How did many african cultures lose their fittest member?

The most important consequence of the slave trade in Africa was that numerous cultures lost generations of their fittest members to European traders and plantation owners. Also countless African families were torn apart and many were never reunited. The slaves were unwilling participants in the growth of the colonies and they greatly contributed to economic and cultural development of the Americas. They brought expertise in agriculture as well as their own culture such as music, religion, and food to influence American societies.