Among the most persistent and controversial claims surrounding this history is the assertion that “Africans sold Africans” into slavery. Before the introduction of the slave trade, West African society was vibrant and multifaceted. Impact of the Transatlantic Slave TradeThe consequences of the transatlantic slave trade for African societies were catastrophic. ConclusionThe claim that Africans sold their fellow citizens into slavery is a reductive myth that obscures the complex realities of the transatlantic slave trade. In sum, the notion that Africans sold their own people overlooks the coercive structures, external pressures and unequal power relations that defined the slave trade.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 01, 2026 12:51 UTC