“Slavery - The Abuse of a Nation” is the first book about the effects of slavery that combines modern psychology and revelations inspired by God. The author demonstrates how and why the effects of slavery continue to plague race relations in America while providing a viable solution to promote racial harmony among God’s people.

“Hate groups and the rise of hate groups in America serve as an indication to me that White Americans as well as Black Americans are passing on stereotypical ideas that produce hatred. Yes, it has been well over one hundred years since slavery ended, but we must understand that passed-down hatred is just as potent as first-hand hatred,” said the author Kenneth Skelton Sr., pastor and founder of Spirit of Life Church in Houston. Skelton received his B.S. in Pastoral Studies and Psychology from International Christian Institute and a M. Div from Houston Graduate School of Theology. He continued, “There is nothing we can do about the sins of the past. We must move on to a better America and a truly United States. But, as long as the pain of slavery hangs in our hearts, we will never be united.”

Chapters in the 167 page book include: “What is Abuse?,” “Abuse and The Slave Trade In America,” “From the Mouths of Former Slaves,” “Slavery Without Chains And Whips,” “Understanding the Cycle of Violence and Human Development Incubated in Terror,”    “The Cycle of Dehumanization,” “The Possible Leftover Effects of Slavery on Modern America,”    “Necessary Paradigm Shifts,” and “It’s Time To Be Free.”

In the preface, Skelton states, “This book was written for the average person who is struggling with the leftover effects of slavery. It will explore slavery as a cycle of abuse. It will look at slavery as a model of abuse. It will cause Black and White America to look at some very hard realities about slavery. It is the Black man’s answer to why we have a disproportionate level of social problems in our community. It is the White man’s answer to why Blacks can’t just get over slavery.

“This book shows how the traditions of slavery passed down from generation to generations caused present day America to be the perfect breeding ground for hate crimes in the memory of the way things used to be. No one alive today is responsible for slavery in America. But one thing is for sure, if Black Americans go back far enough on their family tree, they will find ancestors who were slaves.

“If you are White and your family immigrated to America before slavery or during the time of slavery you will find that you have ancestors who either owned slaves or who were exposed to the ‘for profit’ propaganda about Blacks that allowed slavery to exist in the first place. So then, when slavery ended the slave and the slave owner continued to rear their children based on the pains, prejudices, and traditions 400 years of slavery effectively engrafted into their psyches. Now, America is a dysfunctional nation passing on the pains of the past. It is my hope that the dialogue set forth in this book will cause you to break free from the cycle of abuse.”

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