Charles, gee, I don't know WHY whites needed black slaves...why did BLACKS need black slaves?  Why did blacks in Africa raid other tribes, enslave those they captured and sell them to slave traders on the coasts?  (And why is slavery STILL prevalent in Africa today?)  EVERY culture has had slavery.  Do some research.  As to Affirmative Action...how about we end that boondoogle, along with all welfare and social justice programs?  They are, after all unconstitutional.  As to work ethic...blacks have double the unemployment rate as whites...due primarily to lack of education/training/experience.  Perhaps your "leaders" should be concentrating on improving the work force, rather than keeping them enslaved on the "gummint" plantation as a victim voting block!!  You assume other races can't be "poor"?  And, I think many coming from Europe were the best and brightest.  Maybe you should read up on Liberia, to see what "slaves" did to their OWN people when returned to Africa.