Isela Larreinaga

English 302

Professor Rumore

The first image being presented above depicts the infamous Transatlantic slave trade that occurred between the 16th century and 19th century which includes the participation of the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Although the trade is mainly recognized for the transportation of enslaved people, it also brought on board manufactured goods, live animals, and anything else that was deemed profitable. It’s crucial to understand that back then, boats weren’t sanitary or safe for months worth of traveling. Many of those who were taken abroad against their free will ended up dying from malnutrition, unsanitary conditions, and harsh treatment while being on the boat. This inevitably led to the dumping of the deceased bodies into the ocean’s water, never to be remembered again. As you can see within the image, there were many ports of slave trading, it was almost a never ending cycle of transportation. People were kidnapped from different areas in Africa, some being transported to England first, then to the colonies and others straight to the caribbean islands. Once the slaves were dropped off to their sellers / purchasers, the ships were then used to export goods like crops, and sugar. The Transatlantic trade was a way of income for the colonizers yet it was one of  the most dehumanizing acts to be committed. 

The second image takes place in Delaware, one of the 13 colonies back then. An enslaved man is unwillingly tied up against the wooden post; He’s about to endure a whipping from the white man (one of many forms of punishment that enslaved people had to take). Oftentimes, the reasoning for punishment can be as insignificant as miscounting the amount of crops there is, but making any type of mistake comes with the brutal beating and humiliation. It’s also key to note that one didn’t particularly have to be the owner to punish them. It goes to show the abuse of power that lied heavily on their shoulders and the remorse one lacked. The image shows the man ready to be punished and most likely forced to continue their work as if nothing happened. It doesn’t matter if the person ended up with bruises, cuts, or marks – there was work needed to be done and they were the only ones who could get it done (in the owner’s perspective anyways). Although in the drawing it shows only two men, it wasn’t always that way. I mentioned before that enslaved people were humiliated and belittled to the point of no return; When a punishment was in order, other people were brought to watch the whipping, flogging, and so on. It almost became a game for many of the slave-owners and they believed bringing people in to watch was just another layer of amusement to them. 

I chose these two sources as my objects because of the connections it brings to one of the novels we’ve read, Olaudah Equiano: The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings. Within this novel, we’re presented with the life story of a man who was forcibly taken from his home and sold into slavery. Equiano speaks on the horrors of slavery and what he embarked on in this treacherous journey. When I found the second image where the man is tied up and prepped for whipping, it reminded me of when Equiano mentioned in one of the chapters how “Many times [he] have seen these unfortunate wretches beaten for asking for their pay; and often severely flogged by their owners if they did not bring them their daily or weekly money exactly to the time” (p. 101). Equiano perfectly paints a picture of misfortunate and cruelty that lied within the hands of enslaved owners and how they executed their disapproval. As for the first image and its connection to the story, Equiano dedicates a chapter on telling readers the journey of crossing the Atlantic and how the transporting of Africans was no better than being on land. He said “When I looked round the ship too, and saw a large furnace of copper boiling, and a multitude of black people of every description chained together…I no longer doubted my fate, and quite overpowered with horror and strength.” (p. 55) He already understood the condition of the boat and how uncomfortable it was to be on it but as he took in the atmosphere around him, he realized he wasn’t the only one going through this hardship. He then accepted the idea of being sold into slavery and even potentially dying on the boat before being sold off.  

All in all, these two images doesn’t explicitly show the horrors and chaos that comes with slavery but it gives a good idea on how it was executed onto the unfortunate souls that couldn’t escape their “fate.” The Transatlantic slave trade was a huge factor into the growth of slavery and wealth (for those who were white and had money). As for the depiction in the second image, we can only conclude that punishment was one of many things that enslaved people had to endure. These images go well with the story of Equiano because it adds more depth into what is being read. 

Works Cited

“The Transatlantic trade.” Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive. 2000. http://find.g ale.com.lehman.ezproxy.cuny.edu/sas/imageGallery.do?page=ImageGallery&recordID=s as_00037&inPS=true&prodId=SAS&userGroupName=lehman_main&pageNumber=1&       method=doImageDisplay&contentSet=SASM

“Whipping post and pillory, Delaware” Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive. 1865 http://find.gale.com.lehman.ezproxy.cuny.edu/sas/imageGallery.do?page=ImageGallery&  recordID=sas_00059&inPS=true&prodId=SASAS&userGroupName=lehman_main&pageN
umber=1&method=doImageDisplay&contentSet=SASM    

Destiny Vega

March 2020

Professor Rumore

English 302

Newspapers and Artwork

Slavery is taught in every country of our world. It was a system that was in place that allowed people to own, buy and sell other individuals. A slave did not have any say in how they were treated and where they would end up. More often than not, they were considered less than human. In America, we learn a lot about slavery because it is part of our history. Our past was known for buying and selling enslaved people for their personal use. In Oroonoko by Aphra Behn we learn about a slave who was the last royal descendant of an African country called Coramantien. This country participated in the trans-Atlantic slave trade that sold prisoners of war to western ships. “Those who want slaves makes a bargain with a master or a captain of a ship, and contract to pay him so much apiece, a matter of twenty pound a head for for as many as he agrees for, and to pay for them when they shall be delivered on such a plantation” (12). The buying and selling of slaves was normalized and was done as an everyday interaction.

Newspapers were objects that were used during this time to advertise and promote the buying and selling of enslaved people. There was Act in America that stated that the purchase of slaves needed to be advertised in the newspapers. For instance, in Tennessee, the act stated that “… whose duty it shall be to sell any lands or negroes, under, or by virtue of any execution, order, judgment or decree of a court …to advertise and publish such sale or sales, at least three different times, in some newspaper printed and published in the county…” (93). Slaves were treated as objects instead of human beings. They were not considered people and believed that the trading of slaves was an advantage for the country. This was a system that was put in place to be used against people of color. They were treated like objects and were sold or paraded around like cars and food. This Act truly shows what it was like during this time period.

Art is another object that is used to represent the slave trade. Although slavery went on to a time when photography came about, art was used as a way to depict slavery. Some enslaved people did not know how to read or write so they used art as form of expression. Art is still used today to depict the conditions that slaves had to endure. There are many pieces of art that show us what is was really like during the time of the slave trade. For instance, there is a painting that shows slaves below the deck of a ship “… with its plan of symmetrically distributed slaves all lying on their backs, segregated by sex, was part of Thomas Clarkson’s campaign against the slave trade…” (25). This is important because it allows us to get a visual representation of what is being described. The paintings show us what actually happened and is a lot of power like words do. This relates to The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano because in chapter two, we get his account of being forced on to a slave ship and we read about the horrible conditions. Slavery is a part of our history and newspapers and artwork expose us and educate us on what happened.

Slavery is something that should not be forgotten and will never be forgotten. It has impacted our country in many different ways and it unfortunately part of our history. Having news articles and artwork from this era truly allows us to fully grasp the horror of it all. Sometimes we need visual representations to show us how enslaved people were treated. Having different artifacts and objects lets us understand the past. Sometimes it can be good to see artworks and real newspapers because it doesn’t allow us to easily dismiss what was a part of our history. Slavery will continue to always be taught and it is great that we have objects to provide us with visual representation.

“An Act requiring the sale of Lands or Slaves to be advertised in a newspaper.” Tennessee – 31st General Assembly, 1st Session, p. 93-95. HeinOnline, https://heinonline-org.lehman.ezproxy.cuny.edu/HOL/P?h=hein.slavery/ssactstn0186&i=1.

Bury, Stephen. “REPRESENTING SLAVERY: ART, ARTEFACTS AND ARCHIVES IN THE COLLECTIONS OF THE NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM BY DOUGLAS HAMILTON & ROBERT J BLYTH (EDS.” Art Book, vol. 15, no. 3, 2008, pp. 24–26.

As a student in New York City one may think it is hard to find parallels between our lives and British Literature. However, there is history here in the city where we see the impact of  the transatlantic slave trade. The area that we now know as Wall Street was built by slaves that were brought over by British ships. Wall Street was essentially where people would auction off slaves. The slaves were in charge of building “the wall” where on the other side they built their own communities. 

After reading Oroonoko:The Royal Slave by Aphra Behn we learned of the tragic tale of Oroonoko. Behn’s travel narrative lets the reader be a part of Oroonoko’s enslavement and shipment to a new land. Although Behn could have written this “true history” with a different approach, I think about how I could use this text as an educator here living in New York City. I have the privilege of working with NYC students grades from grades 6-11 as a tutor. I help students mainly with literacy, and after reading Behn’s story I thought this would be a good text to bring up to one student I was tutoring. I had the student read a few excerpts, and asked this student how he could relate to Oroonoko. The conversation we had, and the paper I asked him to write was one of the best moments I’ve had as a tutor. 

My student made connections to his life as an Afro-Latino in a predominantly white school, and thought that he and Oroonoko both were at a disadvantage. I asked him “why?”, and he simply replied, “because we’re black.” He argued that Oroonoko was royalty, but he still ended up dead. He then asked me, “so what happens to me? I understood what my student was trying to argue. I made the counter argument that Behn had written a story about a black man, and was one of the most successful and well known books that Behn had written. Although Behn is a white woman, and it took a white author to gain sympathy over the atrocities that took place, I wanted my student to understand that Oroonoko’s story was something that needed to be told. I realize that what my student was trying to argue was that as a black male he has more hurdles to overcome in comparison to someone who is privileged, but it’s those hurdles and how we face them define who we are. We may live in one of the most diverse cities in America, but discrimination and hate is still unfortunately present in our society. 

I decided to take my student on a small trip to Lower Manhattan so we could both learn more about the history in our city. We went to the African Burial Ground National Monument. The memorial paid tribute to the 15,000 Africans that were buried there from 1690s to 1794. When we arrived my student expressed to me that he felt profound sadness, but at the same time he felt proud of his ancestry and how they were not forgotten. I was glad that we took the trip down to the memorial to learn more about the connections between Oroonoko and our beloved city.

English 302 

Archival Project  

In Aphra Behn’s novel, Oroonoko published in 1688. Oroonoko, who was an African prince from Coramantien. Coramantien is located on the west coast of Africa. During the seventeenth and eighteen-century people were captured and forced into slavery. Oroonoko who is tricked into becoming a slave, Oroonoko is taken away to Suriname.  Oroonoko depicts a character having control over others to becoming enslaved.  

The history of Oroonoko relates to a lot of community today. Throughout the seventeenth and eighteen-century slavery was very popular; slavery is known to happen years ago. Being a Slave means someone else’s property, lack of freedom and excessive labor with very low to no pay. Oroonoko was the royal African prince in Kormantse and then a slave in Surinam, South America. Oroonoko was the prince, people obeyed him and looked up to him. Having to move one place to another; you get a fresh start, and people treat you differently. Immigrants face these obstacles when they migrate to a different country. According to this article Mexican Americans in New York City. “Immigrant Mexicans appear to be having great difficulty making ends meet as they start families here. Incomes that might support one individual on their own or in a shared household are not enough to support a family. As a result, Mexican children being born here have frighteningly high rates of poverty” (Pg. 6). Some communities today, relate to the text in Oroonoko. For instance, people with low resources and individuals with illegal immigration status. Undocumented individuals migrate to a different country, for economic reasons. Undocumented individuals work exhausting jobs earning under minimum wage. Undocumented immigrants don’t get health care; these individuals have to stay as healthy as possible. Mexicans are known to work more and earn less money. Undocumented Mexicans work six to seven days per week. Also, Undocumented families live under house density. About eleven people live in one apartment. In some community’s people are judged based on their race or appearance. Oroonoko is described as the most beautiful man. He is compared to other African American men, in his culture. The narrator describes Oroonoko beauty “His face was not of that brown rusty black which most of that nation are but of perfect ebony or polished jet.” There are different types of racism. Racism is not only based on someone’s skin color.  

Conflicts in the novel could relate to humans’ everyday living. The character, Oroonoko feels trapped as a slave. This relates to a New Yorker living in the projects. Trapped in a square where there is a  neighbor to your left and right. There is no escape. The system doesn’t want you to move.  For instance, Slaves weren’t able to read.  Orooonoko had slaves working for him. It’s harsh to go from having everything to absolutely nothing. Slavery has an impact mentally and physically. Oroonoko had to spend the rest of his life working on the sugar plantation. Oroonoko tried to play both roles the prince and the slave.   

In the 18th-century European construct vessel. The vessels were filled with slaves ready to be transported. Slaves couldn’t escape, inside the vessel the slaveholders had weapons. During slavery, slaves were mistreated. Their hair would be completely shaved.  If any slave was disobedient, he or she would be transferred to small compartments. Similar to prison, prisoners are stuck in compartments with no freedom. Slaves were separated by gender. Weapons and robes used against the slaves remind me of Handcuffs. Handcuffs symbolize threats, enslavement, fear, and dreams that are impossible to accomplish. Both slaves and prisoners have to follow rules. Slaves are being watched by their owners. When Oroonoko arrived at Surinam, he was distant from his African friends. In slavery, people are isolated from their friends and family similar to prisoners. When slaves are sold, they are separated from their love ones. 

Work Cited: 

Behn Aphra. Oroonoko, edited by Janet Todo, Penguin Books, 2003. 

Treschan, L. and Mehrotra, A. 

CSS Report: Nearly Half of Mexican Children in New York City Are Growing Up Poor 

In-text: (Treschan and Mehrotra, 2013) 

The first archival object I would like to speak about is an image of Sojourner Truth. Sojourner advocated for woman’s rights and she was an abolitionist. She was born 1797 which was two years before Act for The Gradual Elimination of Slavery, under the act she was to be “slave for life.” I found this to be impressive because there were few ladies fighting for rights of slaves or women in general. She was able to write a biography ” Narrative of Sojourner Truth A Northern Slave.” In her writing she spoke of her life as a slave and she even speak of her slave owners. Phyllis Wheatley paved the way for woman to start movements and she is the first African American Women to publish a book of poetry. Though Phyllis Wheatly is older than Sojourner they shared the same sentiments and believed in the same things such as freedom, ending slavery and religion. In one of Phyllis Wheatley poems she stated “Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train.” The quote was strong and displayed the faith the black women had during slavery times. Even though they were held captive they were still hopeful and was able to achieve a dream they wanted. Which was to become free and tell their stories. 

Also, in the image you can see the strength in Sojourner Truth. Enough though she had a cane, she stands up straight and she doesn’t look defeated. She looks well, focused and looks like she’s on a mission. The reason this image was chosen by me is because I wanted to know of another female in this time leading a revolution and creating a path for women.

The second archival object I would like to speak about is about an image that speak volumes. We get to see first-hand how it look for slaves to be handled. The image was worth a thousand words. We can see a trade being initiated. There’s three white men, and four African men. Only one of the African men was a slave. The other African men was the slave traders, while the white men were examining the slave before they purchased him. There was a need to examine the slave because they needed to see the strength of a slave, age and see if he will be valuable to the plantation. Seeing Africans sell to the European slave owners made me think about Oroonoko. The image showed the white appearing to be comfortable. The reason I say that is because the placement of the guns was on the floor, it’s like they confident that nothing would happen to them. Meanwhile there’s a white man sitting down smoking what appears to be a cigar, he looks like he’s the one with money, initiating the trade.

Oroonoko was an African prince that was eventually sold into slavery. “To this captain he sold abundance of his slaves; and for the favour and esteem he had for him, made him many presents, and oblig’d him to stay at court as long as possibly he cou’d. “(178). This quote is ironic to me because Oroonoko indeed was well respected and such a strong man, but he sold slaves for valuables and then he was tricked into his own slavery. He was made a promise that he would be set free, but things didn’t go as planned. Oroonoko even believe his captures. 

Once he was tricked into slavery by the ship owner, Oroonoko made a vowel to “ He would engage his honour to behave himself in all friendly order and manner, and obey the command of the captain, as he was lord of the king’s vessel, and general of those men under his command. “(180). Oroonoko tried to create a proposal after being captured, he wanted to state the things he will do so it can possibility lead to his freedom. This led me to imagine how many slaves were tricked into slavery due to Europeans being extra generous, providing more than enough wine and being extra courtly. During these times it was foolish for Africans to trust Europeans because of all the abuse and violent behavior they were put through. 

This archival project was enlightening because the databases used, and research guides gave me an outlook on the 18^thcentury I didn’t see before. A large array of photos and documents depicted everything I needed to better understand some of the things that was taking place during this time period.   

“Sojourner Truth – Identifying Her Family and Owners.” New York Slavery Records Index, nyslavery.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/07/04/sojourner-truth-identifying-her_family-and-slave-owners/.

Aphra Behn, Oroonoko. In: Philip Henderson (ed.), Shorter Novels: Seventeenth Century. Dent, Londen 1967,

Wheatley, Phillis. “On Being Brought from Africa to America by…” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45465/on-being-brought-from-africa-to-america.

Joshua Mateo

Prof. Rumore

3/23/20

Archival Project

The first archival object is found in the Lehman College Library Database. The piece is a book titled,  The Negro and the nation : a history of American slavery and enfranchisement by George Merriam. The book was published in 1906 and was created to speak about the existing franchises made either towards or against the African American people and slaves as a whole. One portion of the article that is important is a point in which the author George Merriam states, “Its intense and irresistible plea is not against a class or a section, but against a system.”(pg.97) This is how George wishes to example how Americans viewed the slavery system during “1852”, after the release of the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The author Georgre also states, “The motive of Uncle Tom’s Cabin was an appeal to the heart of the American people. There was no reference to political action, far less any suggestion of servile insurrection, and there was no discussion of methods of emancipation.”(pg.98) This is important because while at first the idea that slaves go through many deprecating punishments, it does not give any way for americans to think of how they wish to help the situation or how the slaves that had currently been a problem should help themselves. Which was the problem with the writing of a slave tale by a white person. There is a sense of overt oppression going on because of what the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin cannot see due to their privilege. Compared to Behns Oronoko tale, where Behn states, “O, my friends! were she in walled cities, or confined from me in fortifications of the greatest strength; did enchantments or monsters detain her from me; I would venture through any hazard to free her.” This is relevant because while Aphra Behn also gives us an outlook how terrible things have been it definitely relates to how the slavery shown within The Negro and the nation : a history of American slavery and enfranchisement which shows how some of these thought processes want to only show how slaves could be free but not explain what slave owners or politicians should do to help and free the newest population of their country which shows just how much priviledge these writers also had in their own status.

  The Second archival object is also found in the Lehman College Library Database. The piece is called History of the Underground railroad as it was conducted by the Anti-slavery league including many thrilling encounters between those aiding the slaves to escape and those trying to recapture them by William Monroe Cockrum  which was published in 1915. This book is about a collection of stories about slaves and their encounters at the time of the underground railroad. Within one of the encounters the author states, “The gambler went down to the lower deck and selected the girl against whom he was to stake his money. Travell lost the girl and was going to put up another one against the one he had lost, when the captain of the boat, who was a friend of the Travell family interfered and took young Travell to his room to sober up.”(pg. 50) The reason that this is important is because it clearly depicts through the recollection of this story that slaveholders would see their slaves so much as property that they would use them as prizes to regular wagers held between each other. This is important because based off of The experiences show in the story of Ooronoko it is as if the situations are vastly different. The story states, “”he had intelligence brought him that Imoinda was most certainly mistress to the Prince Oroonoko. This gave him some chagrin: however, it gave him also an opportunity…”(pg.40) The importance of this is that while Behn is giving oronoko a sense of agency, the slaves depicted in these tales do not have that sense of agency and are evidently going through two very differently described diasporas. 

Work Cited:

Merriam, George Spring. The Negro and the nation : a history of American slavery and enfranchisement. New York, 1906. Slavery and Anti-Slavery. Gale. Main Account – CUNY. 23 Mar. 2020 

Cockrum, William Monroe. History of the Underground railroad as it was conducted by the Anti-slavery league : including many thrilling encounters between those aiding the slaves to escape and those trying to recapture them. Oakland City, Ind., [c1915]. Slavery and Anti-Slavery. Gale. Main Account – CUNY. 23 Mar. 2020 

As a student in New York City, who was born in Ecuador, I tend to look at the readings from two different lenses. Both cultures have shaped me into the human being I am today, therefore I have two different perspectives from which I look at these eighteenth-century readings. Especially, as I read Oroonoko by Aphra Behn, I realized that slavery is not only something physical. You are not only enslaved when you are deprived from your liberty, but also when your thoughts are not free. As a student in New York City, I can relate to this feeling. You may wonder how or why? Well, as I said before I moved here when I was eleven, and since then my life has been divided into two worlds. Therefore, like Oroonoko I live here, but I am from somewhere else. Oroonoko was forced to move into slavery (into a different country) and such experience shaped him into the human being he became; his life was divided into two different worlds, his life in his home country and his new life as a slave. I was not forced to move, but my life is made up of two different worlds now. Moreover, it is not only two different worlds; but, by living in New York City it is now made up of multiple cultures and worlds. Sometimes, I feel enslaved in my own thoughts. Sometimes, I wish I was there instead of here; and the times I have gone back home I wish I was here instead of there. Also, readings like The Interesting Narrative by Equiano remind me of the racist struggle, we as Hispanics have had to face. Now days, we have to prove ourselves to be worthy of freedom, just like Equiano did in his narrative. Also, Phyllis Wheatley had to obtain validity from white people in Boston. However, why do we have to do this? Aren’t we all human beings that deserve to be treated with respect? Equiano’s narrative reminds me of the incident in which the New York City lawyer, Aaron Schlossberg said that he would call ICE to two employees who were speaking Spanish. Equiano and Oroonoko have been forced to move to a new place, where new ideas and traditions start taking over theirs. I know my roots and I know some of my ancestors were brought from Africa to Ecuador to labor for the Spaniards. Also, I know that my ancestors were forced to leave their customs behind and were forced to follow the traditions and religions of the Spaniards. However, among our differences we can all respect and learn from one another becoming better human beings. The mockery of enslavement that Equiano mentions is the same mockery of freedom Hispanics receive now. Also, the lack of opportunities because of race is a big issue. Now days, even to get into a school the first thing to be considered is your race, starting with your last name. New York City is a melting pot of cultures; however, there still exists people who lack respect for others. In the books Oroonoko as well as The Interesting Narrative, they were forced into the institution of slavery, later on de jure segregation was an institution supported by law and now days we don’t have neither one of those; but we have de facto segregation in which people are segregated due to social class or status. In our society today, certain people live in certain neighborhoods. As a result, Oroonoko, Equiano and myself are not from here, not from there.  

Works Cited 

Behn, Aphran. Oroonoko. Penguin Books, 2016.

Equiano, Olaudah, and Vincent Carretta. The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings. Penguin Books, 2003.

1. We will hold “synchronous,” live class sessions every Monday night in two blocks, 6:00 to 7:15 and 7:25 to 8:40. These sessions will be held via Blackboard Collaborate (which is accessible by both computer and smartphone). I’ve attached a screenshot showing where Blackboard Collaborate is located. You can also download the app on your smartphone—either option works.
2. You will only need to sign in to one of these blocks.
3. If you can’t make either block, you can have the option to work “asynchronously” (ie., on your own time). You can take this week by week: some weeks you might need to work synchronously, sometimes asynchronously. Each Monday I will post a blog outlining what the “asynchronous” assignment for that week will be. This assignment is for those who can’t make the live class session. If you’re going asynchronous, I also ask that you get in touch with me at least once per week via email, Slack, or phone so that we can check in.
4. I understand that having so many options can be confusing, so let me just say a little bit about why I’ve structured things this way. Some of you signaled that you preferred holding synchronous classes because you valued being able to continue to work together and work with each other in the class. However, others signaled that you would need some extra flexibility to do at least some of the work “on your own” (though you will still have me and the class as a resource via Slack and other platforms). And I’m sure these needs might change week to week. The name of the game right now is to be flexible and kind with one another. This is a long way of saying if your needs aren’t being met by this structure, don’t just assume that’s the “way things are.” Reach out. You will be accommodated. I want you to succeed.
5. If you have any questions reach out here or on Slack.

Also, in case you haven’t signed up for Slack, here is the link to access our group chat: https://join.slack.com/t/restthrurevs/shared_invite/zt-crp4bbeo-EMHivKwYd6jf2pig9BTTRg

Since so much of our focus so far has been on how white British writers represented and reflected the transatlantic slave trade and imperialism, it’s important to remember that there were always resistant voices that spoke back to these representations. We will see how they employed sophisticated artistic and rhetorical strategies to defiantly proclaim their humanity in the face of brutal racism and enslavement. Phyllis Wheatley (c. 1753 – 1784) is often cited as the first “African American” writer. She was a young enslaved women when she crafted the poems that would make up her 1773 Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Her poems displayed an expert understanding of classical verse and used it to both address and resist her unfree condition. Indeed, her work was so learned that the text was accompanied by an “attestation” by the “most respectable characters in Boston” as proof that Wheatley indeed wrote her poems, inaugurating a racist history white people “validating” the veracity of Black artistic productions that would continue far beyond Wheatley’s case. While her writing fame led to her emancipation, she died in poverty at the age of 31. 

Wheatley’s poetry displayed a mastery of poetic form and classical allusion. Together, we will break down a few of Wheatley’s major poems in terms of both form and content. If you make the Bb Collaborate meeting, we will do this work together.

If you are working “asynchronously” this week, in lieu of this activity you can make 5 annotations on Wheatley’s poems—either words you looked up, allusions you chased, or passages you don’t understand. Then, on this blog, post a reply that poses a question you have about Wheatley’s poems. This will help me keep in touch with you individually this week.

Antwan Weatherington

Professor Rumore

Introduction to Literary Studies 300

22 March 2020

Reading Communities

As an African-American male living in American who is in between two generations I feel that I can see the themes and ideas concerning 18^th century British colonialism from a rather interesting vantage point.  As a person who is in my late 30’s I grew up as a teenager in the 1990s when the country was going through many battles concerning racism. Many of the scars left behind from slavery and the aftermath of reconstruction were being ripped open. In the 1990s,  there seemed to be a reemergence of black pride but with the aggression of a newer generation expressing it through music, fashion, & politics. I can remember having my older relatives around me who lived in this country when being the “right kind of black” was a matter of life or death.  In these times it was either fall in line, keep your head down, or risk you and your families safety. Listening to my elders I know they dealt with racism which morphed into colorism within my community. Family members who were more socially accepted by their own because they were lighter skin, or their hair was of a finer texture than their counterparts. These standards were not created by African-Americans but pasted down to them through colonialism. It was someone coming in and saying who you are, what you are, and what you believe is not correct.  We were systematically fed this message for generations that well after slavery we took on those standards as our own.  Hearing the way in which Behn describes Oroonoko in compared to his other African natives infuriated me. She was indoctrinating to her readers that a certain kind of black is more beautiful and acceptable. Aphra Behn doesn’t seem to think it at all possible that all these features could be coming only from his African heritage when she says “His nose was rising and Roman, instead of African and flat”(Behn 6).

This truly illustrated the contradiction with some abolitionist of that time.  Yes, they didn’t want Africans to be slaves but by no means were beautiful without some European enhancement. It also illuminates my own bias, ignorance, and pre-programming  when it comes to another African Americans features I see in passing. If they do not look like what I think a black person should look like, in my mind, they must be “mixed”. Although this was fiction, it became reality for the African American community and the United States in modern times.  This is something that I see time and time again in media; African-American men & women being told by their own race and others what is and is not beautiful. A prime example of this is an incident that happened between two female case mates of a VH1 show called “Basketball Wives”. A women of  Latin descent  with far more European features  compared a Nigerian young lady with prominent African features to a monkey over social media. It was eye opening to see the response from African-American women who didn’t think she was beautiful either and used other cruel names for her physical attributes.

Although I am not a native new Yorker I can feel the reverberations of colonialism in society today repackaged as gentrification . The term gentrification has many connotations depending on whom you ask and which side of the profit margin your own. I see it as an influx of residents of higher socioeconomic status moving into a low socioeconomic status neighborhood. When I originally moved to New York back in 2000 I lived in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. This area is known for its diverse mix of West Indian, African, Jewish, and African-American populations. Over the last 10 years this neighborhood like many others around the country has been transformed  into an almost unrecognizable, socially acceptable, even “hip” places to live at the expense of long term residents. In thinking back to Oroonoko’s  story told through the eyes of Behn ,where she obviously had preconceived notions about people who she knew nothing about, by saying “He had nothing of barbarity in his nature (Behn 5). Her feeling was something I could relate to, ashamedly, evening being a person of color. The only things I knew about Africa was what I saw in movies and through National Geographic. I thought there was only huts and dirt and no one who spoke English.  The lawmakers, real estate developers are allowed to come into an area and people either have to assimilate into a new way of life or move out. The people aren’t even considered for the value and knowledge they bring to a place they have lived for generations. The men in Oroonoko were described as people who knew they did not know the land and needed the native people as a means for survival. What also happens are the small businesses that have been the vein of that community must fall in line with the new ways of the neighborhood or be forced out as well.  Although this process makes the neighborhood pretty on the outside it causes more of a rift and makes the line between classes that much bigger. This problem is illustrated in Uniting the Kingdom (2007) when it says “ Internal colonialism did little to alleviate the gap between the poor and the rich, instead exploiting that divide (Levine 24)  . The readings in this class have made me open to the experience of validating points of views and ideals that I might not agree with but are an integral part of society that must be unpacked and rediscovered.

This is a picture of my old neighborhood on the corner of Nostrand Avenue & Pacific Street. This bodega is a prime example of what is happening and has happened here.  This store used to have windows boarded up, it was smoky and always relatively dark & dank in this store. In 2019, this is the same exact store only now they are calling themselves “Nature SuperMarket”. This is not to appease the longtime residents but the more upscale clientele that has taken over .

Works Cited

Behn, Aphra. Oroonoko. 1688.

Levine, Philippa. The British Empire: Sunrise to Sunset. Routledge, an Imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, 2020.