The Impact of Intersectional Identity in Slave Communities

Study the Masters Lucille Clifton

like my aunt timmie.

it was her iron,

or one like hers,

that smoothed the sheets

the master poet slept on.

home or hotel, what matters is

he lay himself down on her handiwork

and dreamed. she dreamed too, words;

some cherokee, some masai and some

huge and particular as hope.

if you had heard her

chanting as she ironed

you would understand form and line

and discipline and order and

america.   

-  Callaloo 22.1 (1999) 54

Greetings, Class. 

Over the course, we have explored the ways gender differences may have impacted the experiences and choices of enslaved people.  Today, we explored those experiences more closely.  This poem helped us to unpack some of our discoveries.  

Consider how intersectional identity, being both Black/African and a woman, impacted the individual experiences of women in enslaved communities.  You may include examples from the The African American Odyssey or A Mercy.  Feel free to include links and additional resources as examples or helpful information. 

Yours truly, 

Dr. Hill

Intersections and Overlap

Greetings.

In class we are discussing African Americans in Colonial America. Do you recognize any overlapping information or intersecting ideas from the novel A Mercy, "Chapter 1" from The African-American Odyssey, and Africans in America: The Terrible Transformation?

Please post your conclusions here.  If you worked with others, please include their names when discussing collective ideas. 

Dr. Hill

A Mercy by Toni Morrison: Chapter 1

Greetings, AAS 200.
We also read, reviewed and explored the first chapter of Toni Morrison's A Mercy.  The are several audio clips of the first chapters of A Mercy and an introduction of book on NPR's (National Public Radio)  website.  

Our class discussion considered four aspects of the reading. 

•  Who is the protagonist of the novel, inclusive of a character description, thoughts and actions?

•  What is her ancestry, nationality, ethnicity, cultural affiliations, and race?

•  List three interesting observations about the protagonist.

•  Consider how these observations confirm, challenge or complicate your previous conceptions of  and previous narratives concerning African Americans in the United States, particularly the colonial period. 

I enjoyed our brief discussion about how slavery may have impacted men and women differently. I also liked how many situated ideas of 'hope'. For example, mobility may have meant better opportunities for slaves.  Great job @ contributors!  

If you have further considerations about the reading or want to add to the discussion, please post.

Yours truly,
Dr. Hill

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