The Choices That Built a System. "Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi"

"By Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi"

More than 20 Africans, kidnapped by Portuguese forces from what is now Angola, arrived in Virginia in 1619. Brought on the English ship White Lion, they became the first recorded Africans in England’s American colonies. Among them were Anthony and Isabela, whose son William became the first African child born in North America.

That moment marked the beginning of a tragedy that would expand into the transatlantic slave trade, with nearly 15 million Africans eventually carried to the Americas before slavery ended.

I was struck recently while watching Mayor of Kingstown. In one scene, Mariam Mslusky tells her class this very story and poses a haunting question:

If those Africans had not been kidnapped, would the need for slaves have arisen at all?

It is a question that cuts deep. Was slavery inevitable? Or did human greed, fear, and exploitation create a system that might never have existed otherwise?

History shows us that forced labor existed long before the White Lion arrived at Point Comfort, yet the scale and cruelty of American chattel slavery were not simply about “need” but about choice. A choice made by colonists who could have pursued other paths, paid labor, indentured service, or innovation.

Mariam’s question reminds us that injustice does not just happen. It is constructed. Decisions made in one moment can ripple across centuries, shaping destinies for millions.

Today, when we see systemic injustice, we must ask ourselves: what choices are we making? Are we perpetuating systems because they seem inevitable, or are we bold enough to imagine alternatives rooted in dignity, equality, and justice?

History cannot be undone, but the future has not yet been written. The lesson of 1619 is not only about what was lost but also about what can still be gained if we dare to choose differently.

With Peace and Love

"Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi"

Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi