J u s t ice De n i e d
J u s t ice
De n i e d
An agonised debate wracked society around awith little models of prostrate humans,
couple of hundred years ago. The Crown, jiggling and juggling them until every
church, government and middle classes available space on every possible deck was
pretended to search their consciences, arguedfilled. They launched new vessels that could
forcibly and offered evidence to back their carry even greater numbers of slaves. It
views. In reality, it was a one-sided argument translated into millions of human souls being
and they soon reached unanimous agreement, chained, motionless, side by side in the
with a collective sigh of relief. It was official –festering dark of a stinking ship’s hold for
black people didn’t have souls. More than that, weeks on end. More than two million
they would benefit from the discipline of hardbecame sick or died en route and were
labour provided for them by Christian masters.simply tossed into the Atlantic’s waves. Those
who struggled for their lives were jettisoned
Quite coincidentally, of course, those samewith their chains still attached.
people – the Crown, church, government and
middle classes – were all deeply involved inIn West Africa, slave traders continued to
the ownership or transportation of slaves andplunder villages, yoking the inhabitants by
the economic fortunes of the country werethe neck in long lines of misery. In the
inextricably linked with slavery. colonies, plantation owners continued to
divide families, beat, abuse and work to
The outcome was predictable and it wasdeath the people over whom they had
business as usual. Ships’ architects playedcomplete and total control. Slaves were
branded, tortured, burnt alive and the
Tony Wardle is a journalist,strongest males and females were forced to
writer and award-winningprocreate, their children being taken away
TV producer and helped to for sale as young as five years old.
found Viva!. He is now its
associate director and edits In Bristol, Liverpool and other slave
its magazine Viva!Lifeand transporting sea towns, the monied counted
Veggiehealth, the magazinetheir dividends and pretended that all was
of the Vegetarian & Vegan well with this trade in human degradation.
Foundation (VVF). He co-
authored The Silent Ark
with Viva! and VVF founder, Juliet Gellatley.
Copyright Viva! Campaigns 2009
Published by Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH
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