You've probably seen the post. It pops up every November like clockwork. A sepia-toned image, some heavy text, and a claim that hits like a physical blow: the term "Black Friday" originated from slave traders selling off human beings at a discount after Thanksgiving. It sounds plausible because history is often horrific. But honestly? It’s just not true.
The internet is great at turning half-truths into "facts" that everyone "knows." When people search for black friday about slaves, they’re usually looking for the origin story of our biggest shopping holiday. They want to know if their bargain-hunting is built on a foundation of literal human trafficking. It’s a heavy question. If you’re feeling uneasy about it, that makes sense. History matters. But in this specific case, the "slave trade" origin story is a modern myth that didn't even exist until about 2010.
Where did the Black Friday about slaves story come from?
The rumor basically started on social media. It grew legs because it felt like the kind of dark, suppressed history that people are used to discovering in the 21st century. The claim usually suggests that Southern plantation owners could buy discounted enslaved people the day after Thanksgiving to prep for the winter or the coming spring.
There is zero evidence for this. None.
Historians like David Olusoga or those at the Smithsonian have never found a single record of a "Black Friday" slave market. Slavery was a brutal, daily economic engine in the American South, not a one-day seasonal sale. Enslaved people were sold every day of the year. There was no reason to wait until late November—a time when the harvest was mostly over and the labor demand was actually dipping—to hold a massive sale. Plus, the term "Black Friday" wasn't even used in a commercial sense until a century after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery.
The real (and messy) origins
The first recorded use of "Black Friday" had absolutely nothing to do with shopping or the 1800s. It happened in September 1869. Two speculators, Jay Gould and James Fisk, tried to corner the gold market on the New York Stock Exchange. They failed. The market crashed, and the day was dubbed "Black Friday" because of the financial ruin it caused.
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It was a disaster. Not a sale.
Then there’s the 1950s version. This is where it gets closer to what we know today. Police in Philadelphia started using "Black Friday" to describe the absolute chaos that happened the day after Thanksgiving. Thousands of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded the city for the Army-Navy football game held that Saturday. The cops had to work double shifts. They dealt with traffic jams, shoplifters, and massive crowds. They hated it. To them, it was a "black" day because it was miserable to manage.
By the 1960s, retailers in Philly tried to change the name to "Big Friday" because they didn't like the negative vibes. It didn't stick. Eventually, the "Black Friday" name spread across the country, and by the 80s, the "Red to Black" narrative was born.
The "In the Black" myth
You’ve heard this one too. The idea is that for most of the year, stores operate at a loss, or "in the red." Then, the day after Thanksgiving, their sales finally push them into profit, or "into the black."
It sounds professional. It sounds like business logic.
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But it was actually a PR move. Retailers in the 1980s wanted to move away from the Philadelphia police department's "chaos and congestion" definition. They rebranded the day to make it sound like a celebration of economic success. It worked. Most of us grew up believing the "Red to Black" story was the original one. It’s a lot more palatable than "the day the cops lost control of the streets."
Why the Black Friday about slaves rumor persists
Why do people keep sharing the slave trade story if it’s debunked? Because the history of the United States is deeply intertwined with the exploitation of Black labor. People are rightfully suspicious of American traditions. When someone says, "This holiday is actually based on racism," it feels like a revelation of a deeper truth, even if the specific facts of that claim are wrong.
The viral nature of these posts thrives on shock value. It's a "did you know?" moment that garners thousands of shares because it provokes a strong emotional response. Once a story like that gets into the collective consciousness, it’s almost impossible to scrub out. It becomes a piece of "digital folklore."
What historians actually say
If you look at the work of researchers like those at the African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS), the focus is usually on the real, documented ways commerce and slavery intersected. They don't need to make up "Black Friday" stories because the reality was already grim enough.
- Slave auctions were frequently advertised in newspapers with no specific holiday branding.
- The "hiring out" of enslaved people often happened on New Year's Day, which was sometimes called "Heartbreak Day" because families were torn apart as individuals were leased to other plantations for the year.
- This New Year's tradition is a documented, historical fact that carries the weight people often mistakenly attribute to Black Friday.
Is it okay to shop on Black Friday?
That’s a personal call. But your decision shouldn't be based on a fake history about slave auctions. If you want to boycott the day, there are plenty of contemporary reasons to do so.
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Maybe you hate the consumerism. Maybe you don't like how workers are treated or how they have to leave their families on Thanksgiving evening to prep a store. Those are real, tangible issues. The environmental impact of millions of packages being shipped at once is also a valid concern.
Choosing to support "Small Business Saturday" or "Giving Tuesday" is a great way to pivot if the madness of the big-box rush feels gross to you. But we should be careful about using false history to make a point. When we rely on myths to talk about slavery, we actually do a disservice to the real history and the real people who lived through it. It muddies the water. It makes it easier for people to dismiss genuine historical grievances as "fake news."
Actionable steps for the savvy consumer
Instead of worrying about a myth, you can make an actual impact on how the day operates.
- Verify before sharing: If you see a post about a historical "secret," do a quick search on Snopes or check a library database. If there are no primary sources (like newspaper ads from the 1800s), it’s probably a hoax.
- Support Black-owned businesses: If the concern is about racial justice and the economy, spend your money intentionally. Use directories like Official Black Wall Street to find businesses to support.
- Look into "Hiring Day": If you want to learn the real, painful history of the holidays and slavery, research New Year's Day auctions. It’s a heavy topic, but it’s the truth that the Black Friday myth tries to mimic.
- Prioritize labor rights: Look at which companies treat their staff well during the holiday rush. Support the ones that give their employees holiday pay and reasonable hours.
The history of black friday about slaves is a lesson in how easily we can be misled by a compelling narrative. The real story—from gold market crashes to frustrated Philly cops—is less "conspiratorial," but it’s what actually happened. We don't need to invent horrors to find reasons to be critical of how we shop. The truth is usually complicated enough on its own.