—Hubert
and Jim are talking privately. Hubert hosts a PBS-type genealogy show,
where he traces the ancestry of famous people. Jim is a star quarterback
on an NFL team. Both men are black.
HUBERT:
Jim, I wanted to go over a few issues before we tape the show. First, I
don’t know whether you realize slavery was widespread on the African
continent long before the white man ever showed up.
JIM: What?
HUBERT: That’s right. This is widely acknowledged among historians. There’s no question about it.
JIM: Black men holding black slaves?
HUBERT: Yes. For many, many centuries. In Africa.
JIM: I had no idea.
HUBERT: Many people don’t. But there it is.
JIM: I’m glad you told me. If you hadn’t, I would have been really shocked…on the show.
HUBERT:
Yes. Now in your case, as far back as we could go, we know that a male
ancestor of yours was, in fact, a slave to a black slave holder in
Nubia.
JIM: Really?
HUBERT: Yes. I wanted to prepare you for that.
JIM: He was…a black man who was a slave to another black man.
HUBERT: Yes. Within a whole black community.
JIM: Wow.
HUBERT:
But that’s not all. You see, at some point, that slave holder sold him
to a white man, and he was brought to America. So really, he was a slave
twice.
JIM: No.
HUBERT: Yes. This was the case with many slaves brought to America. They were already slaves in Africa.
JIM: No.
HUBERT:
I’m afraid so. The whole situation was mixed. Some African slaves sold
to white men were already slaves in Africa, and some slaves had
previously been free.
JIM: This is hard to…swallow.
HUBERT:
In your case, your ancestor had already been a slave in Africa for
about fifteen years. Then his black slave holder sold him to a white
trader, and he was brought to America.
JIM:
I’m…I don’t know. This is so weird. I mean, he was already a slave? So
when he was sold to a white man, he wasn’t free? He was already a slave?
HUBERT:
That’s correct. Now, you have an option here, Jim. All this is going to
come out on the show, in an hour. But you don’t have to do the show. We
can cancel it. We have other shows already taped. It’s not a problem.
JIM: I don’t have to do the show?
HUBERT: And In that case, everything I just told you about your ancestor will remain completely private and confidential.
JIM: I see.
HUBERT: It won’t become a problem.
JIM: You know, I mean, you have the facts. So whatever they are, I guess we should go ahead.
HUBERT:
Really? You’re sure? When viewers realize a black man brought to
America was already a slave in Africa, held there by another black man…
JIM: No. That’s okay. Let’s do it.
HUBERT: You’re sure?
JIM: Yes.
HUBERT:
Actually, I was hoping you wouldn’t say that. Then we have a situation.
The producers and the network have already said the show can’t be
taped. Can’t air.
JIM: Really? Because…...
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