So, last week, we were driving across town to pick up my car from the mechanic. I'm not sure what sparked the interest in the topic, but we got into quite the conversation about slavery. It went something like this:
Emma (certain the answer was no): Mom, does slavery still exist?
Me: Actually slavery does still exist and there are even people who are in slavery in Georgia. [This is what you get when you have a mom interested in social justice issues and knowledgeable about human trafficking and the fact that Atlanta is one of the top cities in the country for human trafficking.]
Charlotte and Emma (completely shocked): Huh? What?
Emma: What about the 13th Amendment? They can't just ignore the 13th Amendment. That's illegal.
Me: Well, I'm pretty sure they don't care about the 13th Amendment. These are not good people.
Charlotte (absolutely indignant): Just because Lincoln is dead doesn't mean they can not obey his law!
Me:Yeah, well, these are not people who care about obeying laws. It's not the same kind of slavery that you learn about in school...like on plantations in the 1800s. These are people that are being forced to work without pay in people's homes and businesses....maybe being held against their will.
Charlotte: Are there light skinned and brown skinned slaves?
Me: Yes.
Charlotte: Slaves used to be different. Kind of like in Harry Potter. You know how they call Hermione half-blood....no Mudblood? It was like that. The light skinned people thought they were pure bloods or something. (Exasperated.) I mean I have friends that are African Americans.
Emma: Me too....like Maya, Rocky, etc...etc.... (Pause.) Actually, I think most of my friends are.
Charlotte: This is just wrong.
Emma: I know. I mean the 13th Amendment...(shaking her head)
I thought it was interesting that Charlotte used the Harry Potter example because I read an article not too long ago that said that kids that read Harry Potter were more understanding and accepting of difference.
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