I am happy to report that tonight, I have walked away from these readings slightly less of a cynic; this is perhaps the most uplifting piece I have read yet. (Fear not, I know that this happy feeling will be crushed next week.) Nathaniel Paul’s address was truly remarkable in my eyes. I think that it is important for me to note here that my personal feelings in regards differ a bit from students of color. Allow me to explain, being white, and also not having been born in the United States, I do not have any personal connections, nor any biological history rooted to the slavery that look place. With this being said, Paul’s address is truly moving. I felt what African Americans must have felt on that day. When the process of slavery was described, it affected me on a very personal level in the fact that I understand the pain of separation. It especially hit hard when Paul alludes that for most slaves, not surviving the trip over would have been an act of mercy. Furthermore, we continue to see a common thread. Slavery is bad in life, but ones freedom will be gained in heaven. I liked how Paul goes beyond just the issue of slavery. He also goes on to address the fundamental issues in the system of the United States, “[we] offer an excuse for the frames of the Constitution.” (pg. 190) He goes to claim the colonial need for independence from Great Britain is what caused the cuse of slavery to exist. That had people had purer intentions, this have been avoided. However at the same time,Paul states that liberation would not have been achieved had history been different. Remember, as we discussed in class, slaves were very much a symbol of wealth. Through the permanent abolition of slavery in New York, slaves were able to claim back their sense of self once more.

Although this is by no means a new correlation, I think that it is important to bring up once more. Last week, we got to discuss the rather madding views of Jupiter Hammon. His views on slavery rested on this key concept; “obey thy master”, or your experience as a slave will be ten times worse. As we discussed, a part of this mantra stems from how were religion (their work was distributed to the masses via white slave owners.) Keeping this concept in mind, Douglas’s views as recorded in Sernett’s work really struck me. Again, we see the same platform being used, but the total opposite side of the scale. As cliché as it may seem practically in the case of slave experience and treatment, I do to a degree, believe that events and experiences are influenced greatly upon personal experience. Recall that Hammon grew up on the kinder side of slavery, as a result, he stands on the grounds that slaves owe their master’s obedience based on all that has been provided for them. In contrast, Douglas points the sickening hypocrisy that sees in slave owners on a daily bases, claiming that the same men who would preach love of God on Sunday, would also beat their slaves bloody that coming Monday. Another important thing that I took of, was how Douglas attempted to clarify his point in the concluding paragraphs. He goes on to state that his dislike of Christians only applies to slaveholders. Both Hammon and Douglas proclaimed themselves to be of the Christian faith, but manipulate scripture and belief to their own personal advantage. Further, take the infamous Tuner rebellion into account. This was more or less a planned slaughter to get back at white slave-owners. From the compilations that we had to read this week, I took away one focal point; cruelty breeds cruelty, and compassion works on the same platform. We define things by our personal experiences at the time. This does not mean this is the way things were 27/4. It is important in the issue of slavery and slave experience to not simply rely on generalized experiences and proclaim these grouped experieces were e v e r y o n e ‘ s reality.

This was one of the more enjoyable sections to read in the additional reading this week. Again, I am left somewhat speechless over the amount of information about African American life and realities that we are not taught in school regardless of our race. It is new to learn that slave owners did not want to convert their slaves on the grounds of dehumanizing them. However, what is not traditionally expressed within our educational system is this rather ironic reality. We are all familiar with the creation story. It is because of the impulse of Eve, that humans to understand the concept of free-will. By disobeying the word of God, man then became self-aware (i.e. being naked 27/4 is not really the coolest thing.) Take this concept and apply it to the minds of slave-owners. Raboteau notes how slaveholders were also motivated not to Christianize their salves, because it would change the chain of power. By allowing their slaves to be religiously educated, they would then have a higher self-respect for themselves. And their free-will would also be heightened. We educated throughout high school that slaves had no deeper purpose then to work. We have it drilled into us that all masters hated their slaves. As we have seen, the reality was literally not so black and white. There is a famous quote that goes something like this, “Knowledge is power.” By denying education, slave holders were set on the idea that if slaves were kept in the dark, they would to some degree be dumber. This mindset implied that slaves were not born with average intelligence, they were too far gone to even be considered for religious education. This brings up an old debate. Are we born with basic intelligence, or is everything we know instructed? Do we all have a set limit of capacity for all things in life, or is everything constantly evolving?

Ps. This  made me think in a different light. Maybe you will too.

One of the most interesting things that I read this week was the records that were the accounts of Francis Le Jau. It was interesting to read because in some ways he would he would go and try to understand both sides of how slavery and religion were dependent upon each other. One of the weirdest things to grasps in my mind was how some slaves had come over to plantations already having some fundamental aspects of Christianity prior coming to the States because of the Spanish who had come to European lands beforehand. It struck me as odd that Native Americans had to go through  similar situation. Despite what the history books record, there were Native Americans that converted of their own free will. It just surprised me to learn this because we are very much taught the “white-person” perspective in school. Jeu struggles himself with feeling for the African Americans he works to convert and that he has,” Seen very Severe Judgments.” (Sernett, 32). Slave owners had a tendency to dismiss whatever religious grounds African Americans/Native Americans had already had for themselves.

Anyway, there are my random thoughts for the day.