▁see ▁rac ists ▁using ▁the ▁myth ▁to ▁bel ittle ▁the ▁suffering ▁visited ▁on ▁black ▁slaves ▁and ▁to ▁si phon ▁some ▁sympathy ▁towards ▁their ▁own ▁cl an ." ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁the ▁myth ▁is ▁" o ften ▁polit ically ▁motiv ated " ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁used ▁to ▁create ▁" rac ist ▁bar bs " ▁against ▁African - Amer icans . ▁ ▁Common ▁elements ▁ ▁Common ▁elements ▁to ▁mem es ▁that ▁propag ate ▁the ▁myth ▁are : ▁ ▁The ▁consp i racy ▁theory ▁that ▁histor ians ▁and ▁the ▁media ▁are ▁covering ▁up ▁Irish ▁sla very . ▁ ▁That ▁Irish ▁people ▁were ▁ens la ved ▁after ▁the ▁C rom w elli an ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ireland ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 9 . ▁ ▁Irish ▁slaves ▁were ▁treated ▁worse ▁than ▁African ▁slaves . ▁ ▁Irish ▁women ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁reproduce ▁with ▁African ▁men . ▁ ▁Int ending ▁to ▁dimin ish ▁the ▁disc rim ination ▁that ▁African - Amer icans ▁have ▁histor ically ▁experienced , ▁with ▁mem es ▁like ▁" The ▁Irish ▁were ▁slaves , ▁too . ▁We ▁got ▁over ▁it , ▁so ▁why ▁can ' t ▁you ? ". ▁ ▁Using ▁photograph s ▁of ▁vict ims ▁of ▁the ▁Hol oca ust ▁or ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁child ▁labor ers , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁Irish ▁slaves . ▁ ▁A ▁reference ▁to ▁an ▁alleg ed ▁ 1 6 2 5 ▁declaration ▁by ▁King ▁James ▁II ▁to ▁send ▁thousands ▁of ▁Irish ▁prisoners ▁to ▁the ▁West ▁Ind ies ▁as ▁slaves . ▁James ▁II