Blood diamonds: Is human misery the cost of bling?

Black Americans are dying to have the hottest diamonds around our necks, while other black people are literally dying to supply them...

TheGrio Staff

May 25, 2010

From Black Voices:

Rappers talk about their “bling,” and women lust for the brightest engagement ring they can get. Some people even wear diamonds in their teeth to show how much money they’ve got. Black Americans are dying to have the hottest diamonds around our necks, while other black people are literally dying to supply them.

In Africa, “blood diamonds” are intimately related to brutal conflicts throughout the continent, as groups use the diamond trade to finance civil and other wars that have resulted in the slaughter and disfigurement of millions.

The United States is the largest purchaser of diamonds. Each year, we buy 65 percent of the diamonds available on the open market — and at a very high cost.

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