The Skeptic Research Center’s 2024 study of over 3,000 U.S. adults showed majorities of Hispanic (59%), Black (69%), and Asian (55%) women, plus many men in those groups, selected ‘true’ for the statement, compared to lower rates among white respondents. Liberal millennials led at 55%, while even 31% of graduate degree holders agreed; the same group held misconceptions about incomes and college admissions. Slavery existed for millennia worldwide, from ancient Mesopotamia to Africa and the Americas, long before the race-based transatlantic trade driven by Europeans. The findings spotlight gaps in understanding slavery’s global history amid America’s pivotal role in its abolition.

Skeptic Research Center