I don't even know what you all are "debating" in this thread, so I'll just use this time to give my Public Service Announcement:
Slavery was about capitalism and not racism. This capitalism/material foundation is the basis for "colonialism" and an explanation for why there were Africans selling Africans into slavery. The North American racist ideologies arose to reinforce and legitimate the exploitation of cheap, slave labor. As time went on, capitalists used these racist ideologies to control both black and white labor (as a means of opportunity hoarding and a racialized split labor market, as well as to prevent the proletariate from uniting across race lines).
I think it's important to understand (historical and) social context as everyone is talking past each other. As you were.
