shackles would have felt like. co-director of african studies at spellman college says this wasn't the first group of africans in america. there were others already taken to what were then spanish, portuguese and french territories, but this does mark the first to english north america. >> it marks a beginning of the foundations of this nation, of which slavery is deeply embedded. we have the beginnings of not just u.s. governing systems, right, they emerge out of this colonial history but also the foundations of american wealth. >> reporter: and now african-americans can be part of that wealth despite struggles inequality. >> now we're engineers, lawyers, doctors, presidents, maybe a future female president. but we've come a long way. >> reporter: while they look at the traditions that made them who they are, the next generation is also looking at what their world could be.