America's Original Sin

Standing on Gorée Island off the coast of Senegal, where millions of African men, women, and children were held before being forced across the Atlantic, into slavery, it is impossible to remain untouched. 

The stones seem to carry memory. The narrow doorways whisper stories of terror and loss. And the ocean—so beautiful and vast—bears the weight of unspeakable suffering. Gorée does not allow for distance or abstraction. It insists on truth.

As part of my trip to Senegal, I had the opportunity to walk those stones and enter the cells where millions of people were held in the most inhumane ways possible.  I felt like I was walking on sacred ground, because I was.  

There is a doorway that leads to what used to be a dock where slaves were herded like cattle, and subsequently shipped off to the Americas (both North and South).  That door was called "The Door of No Return."  Some slaves, upon passing through that door, ultimately threw themselves into the shark-infested waters outside it, weigned down with chains.  They chose death over a life of horrible servitude and abuse.  

Later that day, I began to reflect on my experience and realized a few things.  

Many have named slavery as America’s "original sin"—not simply because it existed, but because it was justified, normalized, and woven into economic, political, and even theological systems. 

Frederick Douglass understood this painful contradiction when he wrote: 

“Between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference.” 

His words expose how easily faith can be distorted when power and profit are placed above human dignity.

Scripture tells us plainly that every human being is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). To deny another’s humanity is to deny God’s own imprint upon them. The prophets repeatedly cry out against systems that exploit and dehumanize: “Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). These words are not suggestions; they are a summons.

When Pope John Paul II visited Gorée Island in 1992, he stood in repentance, naming the transatlantic slave trade a grave sin and asking for forgiveness, saying, in essence, that Christians must confess the wrongs committed against the African people and against humanity itself. His posture reminds us that repentance is not about shame alone—it is about transformation.

To say that slavery is an original sin does not mean we are trapped in the past. It means we acknowledge that its legacy still shapes our present. Racism, inequality, and injustice did not appear out of nowhere. They grew from roots that were planted long ago. And healing requires that we tell the truth about those roots.

The psalmist prays, “Search me, O God, and know my heart… and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24). This is the prayer of a people willing to learn, to repent, and to be changed.

Gorée Island calls us not only to remember, but to commit—to deeper study, honest repentance, and faithful action. It calls us to become people who do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).

Prayer:
God of truth and mercy, open our eyes to the sins of the past and their impact on the present. Give us courage to repent, wisdom to learn, and hearts committed to justice and reconciliation. Lead us in the way of healing and hope. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. What does it mean for you to name slavery as America’s original sin?

2. Where do you see its legacy still at work today?

3. How might God be calling you to participate in repentance, learning, and repair?