But Slavery Was So Long Ago -T-Shirt-

Recently, we were commissioned to create a piece of art that gives an account of America's history with slavery. This graphic tattoo is a timeline that highlights key points in Slavery of the African Diaspora in America. A timeline that is too very often dismissed and disregarded. "...but slavery was sooo long ago." We've heard this quote over and over throughout the course of modern American history. In an attempt to urge black people to "move on" and to recognize just how good they have it in America, this dismissive and tone deaf statement attempts to transform relatively recent history into ancient history or myth. However, when looking at this graphic, it is very clear that American slavery and segregation was not so long ago. In fact, it is very possible to have conversations with many African Americans who have vivid memories of Jim Crow South and the racist and subversive practices in the North. America cannot escape its past. This country's history is stained with the blood of thousands and its foundation built on the backs of enslaved men, women and children. America's complete history cannot be told without including the horrors of slavery and its long-lasting effects. The enslavement of African peoples by Europeans began in 1441 with Prince Henry the Navigator of Spain. However, because this tattoo is specific to the enslavement of the African Diaspora in America and because it includes American segregation, we felt that it did not make sense to include a full timeline of the entire diaspora.