When I first moved to Kenya in 2008, I went to teach sciences at a school called Ribe Boys – then a Provincial public government-supported school and today, a National school attracting some of the brightest minds in Kenya. Ribe Boys was built at the site of an old Methodist Mission and is still surrounded by elder coconut trees and mangoes planted during that era. My students, as bright as they were, were desperate to find jobs once they graduated. Even as some of the brightest in Kenya, there was, and still is, extreme competition and very few employment opportunities.
From community elders and reading historical records like "The Kaya Complex" by Thomas T. Spear, I learned that the Methodist Missions (like the one at Ribe Boys) along the coast in 1874 began to take in fugitives slaves. Harboring fugitives (runaway slaves) became a major point of conflict with the Swahili people, and eventually, the British East African Company stepped in to negotiate.
They purchased the freedom of 1,400 fugitive slaves that were then living in the missions. Simultaneously, they began to impose hut taxation, forcing people into employment. The Methodists then established large plantations worked by these 'ex'-slaves.
Being forced into plantation work at scale was tantamount to conquest for the Mijikenda people. In 1913, the Mijikenda revolted by condemning European ways (wearing shirts and trousers and attending the mission schools and plantations) and adopted a policy of non-cooperation with the British. They began to reinforce their traditional oaths. The British responded in force and broke the boycott.
Questions I think about often: What freedom do we find ourselves in today? Can we purchase our own freedom from employment and instead of putting ourselves into the hands of colonial plantations, can we recreate systems of mutual services? What would the cost of our freedom be today?
In historical records, the cost of a slave varied significantly depending on the time, location, and the individual's characteristics such as age, health, and skills. For the sake of an example, let's say that in 1888 the average price for a slave's freedom might have been around $100 (an estimated figure as the actual cost could vary widely). This is a conservative estimate given that prices could range from $50 USD to several hundred dollars for each person.
Taking this base figure: 1,400 slaves * $100 = $140,000 in 1888.
To find the equivalent amount today U.S. historical inflation rates can be used as a benchmark, though they can't perfectly reflect the historical economic conditions in other regions, like Kenya. Between 1888 and 2023, the cumulative rate of inflation would be substantial.
According to the U.S. Inflation Calculator, if we use 1888 as a base year and 2023 as the comparison year, we'd find that what cost $140,000 in 1888 would cost millions today. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index estimates that prices in 2023 are about 2,900% higher than average prices throughout 1888.
So, doing the math: $140,000 in 1888 dollars would be equivalent to $140,000 * (1 + 2,900/100) in today's dollars, which equals about $4,160,000 USD.
Today, as we reflect on our own chains, we must ponder the nature of freedom. Can we truly purchase it? Rather than being ensnared by the clutches of modern-day plantations, might we not resurrect the timeless ideals of mutual service?
What could $4.16 million dollars do today for 1,400 people freed from employment? What freedom would it buy, and for how long? Would it simply enable them to purchase the labor of others for a time and become modern plantation owners?
The indigenous Mijikenda Mwerya practice and other similar mutual aid systems serve as a beacon to me. These non-monetary systems, with their intrinsic accounting, credit, and debt mechanisms, showcase the elegant art of resource coordination. They remind us of a time when people thrived by serving one another, without the interference of colonial or corporate powers.
In the modern context of wage slavery / employment, what would be the price of reclaiming our autonomy? Can we amass enough collective strength to develop resilient human networks resistant to oppressive forces?
Our combined potential is a treasure trove. Surely the combined offering of 1,400 people today is worth much more than $4 million dollars – this of course pales in comparison to the true value of being in community, trust, our voice, skills, purpose, connection with nature, tools, infrastructure and collective commitment.
By putting our collective potential to a common purpose, can we not pay the fee for our freedom and break the cycle of domination? We have the capability not just to mend the scars of the planet but to alleviate our own sufferings. Yet, practical concerns loom large. How do we settle unavoidable expenses like taxes, rent, and other mandatory fees?
I’m in the good company of people who have pondered our freedom for ages, and the solution feels and appears tantalizingly close. A system that co-opts the capitalist agenda (never ending capital accumulation and elite shareholder value capture) with our own (care, commons, service to people and planet), while creating interlinked mutual aid networks. An ecosystem where we are not only working for personal gains but more importantly, for each other. The promise of such a system is axiomatic, and I believe, just on the horizon.
Interesting Will. I’ve been pondering a similar question? Can we purchase the freedom of land? You know from the domineering colonial pressures of ‘property’ to the living systems flow of abundance and stewardship?
Colonial rulers knew that land is the foundation of life on earth. So, their first task was to change land tenure systems to govern land for extraction, then govern people to work to extract and build extractive socio-economic systems. To truly dismantle colonial systems of injustice, we have to go back to the roots. Which means governing land for stewardship. I think this is one of the best systems change strategies – if we steward the land, we steward our souls, communities, and systems.
By nurturing common assets and collective governance, we build power for local communities to defend their place’s natural essence against extractive companies and systems.
So, rather than extracting communities, how can tech coordinate stewarding places. I went through a similar calculation and saw that for example at just ~$20 one can buy the freedom of 1 square meter of land. Then how can we gamify this to involve people. This is an ambitious initiative am working on - the goal is to restore a reclaimed wetland here in Kampala.
Good Work Will. Very interested in running a controlled experiment.