Black women slavery

Black women slavery

Introduction

Slavery of various form took its roots before and during the American civil war. The bondage was blended with racism, and the focus was blacks. Slavery is drawn back to the history of trans-Atlantic trade. Africans were an essential commodity of the slave trade. They shipped to Europe and after that sent to the north and south America to work on cotton plantations. Slavery was not only enforced on black men but also black women. In the plantation, the white men enslaver took advantage of the black women, and they exploited them, assaulted them sexually. Black womanhood and motherhood were not respected at all. Their bodies could be used and controlled by the white plantation owner in the way they wanted. The essay herein explores in detail the black women enslavement. Much focus is put on the two artistic works of two authors. These include: Marry princes’ enslavement narrative and Frances Watkin Harper’s poem “The slaver mother.” The narrative and the poetry elaborates on how the life of the enslaved black women was. The dynamics of power and relationship between the black women and the enslaver white man are discussed at length in the poem by Harpers.

Further, this essay goes ahead to explore how black women slavery is still executed in our society today. It implies that although slavery ended, it has taken a different form and has been transferred into today’s society. Such type of slavery includes exploitation, denigration, fetishism, and objectification of black women’s bodies extending into the entertainment and film industry. Nevertheless, black women have shown immense and tremendous efforts in fighting this kind of slavery that undermines their womanhood. They have consistently done so by rebelling and fighting against sexual oppression in the entertainment industry as well as empowering themselves and others through creative and artistic forms of resistance.

Life of enslaved black women

Marry prince gives an epic narrative of the life of an enslaved black woman in her enslavement narrative. Her self is also a victim of black woman slavery. She is born in slavery at Brackish Pond in Bermuda. At a tender age of twelve years, she is sold for thirty-eight sterling pounds to a British enslaver. Her two sisters are also sold to different enslavers at the same time. Marry was treated with cruelty by the white enslaver. She was being flogged on a minor offense. Marry describes the system of dehumanized women. Mothers could only weep and morn over their children. They could not save them from the cruel enslavers. Mothers and female children were humiliated and subjected to hard taskforce in the plantations. The lives of black women were filed with overwhelming tragedy. Three forms of exploitation subjected black women to suffering and dehumanizing experiences. They included the breeding system of chattel enslavement, use of social evolutionary theories to show that women black females were inferior and use of black female for sexual satisfaction by enslaver white man. Black women were under constant fear of sexual violence and were consistently assaulted white men who regarded them as hypersexual savages. This resulted in a mixed race. The children who were born in this sexual assault became the property of the white man. Also, their bodies were used for scientific purposes, economic purposes, and personal pleasure. They had no legal rights over their bodies. The shape of the black female was played in scientific medical research. Scientists began to accord meaning to the abnormalities that were perceived to present .in the body of black females. The defects were recognized to be in the hips buttocks and genitalia. Historically, torturous experiments were imposed on the black women While the white women were not. They were forced to represent their sexuality in social market places. Marry princes describes in her narrative the modification of the body of the black female and how the baartman’s death parts were used for biological experiments. Therefore, the enslavement system had a significant influence on how black women were allowed to use their bodies. Gynecology accelerated the abuse of enslaved black women’s bodies for scientific gains.

Further, they were forced to offer their labor without payment. Cruel treatment was the order of the day. Marry princes describe how he was being subjected to harassment by his masters in his daily chores. She counterpoints the physical and emotional hardship in her daily labor while elaborating on the beatings she endured from her master. She explains that the master taught him the difference between a cart-whip and a cow-skin by applying it on her naked body. The poem “the slave mother” encompasses a sad and solemn feeling. Children are snatched from the enslaved black women “she is a mother pale with fear.” “He is not hers, for the cruel hands may rudely tear apart. The only wreath of household love That binds her breaking heart.” The two phrases indicate that enslaved women were denied the right to own their children.

Efforts of the black woman in resisting the oppression

It evident that the black woman has consistently attempted to fights against the abuse by the white man. Marry princes and Harper are key women who have fought against such oppressive practices through their creative and artistic works. Marry princes decide that enough is enough and begins to rebuke her owners. She marries contrary to the wishes of the woods and finally leaves the woods family. She says that she took courage that resolved that she would no longer be treated in that inhuman manner. Marry resistance enabled him to escape a lifetime of abuse and humiliation. It also helped her to start an anti-slavery mission in pursuit of fighting against slavery.

The auction block

Slave trade was considered as a crucial economic activity to the British and American economy in the eighteenth century, which ended with the American civil war. Black men and women were purchased in the Trans-Atlantic trade for a slaver. The increase in cotton production in the south, together with and end of trans- Atlantic trade, created a market for Virginia slaveholders. They ran to sell the enslaved individuals to meet the increased demand for labor. The slaves were bought and confined in jails that were located on extensive plantation grounds. After that, they were auctioned to another trader. The slaves were physically examined, and the bidding was subject to the substantial value of the slave. However, in the process, the black women were, at some time, assaulted and inhumanly treated. Other slaves died in the process of auctioning. Families separated as husbands, wives, parents, and children were sold to different traders. After the deal was sealed, the enslaved people were transported to cotton plantations.

Slavery in the modern society

Even though slavery ended after the American civil war, it has, however, been transferred into contemporary society. Exploitation, denigration, fetishism, and objectification of the black female body has been extended in the entertainment industry. Their bodies are being used as sexual objects for entertainment purposes. Black women are also being used in the pornographic film as the sole vessel of sex. This lead to a decline in the worth and value of black women. They have been coerced to perform nakedly in videos and films

Conclusion

In conclusion, black women have tremendous efforts in fighting against oppression in the form of slavery. The three poems of Harper: “the slave mother,” “bury me in a free land,” and “learning to read” explores the efforts of black women in liberating themselves from slavery and oppression.