Traces of Trade

I thought Traces of Trade was an excellent film about the American slave trade. I was always aware that the slave trade was a business, but I didn't realize what a huge business it was. The town of Bristol was basically based around the slave trade. If I remember correctly there was a woman in the film who said that basically everyone was part of the slave trade in some way. It horrible to think people thought it was acceptable to subject others to the slave trade, but I guess they only saw it as a business. How can someone take away all human values and use a human being as a idem of commerce?

I don't know how people are going to take this, but I don't understand how giving reparations is suppose to make up for the past. Whenever you hear about reparations, it always seems like after reparations are given everything is ok, and I just don’t get it. I also don’t understand why they are given to begin with, how does some money make everything ok again? Again I’m not sure how people are going take this but I just don’t feel reparations should be given, and I don’t see how it makes everything better.

It was very noble of Katrina and the others to follow the route of the slave trade and visit where the slaves came from. They went there feeling sorry for things their ancestors did, but I find it weird that the decedents of the slaves almost acted hostilely toward them. They still hated them because of things their ancestors did. Yes, the slave trade was horrible, but Katrina and the others had nothing to do with it. It’s almost as if Katrina and her party were forced into being guilty just because they were white. I hope people don't take this the wrong way like I am arguing that the slaves trade was justified, I just wanted to talk about it from a different perspective.