Remembering Lena Horne

Lena Horne was beautiful, talented and passionate. However, most of all Lena Horne was a trailblazer. She passed away last year at the age of 92 leaving behind a legacy of a career that spanned 70 years, as noted in the CBS news clip. Horne is an incredible inspiration; she grappled with discrimination and adversity before and during the volatile Civil Rights era. However, she gracefully handled the difficulties, which helped her to persevere. Lena Horne was a pioneer. As stated in the report, she was the first African American to accomplish many achievements in the entertainment industry. It could not have been easy to pave the way. She was met with many blatant examples of discrimination and racism. Her story may be different but most definitely resonates with that of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs. Horne, along with Douglass and Jacobs, had the courage to push beyond prevalent stereotypes and misconceptions that in turn helped to redefine America. It’s unimaginable that large cities in America like Memphis, Tennessee actually cut footage of Horne from being shown to the public. To look back now, it seems ridiculous. In the past, people’s personal prejudices and ignorance affected the lives of every African American. Lena Horne was just a famous example. However, she did not let these negative forces overtake her. She joined the fight for equality and even marched in Washington D.C. in 1963. Lena Horne will be forever remembered for her beauty and elegance in her music and movies, but America must also remember her as the heroine she was as well.

Whites Only

This picture I have come across takes us back to the days that sparked the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. This is a picture of a water fountain that can be found in many public establishments and institutions, but as you can clearly see, there is a sign is something wrong with this picture. Above this water fountain hangs a sign that reads “Whites only”. Although slavery ended with the Civil War over a century ago from this time period, African Americans faced more hardships with racism and inequalities. Segregation was very prevalent in this era; white people and black people were not allowed to eat in the same restaurants, use the same restroom, and go to school with each other. Like most people, I am somewhat befuddled on the matter of why this racism came about. I understand that the times were different, but how could people in the 1950s and 1960s overlook the facts they were harming their neighbors, brothers, and sisters? White people would not be hurt by African Americans if they drank from the same fountain: it was the sure unjust hatred that brought this about. However, this sort of discrimination could be argued to be a blessing in disguise. It is because of things that African Americans started waking up, and standing up for themselves. These bits and pieces of segregation brought African Americans together, and eventually led to the fight for their equality, and freedom, which was eventually obtained. I believe racism still exists in this world today, and we may need to work hard to eliminate it completely, but we have come a long way, and the steps we as a nation have taken are very positive.

- Jake Robinson

Emmett Till

http://www.himho.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/emmett-till-funeral-photo.jpg

Emmett Louis Till was a 14 year-old African-American boy who was murdered in Mississippi after supposedly flirting with another white woman. He was from Chicago, Illinois visiting his relatives in the Mississippi Delta region when he spoke to a white woman named Carolyn Bryant, the married proprietor of a small grocery store. A few nights later, the woman’s husband and his half-brother, arrived at Till's great-uncle's house. They took him and transported him to a barn, then repeatedly beat him and gouged out one of his eyes. After torturing the boy, they shot him through the head and disposed of his body in a river, weighting it with a 70-pound cotton gin fan tied around his neck with barbed wire. His body was discovered and retrieved from the river three days later. Till was returned to Chicago and his mother insisted on a public funeral service with an open casket to show the world the brutality of the killing. Tens of thousands attended his funeral or viewed his casket and images of his mutilated body were published in black magazines and newspapers, rallying popular black support and white sympathy across the U.S. Intense scrutiny was brought to bear on the condition of black civil rights in Mississippi, with newspapers around the country critical of the state. Although initially local newspapers and law enforcement officials decried the violence against Till and called for justice, they soon began responding to national criticism by defending Mississippians, which eventually transformed into support for the killers. The trial attracted a vast amount of press attention. Bryant and Milam were released of Till's kidnapping and murder, but months later they admitted to killing him in a magazine interview. Till's murder is noted as one of the leading events that motivated the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Uncle Tom's Cabin is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Published in 1852

Stowe, a Connecticut-born teacher at the Hartford Female Academy and an active abolitionist, focused the novel on the character of Uncle Tom, a long-suffering black slave around whom the stories of other characters—both fellow slaves and slave owners—revolve. The sentimental novel depicts the reality of slavery while also asserting that Christian love can overcome something as destructive as enslavement of fellow human beings.

Uncle Tom's Cabin was the best-selling novel of the 19th century, and the second best-selling book of that century, following the Bible. It is credited with helping fuel the abolitionist cause in the 1850s.In the first year after it was published, 300,000 copies of the book were sold in the United States alone. In 1855, three years after it was published, it was called "the most popular novel of our day."The impact attributed to the book is great, reinforced by a story that when Abraham Lincoln met Stowe at the start of the Civil War, Lincoln declared, "So this is the little lady who started this great war." The quote is apocryphal; it did not appear in print until 1896, and it has been argued that "The long-term durability of Lincoln's greeting as an anecdote in literary studies and Stowe scholarship can perhaps be explained in part by the desire among many contemporary intellectuals ... to affirm the role of literature as an agent of social change."

Lucy Terry

Lucy Terry (c.1730-1821) is the author of the oldest known work of literature by an African American. Terry was stolen from Africa and sold into slavery as an infant. She was owned by Ebenezer Wells of Deerfield, who allowed her to be baptized into the Christian faith at about five years of age during the Great Awakening. Her work, "Bars Fight", is a ballad about attack upon two white families by Native Americans on August 25, 1746. The attack occurred in Deerfield, Massachusetts in an area called "The Bars", which was a colonial term for a meadow. The poem was preserved orally until it was finally published in 1855.A successful free black man named Abijah Prince purchased her freedom and married her in 1756. In 1764, the Princes settled in Guilford, Vermont, where all six of their children were born.

A persuasive orator, Terry successfully negotiated a land case before the Supreme Court of Vermont in the 1790s. She argued against two of the leading lawyers in the state, (one of whom later became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Vermont) and won her case against the false land claims of Colonel Eli Bronson. Samuel Chase, the presiding justice of the Court, said that her argument was better than he'd heard from any Vermont lawyer. Prince died in 1794. By 1803, Terry moved to nearby Sunderland. She rode on horseback annually to visit his grave until she died in 1821 on July 11.

Dred Scott (1795-1858)

Dred Scott is an African American slave born in Southampton County, Virginia. Dred's real name was Sam, but when his older brother Dred passed away, he decided to use his name. With his masters, the Blow family, he moved to different states during his life, like Illinois, Alabama or Missouri, detail that will be important to explain the turning point of his life.

Dred Scott could not manage to get freed, so in 1846 he suied his master in St. Louis Circuit Court, unsuccessfuly. However, about 4 years later, as new evidences were provided, he was allowed another appearance before the Court, and obtained freedom for him and his wife. Indeed, some of the states that they lived in with their masters prohibited slavery, making Scott's enslavement illegal. That is why in 1850, Dred Scott and his wife were given their freedom by the court.

However, two years later, their freedom was taken away, as they did not sue when they actually lived in the slavery-free states. In 1857, the Scotts appeared in Court again hoping for citizenship, but the Court ruled that African Americans had no claim to freedom or citizenship. Three months later, Scott and his wife were returned to their original owners who freed them, as they had become part of the anti-slavery movement.

Dred Scott's case was a big event that aggravated the tensions between North and South, and that for sure brought America even closer to the Civil War that was right around the corner.

Brooker T. Washington

Booker Taliaferro Washington represents the last generation of African Americans born in slavery. He was born in 1856 in the state of Virginia as a slave and was freed in 1865 as the civil war ended. After working for years in different manual jobs, Washington finally gots an education at Virginia Union University. He soon became a great and influential spokesman and leader for the black community in the United States. He believed that black citizens should temporarily abandon their fights for full civil rights and focus more on getting industrial jobs, saying that this would help the African American community get stable and be stronger to go forward in the future. For Washington, the acceptance of blacks by the white community had to go through a temporarily acceptance of discrimination and segregation. This strategy was suppose to wipe off the divisions between the two races and would leads to equal citizenship for all. These sentiments were later called the “Atlanta compromise.” Washington was received at the white house 1901 to defend his ideas. Among his generation, he was definitely the most influential spokesman.
Nonetheless, Washington encountered some opposition to this strategy in his own community. Indeed W.E.B Dubois deplored Washington's emphasis on industrial skills rather than academic development and civil rights.
I found really interesting to see how the black community did not have a common standpoint in the strategy to adopt in order for black people to achieve equal citizenship and civil rights. The personality of Washington could be related to Fredrick Douglass in that they have both been influential spokesman of the African American community.

Interestingly enough all the slave story that we have treated in class has shown that the slave masters used the bible to back up their wrong. But honestly, the forced enslavement and barbaric treatment involved in the transatlantic slave trade certainly broke biblical laws on slavery. The transatlantic slave trade broking biblical laws can be seen by the explanation done by the abolitionist.

Abolitionists repeatedly quoted the Golden Rule in Matt 7 v12 (‘whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.’) They applied this to the British public by trying to get them to imagine what it would be like if they and their families were enslaved. Coupled with this, abolitionists worked hard to evangelize the slaves themselves as their masters often denied them the hearing of the gospel in case it would undermine their service. The abolitionists appealed to people’s consciences by warning them of God’s judgment and wrath against sin, especially God’s anger at the exploitation of the poor. The Quaker Anthony Benezet warned ‘Will not the groans of this deeply afflicted and oppressed people reach heaven, and must not the inevitable consequence be pouring forth of the judgment of God upon their oppressors, must we not tremble to think what a load of guilt lies upon our Nation.’ The abolitionists emphasized to the people that ‘national sins produce national judgments’.

Many have written and argued that Slavery was a Sin of the South. I would argue most strongly that Slavery was NOT a Sin of the South; It was the Sin of a Nation. The simple picture of Slavery as a Southern Sin does not reflect the much broader participation, exploitation and profit in Slavery as an Enterprise.
The Slave Ship was owned by a New York Slave Trader, It was full of Native African Men, Women, and Children, and it was delivering the Cargo to be sold in the South.
My belief is that few today could look at these images, and read the accompanying story without being appalled, repulsed, and even outraged.
A time to imagine: Look at the picture of these people, created by God and in his image, packed onto this ship like cattle. Gaze at the image, and then spend several minutes reflecting on what it must have been like to be crammed onto a ship so tightly that you could not lie down, so tightly that you could hardly breathe. Think of the sounds of the dying all around, the stench of the diseased and deprived hanging in the air, and the utter hopelessness of the situation.
The facts of the conditions on the Slave Ship are quiet disturbing. This picture tells us of how fellow men intentionally insult mankind. However, the newspaper report is in a light-hearted, fashion. I think the article describes lacks the indignation and passion that one would think would be associated with being an eye-witness to such a human catastrophe because it is not really make certain the intelligence, and presumably the worth of these people. Also when the people appear to be praying, or praising God, it could be mistaken that the people could not be aware of God.
The plantation culture of the south helped to create demand for slaves, rich northerners were more than happy to use their ships and wealth to trade in slaves for profit, and then the popular press, potentially influenced by the wealthy that were benefiting from the slave trade, appears to have been willing to simply look the other way.

Many have written and argued that Slavery was a Sin of the South. I would argue most strongly that Slavery was NOT a Sin of the South; It was the Sin of a Nation. The simple picture of Slavery as a Southern Sin does not reflect the much broader participation, exploitation and profit in Slavery as an Enterprise.
The Slave Ship was owned by a New York Slave Trader, It was full of Native African Men, Women, and Children, and it was delivering the Cargo to be sold in the South.
My belief is that few today could look at these images, and read the accompanying story without being appalled, repulsed, and even outraged.
A time to imaging: Look at the picture of these people, created by God and in his image, packed onto this ship like cattle. Gaze at the image, and then spend several minutes reflecting on what it must have been like to be crammed onto a ship so tightly that you could not lie down, so tightly that you could hardly breathe. Think of the sounds of the dying all around, the stench of the diseased and deprived hanging in the air, and the utter hopelessness of the situation.
The facts of the conditions on the Slave Ship are quiet disturbing. This picture tells us of how fellow men intentionally insult mankind. However, the newspaper report is in a light-hearted, fashion. I think the article describes lacks the indignation and passion that one would think would be associated with being an eye-witness to such a human catastrophe because it is not really make certain the intelligence, and presumably the worth of these people. Also when the people appear to be praying, or praising God, it could be mistaken that the people could not be aware of God.
The plantation culture of the south helped to create demand for slaves, rich northerners were more than happy to use their ships and wealth to trade in slaves for profit, and then the popular press, potentially influenced by the wealthy that were benefiting from the slave trade, appears to have been willing to simply look the other way.

Am I not a Man and a Brother?

When we mainly here about ablotionism, we think United States, but it was a worlwide phenomenon. The first steps ever taken against slavery are recognized to have taken place in Great Britain through different court cases. The picture above was representative of the British abolitionist movement, and was later used by other countries in their fight against slavery. It was created by Josiah Wedgewood, and became quickly very famous, if not trendy, as it was used in jewelry, and snuff boxes.

It shows the picture of an African American slave down on one knee, enchained and looking up at probably what we could guess to be his master. His hands are linked together, as if he was imploring help, or compassion regarding his situation. Some see in his almost-total-nudity a representation of freedom and purity.

Before being an embleme of the abolitionist movement in Great Britain, and later around the world, this image was a medallion. Indeed, it is considered to be the first and most recognizable image of the 18th century abolitionist movement.

The most symbolic part about this picture is however the text that underlines it. It says "Am I nnot a Man and a Brother?". This sentence symbolizes a great protest against race inequality. Through this rhetorical question, the author of the medallion answers it. He implies that African American slaves are men and human, similarly to White people. They have nothing in difference but their skin color, and that should not be a reason to prevent them from their liberty.

Sojourner Truth and her legacy.

Sojourner Truth.

One of the most powerful, influential, and respected women of history and yet, she did not know how to read or write. As Secretary Clinton mentions in the YouTube video, Truth at one point counted President Lincoln and President Grant as acquaintances. Sojourner Truth and her journey really cannot be summed up by words, but I will try. She was courageous, heroic, audacious, majestic, candid, honorable, considerate and intelligent. Only to name a few adjectives of the many that describe Sojourner Truth. In 2009, Truth became the first black woman honored with a bust in the United States Capitol, created by world-renowned artist Artis Lane. I cannot begin to imagine how proud she was looking down from Heaven at the first woman Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, at Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee, at Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and the nation’s first black First Lady, Michelle Obama. As Mrs. Obama says in the video, isn’t it incredible that she is the wife of the Commander in Chief and Leader of the Free World and also a descendant of slaves? That awesome fact is able to be a reality because of the work of Sojourner Truth. Her perseverance, her hard labor, her brave speeches, her endless efforts all have led to a more free, more just society we now know today. Sojourner Truth could have easily seen herself as suppressed, defeated and degraded, because frankly, she endured some of humanity’s worst actions. However, she rose above the evil and the hatred to fight tirelessly for what was right. Whenever we feel down or depressed about something in our lives, we must look to Sojourner. She will inspire us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtmTEiTDBeg

--Townsend

Slavery in America

After looking at several videos about slavery, I stumbled on to this one. It caught my attention because it did not have any sound. I read along and saw the pictures and I found it to be much more interesting. The video contains many facts and its hard to believe the condition that slaves lived in, as the pictures show. I saw a lot of familiar faces and even some familiar book titles. Although there is no sound to the video, reading the slides made me understand a great deal about slavery.

HMMR

Reward: Run Away Slaves

By: Jake Robinson

I was inspired by the last post to put up this particular picture. Evidently, this is a poster put up by a white slaveholder in St. Louis, Missouri. The man who made this poster is offering a $200 reward for anyone who finds his African-American slaves. These five slaves are an African-American family, consisting of one man, one woman, and three children. Following the major title gives the names of these people, and a basic description of what their characteristics and physical appearance. I figured that this picture was prevalent to our class because we have seen posters similar to this one in the texts we have read. For example, at the end of Chapter XVII in Harriet Jacobs’ narrative, there is a description of a poster describing a runaway slave that is very similar to the poster above. I think it is important to see and to understand this part of slavery because it truly shows how relentless and how ruthless slaveholder were. It shows that slaveholders were truly evil by taking a fellow man, and making him property. It shows that they did not value their fellow men, or women, and that their hearts were like stone. It is very important to not overlook this minor aspect of slavery because it also lets us know that slaves were literally running away from their slaveholders. Let it be through the Underground Railroad, or let it be on their own, some slaves got very fed up and just grabbed there things and left. Some were fortunate enough to escape, and some were not so fortunate. Upon being returned to a hellish life was a harsh punishment for attempting to escape. I feel that although this is a small detail in slavery, these posters can really reveal a great deal about slavery.

Slaves For Sale

This advertisement makes me think. I look at this advertisement and find it almost unbelievable, especially because of the time period I've been raised in. Growing up, slavery was not enforced and actually was long gone, but this one advertisement almost belittles me, even though I don't even know what it feels like to be an African American, back in those days. To think that human beings, African Americans, the same people we see on the daily basis at local stores, jobs and school, were being sold, period is probably the most disturbing of all of the slavery images I have seen. To think that with &1200 dollars I can buy a Macbook and back then, you could have bought me with that same money, strikes a nerve. It's so weird to think humans were equivalent to mere objects. There was a time when human beings shared the worth of a laptop...not even a luxury car or a home, or even a used car, but just a lap top. There's actually lap tops out there worth more than the costs of slaves back then. There was actually a time when this existed and these very advertisements were considered normal, and actually people could be bought, sold, and traded. No human life is equal to money. A human's life is far more valuable and precious than anything that money can buy. It is a life, given by the divine that no one should be able to sell, buy or trade. But it did happen and it was actually considered normal at one point in time. Though this image is moving to me, and a bit disturbing, I can also be happy to know that this cruelty and unreal advertisement no longer exists and human life means much more than mere $1200 now.

Abolitionist Movement

BY: KYLE RISSER

I came across this picture when I was searching abolitionist movement on Google. I thought it was quite interesting how it pertains to this time period and the presidential election. At the time, the four presidential candidates were Abraham Lincoln, John Bell, John C. Breckinridge, and Stephen Douglas. There is some fine print which may be hard for some to read, but each of the presidential candidates are saying as follows; John Bell- “Bless my soul I give up”, John C. Breckinridge- “that long legged abolitionist is getting ahead of us after all”, Stephen Douglas- “I’ve never run so in my life”. This picture is portraying how Abraham Lincoln was gaining momentum in the 1860 presidential campaign. This was because of the fact that he decided to become a supporter of the abolitionist movement. It was also slightly before the beginning of the only civil war fought in the history of the United States. Lincoln was a central figure for the whole nation, or should I say nations at the time. He was dedicated to maintaining the union and not having a division of states. Eventually he was elected as the 16^th president of the United States, and many believe it was because of the fact that he was an outspoken opponent of the expansion of slavery throughout the nation. Unfortunately, Lincoln was assassinated after the war had ended and all of his hard work had paid off on April 14, 1865. He is still one of the most infamous icons within the history of America, and his work as president is recognized as one of the most significant stepping stones since our country was founded.

Abolitionist V. Slave Trade Documentary ~Pinckney Castle, Amistad

Kerry Washington reads Sojourner Truth

A day in the life

I came across this painting when researching slavery and the slave trade on FineArtAmerica.com, a database with hundreds and thousands of original paintings which I use often to help inspire myself. This painting, painted by Pam McCabe, is a more modern technique representing America’s older traditions of slavery. I was immediately drawn to it by the beautiful use of color that contrasts so well with the true sadness of their actions. These slaves are depicted in a pastel cotton field picking cotton, inevitably for a white slave holder who would be the only true beneficiary from their hard labor. Here workers are piling their mounds of cotton into baskets, that women typically trained themselves to carry on their heads as shown, and bags which usually are an addition to the baskets or used by younger children since they were able to drag them or hang them on their front or back side. The background illustrates the wagon in which all the cotton was loaded onto at the end of a hard day’s work, usually 10 to 12 hours worth. Slaves worked from sunrise to dark and were expected to be able to gather between 150 to 200 pounds of cotton during their daily work. The abundance of cotton shown in this pastel painting I feel is properly represented. Their long and covering clothing helps to protect them from the heat and burn of the sun. I found the attention to detail compelling to the realities of slavery and their daily lives that helped run the world of white men, yet, the colors are so light and hopeful; possibly representing hope for freedom.