Slavery And Slave Trade - Essay Example

The movie is themed at exploring how brutal the slave regime was, it is evident when Shola witnesses a pregnant woman being beaten to death. The incident changed the way Shola’s perceived slave to be (Gerima, Sankofa). This reflects and explains factors that led to the resistance and uprising that aimed at fighting slave trade. Various factors including introduction of machinery and the industrial revolution where the external factors that facilitated the abolishment of the slave trade. The internal factors included the enlightenment of the African and the increased population of the African Americans who gave the resistance strength and numerical advantages.

The two factors prompted the slaves to deploy various means of airing their grievances. The first tactic deployed by the slaves was the formation of vigilante groups. They were aimed at uniting Africans and used cruel means to fight their masters. The groups where well organized and the information and command came from a single source. The source acted as the leadership structure of the vigilantes. The leaders used their influential nature to convince many African slaves to join the movement.

This is evident when Shola’s lover who was a filed slave convinced Shola to join the rebellion (Gerima, Sankofa). The movie explains how the rebellions organized themselves. In this case, the field slave acted as the leader of the rebellion. He did communication; it is evident when he directs Shola to poison her white owners.