"People say that slaves were taken from Africa. This is not true: People were taken from Africa, among them healers and priests, and were made into slaves"

Abdullah Ibrahim's quote challenges the traditional story surrounding the transatlantic servant trade. At its core, the statement calls attention to the humanity and cultural identity of those who were forcibly taken from Africa. It emphasizes that these people were not naturally "slaves", a term that lowers them to simple property, however rather, they were humans with abundant, complex identities, skills, and social roles. Among them were healers and priests, essential figures in their communities who held understanding, cultural significance, and spiritual guidance.

By specifying "People were taken from Africa", Ibrahim underscores the violence and oppression of rooting out individuals from their land, cultures, and identities. This shifts the focus from an impersonal historic occasion to a deeply personal and human catastrophe. It advises us that Africa's diaspora began with the violent removing away of neighborhoods and societies abundant with traditions and knowledge.

The phrase "made into slaves" further highlights the procedures of dehumanization and injustice enforced upon these people. It indicates that the identity of 'slave' was an externally imposed condition, enforced through violence, coercion, and systemic racism. This viewpoint encourages us to view slavery not merely as a state of existence however as a procedure of subjugation that deeply harmed both the individual and common identities.

In acknowledging that amongst those taken were healers and priests, Ibrahim invites reflection on the loss of cultural richness due to the servant trade. The abilities and spiritual practices of these individuals could have contributed considerably to the cultures they were torn from and even the new environments they were pushed into. The tradition of this loss is still felt in descendants' battles for identity, cultural heritage, and acknowledgement of their forefathers' full mankind.

In summary, Ibrahim's quote urges a reevaluation of historic narratives, triggering acknowledgment of the intricate identities and functions oppressed Africans held before their subjugation. It is a call to honor their mankind and acknowledge the extensive loss caused on African societies and the more comprehensive world.