In other societies, it had been possible for a slave who obtained his freedom to take his place in his society with relative ease.

In America, however, when a slave became free, he was still obviously an African.

The taint of inferiority clung to him.
Not only did white America become convinced of white superiority and black inferiority, but it strove to impose these racial beliefs on the Africans themselves.

Slave masters gave a great deal of attention to the education and training of the ideal slave, In general, there were five steps in molding the character of such a slave: strict discipline, a sense of his own inferiority, belief in the master's superior power, acceptance of the master's standards, and, finally, a deep sense of his own helplessness and dependence.

At every point this education was built on the belief in white superiority and black inferiority.