AARP Collaborates with Historical Educators, Bringing Inclusive History to Life

Today, Peters explained, historians use the term “enslaved people” rather than “slaves”—a shift that acknowledges their humanity and makes clear that enslavement was a condition imposed upon them, not an identity they were born into.

Geography, Peters noted, sealed much of Ndongo’s fate. Angola’s Atlantic coastline made it a frequent stop for Portuguese traders traveling to the Americas. By 1575, the Portuguese had established Luanda as a major port. What began as a trading hub soon became one of the central points in the transatlantic slave trade. From this arid coastline, hundreds of thousands would be forced across the ocean.

At one point, Peters held up heavy iron ankle shackles—simple in design, devastating in purpose. Shackled together, often 350 people at a time, captives endured an 8,000-mile ocean crossing under brutal conditions. Disease, starvation and abuse were rampant.

“Generally only half would survive to the destination,” Peters explained of the harsh journey. Many were transported aboard Spanish ships such as the San Juan Bautista, eventually arriving in the Americas, including Virginia. Between the 1500s and the 17th century, an estimated 350,000 people from Ndongo were trafficked and sold into bondage.

Caroline Tetschner

Yet even amid unimaginable suffering, Peters underscored another truth: the knowledge and resilience of enslaved Africans profoundly shaped early America.

As indentured servitude declined in the colonies, enslaved labor expanded. Drawing on agricultural expertise developed over generations, enslaved people helped transform Virginia into a 17th-century agricultural powerhouse. Their skill in cultivating crops and managing land fueled an economy that enriched landowners and strengthened a young nation—though never those whose hard labor made it possible.

Following the presentation, participants moved through the museum itself. Beneath an Algonquin-style wigwam—a dome-shaped structure representing early Native American life in Virginia—visitors were reminded that multiple cultures and communities shaped the Commonwealth’s earliest chapters. The tour concluded with a deeper understanding of how Virginia was built—quite literally—through the labor, endurance and contributions of thousands of enslaved people.

When the program ended, Ross reflected on the experience. “I was glad to learn this story in an inclusive way,” she said, expressing appreciation for a presentation that did not overlook the humanity or contributions of those too often minimized in traditional narratives.

Felicia Davis of Chesapeake, a former community college teacher, echoed that sentiment. A lifelong history enthusiast, Davis described the presentation as “objective, realistic and matter of fact.” While acknowledging that viewing shackles and confronting the realities of enslavement is “hard history,” she stressed its importance. “I appreciate how the presenter provided the information—even the tough information—in a sensitive, yet factual manner,” Davis said.

AARP’s Black History Tour series at the Hampton History Museum continues with two additional programs. On Feb. 17, “Moon Math” spotlights diverse women’s contributions to the early U.S. space program. On Feb. 24, “Roads to Revolution” examines the chain of events leading to the Battle of Hampton in the fall of 1775.

Through collaborations like this one, AARP and local educators are not just revisiting history—they are helping ensure it is told fully, thoughtfully and with the humanity it deserves.