The U.S. Presidents & Slavery

On this show we are discussing “The U.S. Presidents and Slavery”.  This is a good time for this discussion since "Presidents Day" just passed.

“Schools across the country are adorned with posters of the 44 U.S. presidents, children’s books put students on a first-name basis with the presidents, and U.S. history textbooks describe the accomplishments and challenges of the major presidential administrations.

“But while these books engage students and readers with stories of the presidents’ accomplishments and challenges, stories of their dogs in the Rose Garden or childhood escapades, there is no mention that more than 1-in-4 U.S. presidents were involved in human trafficking and slavery. These presidents bought, sold and bred enslaved people for profit. Of the 12 presidents who were enslavers, more than half kept people in bondage at the White House.”