SLAVERY

While driving to the WLTA meeting yesterday I heard a very interesting interview on Wisconsin Public Radio. The interview was with a gentleman who had just published a book commemorating the 200th anniversary of the British government outlawing the slave trade.

The most amazing fact that was related was that in 1807, when the law was passed 75% of the people on this planet were either slaves, indentured servants, or lived in total serfdom!! That is totally amazing. I had no clue! And slavery existed not only in the Western Hemisphere but throughout the Far East, in the Arab World, everywhere. The American Revolution and the views of our Founding Fathers are even more impressive when you consider the type of world they lived in.

Your library might consider making this 200 year anniversary a project. Young and adult alike would have much to learn. World society has made much progress in the last 200 years. But there is still much to be done in the area of human rights.

To get a feel for the true history of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade go to: http://www.antislavery.org/breakingthesilence/

To find out what is still happening relating to slavery in the 21st century, go to this groups home page at http://www.antislavery.org/