Slavery In Brazil – the African Holocaust

One of the harsh realities that we face is knowing how much the Roman Catholic Church ignored in the abuses and deaths that many Africans and their descendants were dealt with. It is the ultimate holocaust that no one discusses nor views it as such; the African Holocaust.

The exception to this, of course, is those who recognize what occurred and those that face the outcome of it every single day. The destruction of a rich African culture spanning over 500 years with slavery being abolished just over 100 years ago.  It is still felt today as Africans and their descendant still face oppression throughout the world.  It is human savagery that went unchecked that started with a religion that chose to look the other way.

So how does this play into ancestry? Many ways. Many of these same Brazilian Africans are genetic cousins that connect to many of us throughout the Caribbean, South American, and the United States.

I also have matching genetic cousins who descend from enslaved Africans from the southern United States.  Nothing like throwing a bucket of cold water onto your tree and reality.

While I know which lines on my paternal side descend from Africans, I have yet to figure out exactly who were the ones on my maternal side as I have inherited African DNA from both my parents. I have luckily determined that I have a line on my maternal grandmother that is of African descent but I need to continue drilling further down.

In my search, I came across this collection of enslaved people photos of Brazilian Africans.  Brazil was the last in the Americas to emancipate slavery in 1888:

Understanding what our ancestors faced is very important so that we can document correctly and share it with our families and our future descendants.

And finally a video of how Africans lived in Brazil: