Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in Precolonial West Africa

Slave trade would remain one of the major ugly historical experiences on the African continent. Forceful arrest, sale and evacuation across the Atlantic Ocean to the new world was the hall-mark of slavery and slave trade from the 15th to the 19th century when the practice was abolished when colonial rule was imposed on the African continent. Over 400 years of continuous arrest, sale and evacuation of able and very agile men and women from the African continent. They were taken to the new world to work on plantations and other high energy consuming activities. This experience contributed immensely to the underdevelopment of Africa (Rodney, 1973). This is because if those able bodied and agile Africans were left on the continent, they would have contributed significantly to the development of the continent. Problems of racial discrimination and inequality in the world, may not have risen if slavery and slave trade was not practiced.
The people of West Africa were the major victims of Trans-Atlantic slave trade, many who were forcefully arrested, sold and evacuated from the continent to the new world have their off springs grappling with the problem of identity. Because identity is a problem to them, they are often confronted with the problem of racism and racial abuse in the west. Trans-Atlantic slave trade didn't consider identity of the people as an important aspect of their lives, people were just assembled together from different villages and towns across west Africa and evacuated via ship to the new world to work on plantations and other energy sapping activities.
Africa has not been adequately compensated for this heinous crime of over four centuries of slavery and slave trade across the Atlantic. Big plantations which African energies and expertise were dissipated and exploited remains the foundation of development and growth of the west. Issue of reparations to Africa cannot be glossed over because every African child breathes the inequality, injustice and heinous crime against humanity perpetrated against their forebears. There is an aphorism which states that: to err is human, but to forgive is divine. Of course, Africa can forgive, but proper reparation is the first step toward forgiveness which must be done.