Watch Now: How the US Legacy of Slavery Led us to Trump’s America on Middle East Eye
UNAPOLOGETIC hosted by Ashfaaq Carim
In this episode of Unapologetic, Dr Butch Ware Ware delivers a powerful historical examination of the European slave trade, explaining how it shaped modern capitalism, created lasting global inequalities, and established systems of oppression that continue today. He connects this historical context to contemporary issues including the genocide in Gaza, campus protests, and the limitations of America's two-party political system.
This conversation spans African Muslim resistance to slavery, the myths of British abolition, the parallels between historical and contemporary forms of exploitation, and Dr. Ware's vision for transforming American politics through third-party organization rather than just issue-based mobilization.
TimeStamps
00:00 The hidden hands behind the slave trade
03:00 The scale of the Euro-American trade
06:15 Slavery and modern capitalism
09:05 Europe's underdevelopment of Africa
11:50 Early African resistance
14:00 Commodifying African bodies as currency
16:15 How European slavery was brutally different
19:00 Sexual violence and trauma under slavery
22:00 Destroyed families, lost spiritual legacies
24:40 Guns, warlords, and destabilised Africa
27:15 The myth of British abolition
30:05 African Muslims fight against slavery
33:30 Gaza and the legacy of colonial brutality
36:40 White supremacy: These aren’t people
39:30 End of empire
42:00 Campus repression and the imperial boomerang
45:00 Malcolm X and the betrayal of liberalism
48:00 Why Butch joined the Green Party
52:15 From mobilising to organising
55:00 California 2026: Breaking the duopoly
60:00 A revolutionary political strategy
65:00 Truth-telling vs politcal lobbying
70:00 Student resistance and corporate campuses
74:00 A generation that’s built different
77:00 The urgency of third-party power
80:00 A final word on faith and freedom
“I believe that the United States government as currently constituted is the most dangerous instrument of surveillance and death dealing ever to exist in the history of humanity, and that the best way to make the world a better place would be to put the incredible vast resources of the United States of America in service of its people.”
If enjoyed listening to this interview…
We recommend these resources for further exploration:
"The Walking Quran" by Dr. Rudolph Ware - Examines the history of Islamic education in West Africa
"How Europe Underdeveloped Africa" by Walter Rodney - Analysis of how European exploitation impoverished Africa
"Capitalism and Slavery" by Eric Williams - Explores the economic relationship between slavery and industrial capitalism
"The Autobiography of Malcolm X" - Essential for understanding Malcolm's political evolution
"The Ballot or the Bullet" speech by Malcolm X (1964) - Referenced throughout the interview
"Discourse on Colonialism" by Aimé Césaire - Explains how fascism relates to colonial practices
