Slavery

Is there evidence that posters advertising jobs for teenagers are actually sex trafficking schemes? No, that's not true: According to representatives for anti-sex trafficking organizations, such posters are not known to be tied to sex trafficking, although they have been linked to labor schemes. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) on January 28, 2020. It features a…

Was the first slave owner in America a Black man? No, that's not true: Anthony Johnson, an Angolan who was an indentured servant in the Virginia colony starting in 1621, did gain the recognized right to own property, including slaves, after he was released following years of being an indentured servant. He used slaves on his Maryland tobacco farm, but…

Is a ship that blocked traffic in the Suez Canal on March 23, 2021, used for human and sex trafficking? Is there a connection between the ship and Hillary Clinton? No, that's not true: There's no publicly available evidence the container ship is involved in illegal trafficking activities, nor is there anything -- such as the ship's maritime call sign…

Did an Antifa leader in the 'Pittsburg area' tweet a warning to President Trump that armed Antifa members would block roads in conservative areas unless he conceded to Joe Biden? No, that's not true: A prankster, infamous for trolling the far right on social media, posted the tweet. Adam Rahuba is not an Antifa leader. He has admitted to past…

Did Joe Biden post on Parler that he plans to enact a "Subjugation Reparations Act" and change the name of the Washington Monument to the "BLM Tower"? No, that's not true: There's no evidence he ever said that -- nor that he would support such proposals. Biden's "Plan for Black America" does not commit to reparations and makes no mention…

Has President Trump signed nine executive orders to combat child trafficking, with those orders not getting public coverage? No, that's not true: Trump has signed two executive orders that specifically mention human trafficking. Both were reported in the media. The claim appeared on a post on Facebook on August 29, 2020, (archived here) with following text: Our President has signed…

Could November 2020 see the United States' first internal political war in its history? No, that's not true: If an internal war breaks out in the United States after the national elections in November, which some people are predicting, it would not be the first in history. The United States was divided in a four-year-long civil war starting in 1861…

Did Kamala Harris buy her California home with money inherited from an ancestor who owned slaves -- one of whom was apparently her own great-great-great-great-grandmother? No, that's not true: It is a bizarre claim used to argue that the Democratic vice presidential nominee is now living off the profits of slavery. Harris shares the same family history of an estimated…

Did Kamala Harris descend from a slave owner and it is a "deep, dark secret" that has "come back to haunt" her? Yes, it is true that Sen. Harris does apparently have an Irish great-great-great-great-great grandfather who owned slaves in Jamaica, it is also likely that Harris's great-great-great-great-great grandmother was his slave and was impregnated through rape. This is no…

Does the English word "picnic" have its origins in describing festive events where racist whites would lynch Black men? No, that's not true: The word "picnic" dates back to the mid-to-late 18th century and comes from the French word "piquenique," according to the online etymology dictionary. Lynchings began in the United States in the late 19th century, according to the…