Slavery

Is it true that Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, was not a slave owner, while Ulysses S. Grant, who led the Union Army, was? No, that's not true: General Lee owned dozens of slaves and controlled many more as the trustee of his father-in-law's estate, which he freed during the war.…

Did Atlanta Police say white supremacists shot seven black people, killing two, in a drive-by shooting in Atlanta on Saturday, June 13, 2020? No, that's not true: The Atlanta Police Department denied to Lead Stories that its spokesman said white supremacists carried out the attack. The author of the article, Tariq Nasheed, described himself as "the world's #1 Race Baiter."…

Are Bill and Melinda Gates, Dr. Anthony Fauci, bioethicist Christine Grady, World Health Organization Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and several hundred others facing prosecution on charges of crimes against humanity? No, that's not true: There is no such criminal complaint. It is all made up. The false claim originated in an article (archived here) by Darrell Hines titled Truth to…

Did Hobby Lobby CEO claim not being able to own slaves violates his religious freedom? No, that's not true: This is a fictional story from a satire website. The story appeared in an article (archived here) where it was published by the website american-buffoon.com on April 13, 2020 under the title "Hobby Lobby CEO Claims Not Being Able To Own…

Is there language, only visible with a magnifying glass, beneath your social security card signature that amounts to a contract with the government? And does the number on the back of the card suggest that you are available to be bought and sold? No, that's not true: This is an old conspiracy theory with no basis in fact. The story…

Did Bernie Sanders say undocumented immigrants are "entitled" to government benefits during a campaign rally in Texas? No, that's not true: The candidate for the Democratic nomination for president said that his administration will be about "understanding that all of our people, and when I say all I also mean the undocumented in this country -- that all of our…

Did a mother save her 13-year-old daughter from being kidnapped by sex traffickers after she was drugged in a Woodland Hills Mall bathroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma? No, that's not true: the Tulsa Police Department confirmed there was no such incident reported, and there is no evidence to support the claim. This post has been recycled on social media before and…

Did Lewis Latimer, an African-American man from Massachusetts who was bought from slavery, invent the light bulb and telephone? No, that's not true: Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, and Thomas Edison invented the first light bulb. But, Latimer did play an important role in helping both inventions become more refined and patented in the late 1800s. Democratic presidential nominee…

Did the NAACP officially endorse Donald Trump for the 2020 presidential election? No, that's not true: The NAACP never issued such a statement. It was published by a liberal satire website that tries to mislead Trump supporters into sharing made up stories that are clearly marked as satire when you click them. Foreign-run fake news websites frequently copy articles from…

Does a photo depicting several men in chains show black slaves being sold at an auction in 1904 and is this the origin of the term "Black Friday"? No, that's not true: the image shows chained-up natives in Australia and has nothing to do with U.S. slavery or Black Friday. The origin of the term "Black Friday" also has nothing…