On the Fact that (According to Historians, Robert W. Fogel and Stanley L. Engerman) American Blacks In 1871 Had a Higher Literacy Rate than the Average Russian During that Same Time Period

They also had a longer life expectancy and a higher employment rate in the more skilled occupations (carpentry, blacksmithing, etc.). So, yeah, not only were these blacks better off than their counterparts in Africa, they were better off than whites in Eastern Europe. Mind-blowing, huh?