Several modern industries still carry the legacy of slavery, even if the systems have shifted into more “acceptable” or legal forms. Here’s a breakdown of a few industries where this legacy is especially apparent:

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1. Agriculture

• Legacy: Slavery was foundational to American agriculture, especially in the South.
• Today: Migrant labor, often poorly paid and underprotected, still echoes the exploitation of enslaved labor. Workers may face long hours, exposure to chemicals, and little recourse for mistreatment.

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2. Prisons / Mass Incarceration (Prison Labor)

• Legacy: The 13th Amendment abolished slavery except as punishment for a crime.
• Today: Inmates — disproportionately Black and brown — often work for cents an hour, producing goods or doing services for major corporations or the state. It’s been called “modern-day slavery” by critics for a reason.

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3. Domestic Work

• Legacy: Enslaved women often served as cooks, cleaners, and nannies.
• Today: Domestic workers, often women of color and immigrants, still face low wages, long hours, and little legal protection, especially if undocumented.

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4. Textiles and Fast Fashion

• Legacy: Cotton, the backbone of slavery, still connects to exploitation.
• Today: Garment workers around the world — often Black and brown women — are underpaid, overworked, and often labor in unsafe conditions.

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5. Construction and Hospitality

• Legacy: After slavery, many Black men worked in grueling, low-paid labor.
• Today: Undocumented or vulnerable laborers — often people of color — are still exploited in these industries, sometimes trafficked or trapped in debt bondage.

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6. Financial Institutions

• Legacy: Many major banks and insurance companies were directly involved in or profited from the slave trade.
• Today: While these companies no longer trade in people, the generational wealth gap they helped cement still persists. Some institutions have started acknowledging this with reparations-related commitments.

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7. Entertainment / Sports

• Legacy: Minstrelsy, ownership without agency, and forced labor for performance.
• Today: Some argue that college athletics (especially football and basketball), where young Black athletes generate billions without compensation, reflect exploitative dynamics rooted in slavery. The power imbalance between talent and ownership in the entertainment industry also echoes this.