Does Black History start at the beginning with African tribes capturing other tribes and selling them to the slave traders?
For me, black history in the US starts with the Casor lawsuit of 1654, where Anthony Johnson, a former indentured servant who had worked off his indenturement and become a wealthy freeman had John Casor working for him as an indentured servant.
Casor’s indenturement, having expired, wanted to work with a Robert Parker, Johnson’s neighbor.
Long story short, Johnson filed a suit in Northampton Court for the return of John Casor, and won with the court finding that Johnson (a black man) owned Casor (a black man). It was the first instance that a court in the colonies held that one man could own another.
For 15 years, based on the Casor case as precedent, only blacks could own blacks as slaves. It wasn’t until 15 years later that a law was passed allowing native americans and whites to own slaves.
So let’s all celebrate black history. Slavery, pioneered by blacks, for blacks, in the US.