African Slave Trade

Modern day griot (storyteller) Bill Pinkney, the first African-American to sail solo around the world in 1992, and later honored as captain of the Amistad America in 2000, set out with a group of teachers and students in 1999 to retrace the African slave trade routes. In Africans Become Slaves for the New World, the opening episode of this 5-part series (one hour total), Pinkney tells viewers that Africa was rich in history and traditions (without sharing examples of either) prior to the arrival of the European nations, such as Portugal and Spain, which initially traded goods for gold and ivory and, beginning in the 17th century, human slaves. Interview clips featuring academics (including one professor from Ghana, whose interesting comments on the relationship between internal and external slavery in Africa are difficult to understand due to her heavy accent) are intercut with overlaid narration and scenes of Pinkney visiting Cape Coast Castle (a waystation for slaves where as many as 200 unfortunate souls were squeezed into a dank, dark room) and Goree Island, where slaves waited to be transported onto transatlantic ships. Unfortunately, the target audience of grades 5-8 is unlikely to garner a coherent picture from this somewhat disorganized presentation, with its almost complete lack of onscreen maps and orienting graphics, and extremely abrupt summary-less ending. Educators may still want to consider, however, for the wide ranging scope of the series, whose other titles are Journey to the New World, Becoming a Slave in Brazil, Becoming a Slave in South Carolina and Becoming a Slave in Canada, as well as the detailed study guides included with each program. Optional. Aud: I, J. (R. Pitman)