blackbirding
/ˈblækˌbɜrdɪŋ/
noun
- The historical practice of tricking or forcing people, especially Pacific Islanders, into labor or slavery, often on plantations or ships.
- Blackbirding was a brutal system that kidnapped thousands of people from their homes.
- Historians study blackbirding to understand the dark side of colonial labor practices.
- Many families in the Pacific still feel the effects of blackbirding today.