Of the 535 members of the 118th Congress how many are direct descendants of slaveholders?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
According to the image above from Slavery's Descendants, a new report by Reuters, of the 535 members of the 118th Congress, how many are direct descendants of slaveholders?
What is the big story the visual above tells?
Why do you that many members of Congress are descendants of slaveholders?
28% of the current Senate descend from slaveholders; 6% of the House descend from slaveholders. Based on your knowledge of American government and politics, why would the Senate have over four times as many descendants of slaveholders than the House?
According to the image below* from Slavery's Descendants, a new report by Reuters, of the six living U.S. presidents, who is the only living U.S. president is not a descendant of slaveholders?
This is just speculation, but estimate how many of the 535 members of the 118th Congress are direct descendants of people who were enslaved. Then explain why the number of direct descendants of slaveholders is different from than the number of descendants of enslaved people?
Sitting members of Congress who are linked to slave owners include at least 28 percent of Republicans and 8 percent of Democrats- including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Lindsey Graham, Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth. According to the Reuters report, “The preponderance of Republicans reflects the party’s strength in the South, where slavery was concentrated. Although white people enslaved Black people in northern states in early America, by the eve of the Civil War, slavery was almost entirely a southern enterprise,” Which of the members of Congress on the list above most surprised you?
Of the approximately 12.5 million enslaved Africans sent to the Americas; due to the horrifically high mortality rates involved, only 10.7 million disembarked. Of those 12.5 million, approximately 388,747 enslaved Africans disembarked in mainland North America. Explain how slavery continues to impact life in America today, 158 years after it was abolished.
This may a task force in California approved recommendations on reparations: how the state can apologize to, and compensate, descendants of slavery. The recommendations head to state lawmakers next. Despite California’s move towards reparations, nationwide only 30% of Americans support reparations. Why do you think 70% of Americans oppose reparations?
In the article, Slavery’s Descendants, Reuters journalist Tom Lasseter researched the reach of slavery in politics today and found that of the 536 lawmakers sitting in the last Congress, at least 100 descended from slaveholders. Some people think the fact that so many of our nation’s leaders are descendants of enslavers is a big deal; and others think it isn’t. Some would say that this article is an example of the impact of slavery today; others would say that what happened generations ago has little impact on today. What do you think about how important this issue is?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Take a look at the 100 out of 536 current lawmakers who are descended from slaveholders to see whether any politician representing you is a descendant of slaveholders. Contact one of the 100 politicians and ask them to comment on how the knowledge of their ancestry will impact how they govern.
