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In addition to the exploitation of resources, colonialism created a hierarchy that emphasized on cultural differences negatively. The Europeans believed that they were "civilizing the uncivilized" and saw themselves as saviors above the rest (McCarty, 2011, p. 99). The Western idea of "civilization" was living in an organized society where there was physical comfort, advancement and spread of knowledge, declined conflict and more (Lecture, October 21st). The Africans were seen as "barbarian" and "primitive" largely in part of religious differences. The Medieval Christian Europeans symbolized the color black with negative connotations. They related the color to demons, devils and torturers, which lead to the association of Africans with such dark skin, being associated with these negative images (McCarty, 2011, p. 105). Culturally, this idea of the "other" has remained in our reactions to the Ebola epidemic. In Western countries, it is easy to observe and dictate how circumstances should be handled according to Western views and beliefs (Peeples, 2014). One of the largest controversies now is the religious practices of those who have passed on. In an article by Paul Richards and Alfred Mokuwa, the traditional tribal burials do not safe guard the transmission of the Ebola disease (Richards and Mokuwa, 2014). The Western media has portrayed these religious ceremonies to be illogical and dangerous. Although they might be problematic for the current situation, the ceremonies themselves are not far from Western traditions. This demonstrates how the West ostracizes different beliefs and devalues them, which is partly how the slavery of the Africans was justified. .
However, the initial and most important benefit of slavery for the Western colonizers was the wealth that came with the labor. The slave trade became an integral part to the rise of the Western Hemisphere and the deterioration of West Africa.
