It’s become a disturbingly common rhetorical crutch: comparing contemporary issues, policies, or even inconveniences to the atrocity of slavery. The phrase “Compare This To” is often used to add dramatic weight to an argument, but when the comparison is slavery, it reveals a profound misunderstanding of history and a devaluation of the suffering endured by enslaved people. We need to ask ourselves, why is this comparison so readily available, and why must we actively resist the urge to equate modern situations with this unparalleled historical horror?
Recently, Tony Evans, a prominent pastor within the African American evangelical community, sparked controversy by seemingly idealizing the Black family during slavery. He suggested that Black families were “more unified” and “made a lot more progress” during slavery than they are today. To compare this to the lived experience of enslaved families is not only inaccurate but deeply insensitive. Slavery was an institution designed to dismantle families, not strengthen them. The constant threat of sale, the sexual exploitation of enslaved women, and the denial of basic human rights systematically undermined family structures. Evans’s attempt to draw a positive comparison diminishes the immense trauma inflicted upon generations of African Americans.
Similarly, Ben Carson, a well-known political figure, once controversially claimed that the Affordable Care Act was “the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery.” To compare this to slavery is to trivialize the brutal reality of chattel slavery. Obamacare, whatever one’s opinion of it, is a healthcare law. Slavery was a system of forced labor, torture, rape, family separation, and murder that lasted for centuries. There is simply no equivalence. Such comparisons demonstrate a shocking lack of historical perspective and an irresponsible use of inflammatory language.
The problem with these comparisons isn’t just their historical inaccuracy; it’s their profound disrespect for the victims of slavery. When we casually “compare this to” slavery, we diminish the enormity of their suffering. To truly understand the inhumanity of slavery, consider the story of Celia, an enslaved woman repeatedly raped by her master. When she killed him in self-defense, the US legal system deemed her “un-rapeable” and sentenced her to death. Before her hanging, she gave birth to a stillborn child, a final tragedy in a life defined by unimaginable cruelty. Can you compare this to a political disagreement or a healthcare policy?
Consider also Margaret Garner, an enslaved mother who killed her own children to prevent them from being returned to slavery. This horrific act, born out of desperation and love, speaks volumes about the unspeakable choices slavery forced upon people. To compare this to modern-day challenges is not only inappropriate but deeply offensive. And think about the economic reality of slavery, where a man’s life expectancy was literally tied to the fluctuating price of cotton. There is no modern economic hardship that can truly compare to this brutal system where human life was commodified and expendable.
Figures like Evans and Carson often emphasize personal responsibility and individual choices, seemingly oblivious to the systemic barriers that persist. They present a narrative where individuals are solely responsible for their circumstances, ignoring the legacy of slavery and ongoing racial disparities. Choice, for many African Americans, remains constrained by historical and systemic disadvantages. The “choices” available are often limited to navigating systems built on inequality, a far cry from the expansive range of options enjoyed by more privileged segments of society. To compare this constrained reality to the absolute lack of choice under slavery is inaccurate, yet to ignore the limitations on choice today is to perpetuate injustice.
It’s easier, as Dumbledore wisely said, to choose what is easy over what is right. Blaming individuals or groups is easier than addressing complex systemic issues. It’s easier to invoke slavery as a sensationalist comparison than to grapple with the nuances of both history and present-day challenges. However, moral leadership demands that we choose the harder path – the path of understanding, empathy, and genuine solutions.
Instead of carelessly using slavery as a hyperbolic comparison, we must confront the real issues facing our society with honesty and historical awareness. True personal responsibility isn’t about facile comparisons or victim-blaming; it’s about collective action and caring for the vulnerable. It’s about recognizing the enduring impact of slavery and working to dismantle the systems of inequality that persist today. When we compare this to the shallow rhetoric that diminishes the past, the choice is clear: we must choose understanding over sensationalism, and genuine action over empty words. Let’s retire the harmful habit of “compare this to slavery” and instead commit to learning from history and building a more just future.
