Answer:
According to the social theorist and legal scholar Dorothy Roberts, the greatest tragedy that Black people experienced at the auction block was the loss of their families. In her work, Roberts argues that the sale of Black people as property was not just a matter of economic exploitation, but a brutal system of violence that permanently separated families and stripped individuals of their humanity. The auction block was a central institution in the brutal slave trade, and the forced separation of mothers, fathers, and children was one of the most devastating aspects of slavery for Black communities. Roberts argues that this legacy of trauma and family separation has had lasting impacts on Black communities and continues to shape the experiences of Black people in America today.