Black and Moorish Contributions: A Legacy of Resilience, Resistance, and Reclamation

To add onto my previous about in celebrating to empower Black History Month, it's essential to look beyond the mainstream narrative and reflect on the often-hidden stories of Black and Moorish people’s profound contributions to society.Throughout history, many of these individuals have had their legacies erased or manipulated by forces seeking to control their wealth, bloodlines, and freedom. This Black History Month, we are reminded not only of the resilience and strength of our ancestors but also of the wealth of knowledge, business acumen, and intellectual property that was stolen, trafficked, and hidden from Black communities. This is a story that includes both the untold history of Black people in Europe and the erasure of their presence in the early Americas.

The Moorish Influence on Europe: A Legacy of Innovation

Before the rise of European colonization, the Moors — a group of Muslim, African, and Iberian people — dominated parts of Europe, particularly Spain and Portugal, for centuries. Their influence is deeply embedded in the development of European agriculture, architecture, science, and trade. Many historians agree that it was the Moors who introduced revolutionary concepts in mathematics, medicine, and commerce that would later fuel the European Renaissance.

Despite their significant contributions, the erasure of the Moors' achievements began as European powers sought to suppress their cultural and intellectual influence. This erasure extended beyond Europe’s borders, and it would come to define the larger narrative of Black and Indigenous people’s role in history — one that would be reduced to slavery, inferiority, and subjugation.

The Forgotten Legacy of Black European Businesses

The Moors and other early Black communities in Europe weren’t just scholars and warriors; they were entrepreneurs, business owners, and economic powerhouses. These communities ran businesses and built wealth in a time before the exploitation of Africa and the Americas. Their free-market practices were a direct challenge to the systems of oppression that would soon follow.

But as European powers turned toward colonization and the systematic destruction of African societies, these Black entrepreneurs were stripped of their economic independence. Their wealth, cultural knowledge, and legacies were either stolen, erased, or trafficked for the benefit of European elites.

Generational Wealth, Trusts, and the Aftermath of the Civil War

The story of the trafficking of wealth and Black bloodlines is personal for many. My great-great-grandfather, a Black European Moorish ancestor, was trafficked through the Transatlantic Slave Trade as part of a larger system of colonial extraction and exploitation. After the Civil War, a portion of our family’s wealth, built over generations, was placed into a trust — a trust meant to protect our family’s economic future but one that was also manipulated by white American elites and political leaders.

After the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, American presidents and power brokers found ways to continue the subjugation of Black people by controlling their wealth. The wealth that had once belonged to Black families — often earned through generations of free businesses, intellectual property, and land — was hidden in legal trusts. These were not just financial instruments; they were used as tools for control, competition, and economic manipulation.

White Americans and the political elite used this wealth to pit people against each other, creating systems of trade competitions that masked the true nature of what was happening — the buying, selling, and trafficking of people. This symbolic language, embedded in legal systems, allowed elites to manipulate the bloodlines and generational wealth of Black families while simultaneously preserving their own power. By using trust funds and other legal mechanisms, the power structures ensured that Black communities could never fully access the wealth and economic opportunities that were rightfully theirs.

The Role of Media in Shaping the Black Image

Part of the larger system of manipulation was the media’s role in degrading the image of Black people. Negative portrayals of Black individuals served as a way to justify their exploitation. Racist stereotypes were intentionally created and perpetuated, making it easier for society to overlook the achievements and contributions of Black people. The media was used to reinforce the myth of Black inferiority, helping elites maintain control over Black bodies, wealth, and culture.

The erasure of Black contributions to both Europe and the Americas continues to this day, but these stories are finally beginning to emerge. They remind us of the strength and resistance embedded in the bloodlines of those who were trafficked, stolen, and erased — yet still fought to protect their wealth and culture.

A Path to Reconciliation: Allies in the Fight for Freedom and Justice

While the history of exploitation and oppression has been driven largely by powerful elites, there have also been white European allies who worked alongside Black people, using their influence and wealth to help dismantle systems of oppression and support the pursuit of justice. Some members of wealthy European bloodlines recognized the humanity of Black people and sought to aid in the fight for freedom, equality, and psychological healing. These individuals played vital roles in supporting abolitionist movements, funding education for formerly enslaved people, and advocating for civil rights. By using their position of power to challenge the status quo, they helped offer a path to reconciliation, providing the resources and platforms necessary for Black communities to reclaim their autonomy and dignity. While this support was not always widespread or without its complexities, these acts of solidarity serve as a reminder that change can come from unexpected quarters, and that true peace and healing require not only the resistance of the oppressed but also the active participation of those who have benefited from systems of privilege.

Reclaiming Our Legacy

The wealth and knowledge once held by Black and Moorish families — including my own ancestors — was systematically stolen or hidden in legal and financial systems designed to maintain the power of the elite. Yet, our ancestors’ contributions to the world economy, intellectual achievements, and social structures cannot be erased. They laid the groundwork for modern society and civilization, even if that history was later obscured and manipulated.

The trafficking of our people and our wealth was not just physical but psychological. The use of symbolic language, hidden behind financial instruments and legal trusts, was designed to mask the true power dynamic: that Black families, like mine, had once held significant wealth and influence. And while that wealth was manipulated by others, the legacy of resilience and resistance persists in us today.

As we honor Black History Month, let us reclaim and recognize the powerful history that has long been hidden from us. The legacy of the Moors and other Black communities is one of strength, innovation, and economic independence. It’s time we unearth the stories of those who came before us, not as victims of oppression, but as architects of culture, business, and intellectual thought.

By recognizing and reclaiming this hidden history, we begin to heal the wounds of generational wealth loss and take back the power that was always rightfully ours. Let us continue to fight for our families, our bloodlines, and our legacies — not only for ourselves but for future generations, who will carry the torch of resilience forward.