Introduction
Over the years, there have been records of shootings that targeted a particular race or religion. Both the police and the general public have perpetuated crimes based on racial prejudice. Further, statistics show that black people have a lower salary rate compared to white people (Craig, 2014). It can, thus, be argued that a majority of the stated discriminatory issues that are witnessed in contemporary society are the effects of slavery.
Two important questions that need to be answered in-depth are how and why slavery began. Nathans (2017) notes that the concept of slavery is often misunderstood. According to Craig (2014), slavery can be traced back to 1860 BC. Interestingly, history confirms that slavery is tied to economic factors as opposed to social factors. In 1860 BC, slavery was more common in Mesopotamia, due to largescale farming. On the same note, it can be argued that the history of slavery is closely tied to racism, where one race believes they are more superior to other races. Indeed, slaves were considered property and not people. They could be bought or traded just like farm animals.
Indeed, in a broader sense, slavery can also be a state of mind. Its effects have elements of discrimination and abuse of rights. Contemporary society has been flawed by issues that have a stable relationship with the history of slavery. The school of thought that was embraced during the subterranean slavery period still exists in modern society. With each era, there were different fights for equality. Such struggles for equality continue to be witnessed in this day and age. Creating a link between the contemporary societal snags and slavery can help us understand how to deal with the said issues.
Slavery and the Contemporary Society
People of color are discriminated against based on their history. It is common that people of color have to struggle before they can live in a particular gated community or their children can attend certain prestigious schools. It can be argued that many of the problems in contemporary society are dependent on historical events such as slavery. For example, many manufacturing companies in the US outsource the workforce from China. In China, on the other hand, the workforce is generally overworked with meager pay. Additionally, the working environment is rarely suitable. It can be argued that this is a form of contemporary slavery.
The economy of the world is another example that can be used to explain the phenomenon. Many underdeveloped nations have been victims of exploitation from the more developed countries. It is worthy to note that in the slavery era, many slaves were from the now ‘less developed’ countries. Colonization, which was a form of slavery, ensured that the developed countries (made up mainly of Caucasians) took advantage of the less developed countries (made up primarily of people of color) of their resources.
Conclusion
It can be argued that slavery ended in the 19th century. Indeed, it is arguable that the traditional form of slavery is no longer practiced in contemporary society. By definition, servitude refers to the ability to buy, sell, and use people for personal gain while denying them their rights (Nathans, 2017). However, modern-day society still experiences the effects of slavery. Additionally, modern forms of slavery have also arisen, based on the past.
References
Craig, G. (2014). Modern slavery in the UK: The contribution of research. Journal of Poverty & Social Justice, 22(2), 159-164.
Nathans, H. S. (2017). Crooked histories: Re-presenting race, slavery, and Alexander Hamilton onstage. Journal of the Early Republic, 37(2), 271-278.