Angela Davis and Harriet Jacobs suggest that enslaved Black women have more in common with enslaved Black men than with White women. Some examples that support this suggestion are that enslaved Black women and enslaved Black men were forced to work in all sorts of heavy work despite of gender. The fact that a woman has less physical strength capacity did not make a difference to slave owners to obligate them to perform heavy work such as working in the cotton, tobacco, and cane fields. Also, they both experienced physical and mental degradation. They were both separated from their families and loved ones and were denied their most basic rights. They were beaten up and subjected to merciless punishment if they refused to conform, and they were both seen and treated as nothing else but property.
There were some differences too between Black men and Black women. One difference is that women tended to be raped as punishment. Another important example that Angela Davis describes is that, within black families, women held a special place in the family as the head of the house. Black women were considered very important possibly even more than men. The man of the house’s position was to be the woman’s assistant as well as sex companion. In other words there was no patriarchal control over women. Both men and women were important to one another. Also, Black women and White women had a different experience with oppression in the antebellum America.
Black women were enslaved and forced to do all sorts of work. However, As mentioned above, Black women were considered important in the family, they held a position of respect and power within their family. White women, on the other hand, were not forced to work but lived oppression within their own homes. White women had no control over decision making or money matters. They were considered inferior to their White husbands. They even got repeatedly raped by their partners. It was difficult for Black women and White women to see each other as allies since there was jealousy to a degree from White women towards Black women since their White husbands would rape Black women and sometimes, they would get pregnant as a result of the rape. This was very difficult for White women to process. However, and important similarity is that they were both subjected to sexual violence from white men towards both black women and white women, which could have been a strong reason to become allies.
Unfortunately, the system of slavery continues to impact Black communities in the U.S. today in multiple forms. The most obvious example is the prevalent racism issue that our country faces. Not only has there been hate from other races towards Black people, but racism has evolved in many forms. For example, nowadays we see hate crimes, police brutality, institutional racism among others that put Blacks in a disadvantaged and unfortunate position. After the abolitions of slavery, came mass incarceration of Black people.
It was very common that for Whites to incarcerate Blacks, as Blacks were experiencing serious economic hardship and other difficulties. A common reason Blacks were being punished with jail was that they were caught stealing. Blacks stole because they couldn’t find another way to survive. They were not given jobs, so they had no other way to provide for themselves and their families. Today this informal way of slavery through mass incarceration still happens. Blacks are being targeted way more than any other races by the police and other citizens. Black people do commit crimes, just like any other race, but are often harassed unjustifiably by law enforcement. In another topic, today, economic hardship and lack of opportunities afflict the Black community. They often earn very little money, and many of them are not able to afford a dignified life. There is even a low rate of Blacks graduating from college.
According to Angela Davis, women historically resisted slavery by working slowly, they damaged tools, machines, and other forms of property of their owners, as well as defending themselves against their violent owners. They attempted to run away, and engage in sabotage. Many of them taught themselves to read and write, and, according to Harriet Jacobs, some others began romantic relationships with White men to escape slavery. I believe this was a form of resistance in the way that
The delicate topic of reparations requires a lot more of the attention that it is given today. It is true that the economy of our country is successful mostly as a result of slave work. This is such a delicate matter in which everyone that benefits from the economy of this country is responsible for reparations. All of us that are constructing a life in the United States are to contribute to reparations in whichever way we can. My parents were undocumented (from Mexico) when they had me. My parents paid the hospital bill in advance, so that I could be born in San Diego and have a better-quality life when I grew up.
According to my knowledge, I am not directly connected to slavery. However, now that I am an adult, it is my duty to participate and contribute to the level I can. I understand that reparations are my responsibility too as a citizen that benefits from the economy and opportunities of our country. I strongly believe that my role in reparations is to educate myself as much as possible about the difficulties and adversities that the Black community has gone through and is currently going through in order to eventually advocate within my professional area for people of color. I chose Social Work as my profession. Social Work is a helping profession that allows to cooperate with society to assist the disadvantaged and to be the voice of the voiceless and the vulnerable. The Black community is definitely a vulnerable population.
Social Work is a career that has many paths. I have chosen Child Welfare Services to practice professionally. This career will allow me to support Black families and, in this way, contribute to bettering and balancing the inequalities Black families go through. Restoring the hope through trauma informed practice is part of my job, so I strongly believe that I can contribute largely to the lives of the multiple families of color that will be referred to me someday. Aside this, if there ever was a tax to pay to contribute to support Black families financially, I would be happy to participate.
Davis, A. Y. (1983). Women, race & class. London: Women's Press.
Jacobs, H. A. (2009). Incidents in the life of a slave girl: Written by herself. Boston: Bedford/St.
Martin's, Macmillan Learning.
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