroic and good and brave, not hugging and kissing and falling in love.

How could these inaccurately portrayed black women warriors, who defend their country from white invaders not be inspiring to black women? Of course, IF black women knew of the accurate history of the Damony, they might be inclined to think differently, but that requires Public Service Messages that simply will not be made.

And, why should they? It is not the job of any government to destroy the illusions created by movies. If they did this to all viewing platforms, that would be totalitarian censorship. Do you understand how Elon Musk is Tony Stark? Do you understand how Iron Man inspires people that are frustrated with a feeble, corrupt government that is no longer of, for and by the people? Do you remember how Superman inspired Americans?

We don’t censor free speech except for very specific reasons. Documentaries are what you are looking for in the way of informing people of history and accuracy.

1 Like

The problem is that this movie isn’t just about “inspiring” black women. I’m willing to bet that its also about telling them to hate white people and Western civilization in general, because of “colonialism”, blah blah blah. I guarantee you it’s a vehicle for every Marxist trope in the book.

2 Likes

So…how is that more or less of a problem than other movies that we may disagree wtih?

It is what it is. We can be sickened by what a movie might inspire and what a movie hides of the truth, but that is all we can be. Should some ruling group censor movies like that?

Because we know the real history, we can be judgemental, but if we did not know the real history…what then? Why is this movie so upsetting? Should this movie be recalled and all involved be cancelled? It can be talked about by those who disapprove, but nothing else can happen, or should happen.

1 Like

Whom is the movie “upsetting”? Who has suggested censoring it?

To whom here, other than yourself, is it of importance?

I am glad to have your definition of “romanticizing”. I think I more or less guessed it.

I will look up Tony Stark. And the Iron Man. I remember Superman. I was not in America then, but I think it highly likely that he inspired Americans.

I made no suggestion as to what sort of film “should” be made, documentaries or anything else.

I have never set any limit on freedom of speech, though I advise obeying the law when it sets limits.

Against whom are you arguing? Me? For my wish that Americans be well informed about Africa? I wish we could all be well informed about everything. Not possible, of course.

1 Like

Ah, so Tony Stark was a fictitious character who was also the Iron Man.

I never met him.

Comic books were good fun for children. I enjoyed them.

I have some appreciation of fiction. I write it myself.

1 Like

Yes. Right! I think that is what it was made for.

1 Like

It’s no more of a problem than any of the other crap that passes for entertainment these days.
I guess censorship is out of the question, so boycotting it is probably the only option.
And countering it with movies that expose the truth.
I suppose to uphold free speech we must tolerate the intolerable lies of the left, which unfortunately leads to the dillemma of “tolerating the intolerant”.

1 Like

Apparently it is a problem to both you and Liz, or it seems that way to me. If not, then my comments don’t matter a bit.

The previous conversation has led me to think that there would be no initial post or comments of the movie being a “problem” or the notion that is was probably made a “a vehicle for every Marxist trope in the book” if the movie had not been about blacks to appeal to blacks. That was the “emotion” that I got from reading the comments, and thus was my response along those lines.

My fault for not comprehending that nothing, such as that, was implied in your posts. I apologize.

Comic books, Jillian, have inspired hundreds of millions of young people to be the best they can be for their country and their fellow humans. Comic books delve into the nuances of justice, of evil and the good that counters it. Comic book heroes, even the dark ones, are far better role models for children and young people than sports figures or RAP figures.

The comic book movies can be as inspiring and as controversial as current events lead them to be. Personally, I find them to be mostly inspiring and thought provoking. Although Superman has recently left out part of his motto, most everyone who knows him will always say it is to fight for “Truth, Justice and the American Way.”

Elon Musk IS Tony Stark. Let’s hope he continues to be on the side of America and the people who want to see her continue.

1 Like

And again, Liz, you are presuming that black people will get from this that white people are to be hated and killed, and I suppose that white people who see this movie will realize that they should be hated and killed. White is evil. Black is good.

This is a sad notion, which unfortunately, I find myself sharing…even though it is an incredibly racist notion. Do I truly think that black people will take this movie as fact and truth instead of a fictionalized action movie based loosely on historical events? And…simply because it is a “black movie” with black characters about a black country?

All blacks? Certainly not. Many young blacks, who might go to see it again and again? Probably so. Even those blacks that know that Captain America is totally fiction? Maybe so.

Is that my problem or theirs? Is that racist thinking or an unfortunate truth?

I guess it is our problem. But why is it more of a problem than “Zulu” or other battle movies that take sides, so to speak? Is it the times we live in or something innate about differently colored people? Were US and UK WWII movies dangerous for Germans and Japanese in their time? Were they a problem?

This is a discussion, not a condemnation. But…give comic books a chance. :upside_down_face:

2 Likes

Comic books “delve into the nuances of justice” and good and evil?

That is good to know, because the schools and universities don’t any more.

2 Likes