In a profoundly significant moment, US President Joe Biden delivered a historic speech at Angola’s National Museum of Slavery on Tuesday, directly confronting America’s painful legacy of enslavement. The address, given during what is anticipated to be Biden’s final overseas trip as president, sheds light on a chapter of history that continues to shape race relations and inequality in the United States to this day.
Confronting the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Biden’s visit to the museum included the 17th-century Capela da Casa Grande, where enslaved individuals were forcibly baptized before being trafficked across the Atlantic. From the 16th to the 19th century, an estimated 4 million Angolans were enslaved in the Americas, with the majority sent to Brazil.
The first African slaves to arrive in what would become the United States were shipped from Angola to the then-British colony of Virginia in 1619. According to the Slave Voyages database, nearly a quarter of the 472,000 people forced into slavery in the US originated from the west and central African region that includes present-day Angola.
We share a commitment to reckon with the horrific history of the transatlantic trade of enslaved people by striving to reconnect cultures and celebrating collaboration between our nations … Today, there are nearly 12 million Americans of Angolan descent.
– White House statement
Portugal’s Colonial Legacy
Portugal’s history of enslaving Africans has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. The Portuguese began colonizing Angola in 1575, when Paulo Dias de Novais established a fortified settlement near present-day Luanda. Portugal enslaved nearly 6 million Africans, accounting for almost half of all people trafficked to the Americas – more than any other European nation.
In April, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa acknowledged his country’s responsibility for crimes committed during its colonial rule, including slavery. He suggested that reparations were necessary, triggering a backlash from Portugal’s right-wing parties.
US Investment in Angola
Alongside the solemn reflections on history, Biden’s visit is expected to highlight recent US investment in the region. On Wednesday, the president is scheduled to visit the port of Lobito, where he will tout $4 billion in pledged investments by Western governments and companies in upgraded and new rail and port infrastructure.
The so-called Lobito corridor is intended to transport minerals needed for batteries and electric cars from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia to global markets via Angola. Many analysts see this as a belated effort by the US and its allies to start catching up with Chinese investment on the continent.
We’re not asking countries to choose between US and Russia and China. We’re simply looking for reliable, sustainable, verifiable investment opportunities that the people of Angola and the people of the continent can rely on.
– John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser
A Pivotal Moment in US-Africa Relations?
Biden’s speech at the National Museum of Slavery, coupled with the announcement of significant US investments, could mark a turning point in US-Africa relations. By directly addressing the painful history of slavery and demonstrating a commitment to economic partnership, the Biden administration seeks to strengthen ties with African nations and counter growing Chinese influence in the region.
However, the legacy of colonialism and slavery continues to cast a long shadow over the relationship between Africa and the West. Calls for reparations and greater acknowledgment of historical injustices persist, even as countries like Angola forge ahead with economic development and strategic partnerships.
As Biden concludes what may be his final foreign trip as president, his words at Angola’s National Museum of Slavery serve as a somber reminder of the work that remains to be done in confronting the past and building a more just and equitable future for all.
