U.S. President Biden visits slavery museum in Angola

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday toured a slavery museum in Angola and inspected shackles and a whip but also addressed Africa’s future, saying Africans will make up one in four people by 2050 and the world’s fate rests in their hands.

Biden’s visit, the first to Angola by a U.S. president, is meant to promote billions of dollars of commitments to the sub-Saharan African nation for what he called the largest ever U.S. rail investment overseas.

“The United States is all in on Africa,” Biden earlier Tuesday told Angolan President João Lourenço, who called Biden’s visit a key turning point in U.S.-Angola relations dating back to the Cold War.

Biden will visit the coastal city of Lobito on Wednesday for a look at the corridor’s Atlantic Ocean outlet.

The project also has drawn financing from the European Union, the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, a Western-led private consortium and African banks.

It was not clear how much of the U.S. commitments had been delivered and how much will depend on the Trump administration.

Biden had promised to visit sub-Saharan Africa last year, after reviving the U.S.-Africa Summit in 2022.

But the trip was delayed until this year, reinforcing a sentiment among Africans that their continent is still a low priority for Washington.

The last U.S. president to visit sub-Saharan Africa was Barack Obama in 2015.

Biden toured Angola’s National Slavery Museum at a site that was formerly the headquarters of the Capela da Casa Grande, a 17th century temple where slaves were baptized before boarding ships to America.

Angola was the departure point for an estimated 6 million enslaved people, the White House said.

Looking ahead, “I know the future runs through Angola, through Africa,” Biden said.

Speaking on a stage by the water, he said history cannot and should not be erased, and that while America was founded on the ideal of freedom and equality, “it’s abundantly clear today we have not lived up to that ideal.”

*The Transatlantic Slave Trade

Angola was one of the main sources of enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade.

Between the 16th and 19th centuries, millions of Angolans were forcibly captured, sold, and transported to the Americas, where they were subjected to inhumane treatment and forced labor.

According to historical estimates, between 1550 and 1850, over 5 million enslaved Africans were exported from Angola to the Americas.

This number represents approximately 20% of all enslaved Africans transported during the transatlantic slave trade.

*The Impact of Slavery on Angola

The transatlantic slave trade had a devastating impact on Angola’s population, economy, and social structures.

The loss of millions of people, many of whom were young and able-bodied, led to a significant decline in the country’s population and a disruption of its social and economic systems.

The slave trade also led to the destruction of many Angolan communities, as villages were raided and people were forcibly taken away.

This led to a breakdown in social cohesion and a loss of cultural heritage.

*The Legacy of Slavery in Modern-Day Angola

Today, the legacy of slavery continues to be felt in Angola.

Many Angolans still suffer from the economic, social, and psychological impacts of slavery.

Poverty, inequality, and lack of access to education and healthcare are just a few of the challenges that many Angolans face as a result of the historical injustices of slavery.

Additionally, the legacy of slavery has also had a profound impact on Angola’s cultural identity.

Many Angolans have lost touch with their cultural heritage, and the country’s history and traditions have been largely erased.

*Efforts to Address the Legacy of Slavery

In recent years, there have been efforts to address the legacy of slavery in Angola.

The Angolan government has established a number of initiatives aimed at promoting cultural heritage and preserving the country’s history.

Additionally, there are also efforts underway to provide reparations and compensation to the descendants of enslaved Angolans.

In 2019, the Angolan government announced plans to provide reparations to the descendants of enslaved Angolans, although the details of the plan have yet to be finalized.

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