Embedded Files
North Good; South Bad
By Cate C.
North good. South bad.
At least,
That’s what the textbooks told me,
That’s what was written on my second-grade whiteboard,
I always knew it was easier to blame others for your mistakes.
“No, Mr. Williams, James didn’t tag me, I swear.”
I just never thought I’d find it in my very own textbook.
Growing up they told us to always listen to teachers,
to always trust the adults.
What happens when the adults are wrong?
Were they taught the lies,
Or did they just refuse to hear the truth?
For the Sake of an Unfulfilled Promise
1791
Delusion
Fed lies
Promises now empty
Land stolen
Lives taken
Fighting for survival
But for what?
To be treated like an animal
Chained up
Torn apart
Separated
Taunted with treats
Sit and roll over when you’re told
Maybe you’ll get the table scraps
Maybe.
A Stolen Life For A Couple Of Dollars
She was beaten
Starved
Her life was taken from her for no other reason but that it was cheaper
Cheaper to force another human being to work until you could see every bone on her body and her back was permanently arched from picking up the heavy buckets of water
Day
After day
After day
All because of the color of her skin
And the rest of the town looked up to you
They were looking to you for advice
They saw you as a leader
How could you?
Acting like a saint when the bible says “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"
You claim to be saving lives
When you only are truly saving yourself
A selfish lie
And a couple a bucks
Artwork by Cate. In her painting, Cate uses the shackles with the broken chain to symbolize Lettuce's bondage and emancipation, an image that is both stark and hopeful. To symbolize the fact that Lettuce was freed twice, she arranged the chains in the shape of the number two, with a break in the middle.
Author's Statement
Author's Statement
My intention with this collection was to be able to focus on and bring attention to the hardships and suffering that Lettuce may have endured throughout her life. Since the beginning of this project, I have found that I am both drawn to and disgraced by the treatment of both Lettuce and the other African Americans during this period in history. I both wanted to and hope to have achieved telling this portion of history the way it truly was. Throughout the collection, I interwove historical facts such as dates as well as themes such as dehumanization like in “For The Sake Of A Unfulfilled Promise”. I hope that readers will take away a more personal look into the harsh reality of the lives of enslaved people such as Lettuce.
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