Most people think they know Black history because they can name a few moments, recognize a handful of dates, and recall a few speeches they were taught mattered. And yet, many of those same people are consistently surprised by the present, by backlash, by retrenchment, and by how fragile progress actually turns out to be.

The Amistad revolt is often remembered as a dramatic episode in abolitionist history. Yet, it also stands as a powerful moment when international law was put to the test. In 1839, a group of kidnapped Africans seized control of the Spanish ship La Amistad, challenging not only their illegal captivity but also the legal systems that claimed to govern such matters.

In 1781, a British slave ship named the Zong threw more than one hundred and thirty enslaved Africans into the Atlantic Ocean. This was not an accident or a tragedy of the sea. It was a calculated decision made by the crew to preserve their water supply, but more importantly, to protect their financial interests.

When people say "Africans sold Africans," they often try to erase the massive imbalance of power and scale. This phrase ignores the structure that shaped individual choices and the broader system engineered by European powers.