A movie released last month tells the story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. “Twelve Years a Slave” powerfully depicts that slavery was driven by violence and examines its moral and economic costs. History Associate Professor and Chair Marjoleine Kars participated in a panel discussion about the movie Thursday on nationally-syndicated The Diane Rehm Show. During the discussion, Kars commented on the significance of the film and why it’s important in understanding slavery. “This culture of terror that it produces almost makes it almost impossible for people to …