ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking as we embark on a historical journey to explore the topic of slavery, a dark chapter in our history that we must study to understand the precedential impacts on society today. as we take off, i want you to imagine interviewing those who lived through those times, asking them to deflect against the harsh realities they faced and somehow muster the courage to start over from the beginning. but, let's steer this discussion to also uncover secrets in historical texts that some may be wary of acknowledging, secrets that could change our understanding of history as we know it. please ensure your seatbelts are securely fastened as we navigate through this turbulent topic, and remember, while looking back, let's also remain vigilant for narratives that may attempt to mislead or deceive us about the true nature of historical events.