Quote:
Originally posted by AKA2D '91
I guess in 1872, I would have been a cotton-picking, clothes cleaning, house cleaning, child rearing SLAVE.
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Technically, no. Slavery was abolished in 1863, but I get your point.
It's interesting to look at things through our lenses of (relatively) modern privilege, but like other folks have said, I think it's important to remember that our ancestors didn't have a choice over whether they would be slaves. But I think it's also important to remember that even though times were hard, all of us didn't just "lay down and take it".
Some historians are starting to question the perception that enslaved Africans were passive about their fate. Some believe (I can't think of any names now, sorry) that a number of Africans committed suicide during the Middle Passage out of sheer desperation. It's not a positive choice, but it's a choice all the same.
In addition, let's not forget the large and small acts of rebellion that our enslaved ancestors performed, from staging huge rebellions that involved hundreds, to poisoning slaveowners and breaking tools to create work stoppages.