Quote from Frederick Douglass: “the means of knowing was withheld from me”
Frederick Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, 12 miles from Talbot County, Maryland. He was a Mulatto who had a very dark mother and white father who was a slave. He was sold because of this white slave masters wife. The wife hated all the mullato children.
His own mother would come to see him in the middle of the night because she had to go back to the fields by sunrise. If she was caught she would have been whipped. But she risked being caught or whipped to see her son.
Frederick Douglass didn’t know his own age because no one told him. Slaves didn’t know their birthdays because their master’s didn’t want them to be human or fully alive. (see below IDENTITY- EMPOWERMENT)
In Maryland, it was a common custom to separate a child or infant from their mother. This destroys the natural affection of the mother from the child.
———————————————–
Who was Frederick Douglass, the child?
He was a mulatto of white slave master and dark skinned slave mother, Harriet Bailey.
He was bent on Freedom. He ran away as a young child, and never stopped running until he was a “free” man.
———————————————–
IMPORTANT TOPICS
IDENTITY AND EMPOWERMENT
Questions: Are Blacks really blacks? When filing out forms when we choose our race, are we really black? Are we really white? Are we really Hispanic?
Response: We can look back and really trace all our history and find out what race we are. Or we can do the logical thing since we are living in the 21st Century to go back to go back and find out that we are related to Every race. That there is no pure blood of any pure race. If you look back at every family, white black Hispanic they all had different children with someone of a different race. So, while you are checking a form at a doctors office or employment office the logical thing to do is to check all of them. (a Social Commentary from 14 year old Eric Smith Agosto)
According to Frederick Douglass, “Every year bring with its multitude of this class of slaves. It was doubtless in consequence of knowledge of this fact, that one great statesman of the south predicted the downfall of slavery by the inevitable laws of population. Whether this prophecy is ever fulfilled or not, it is nevertheless the plain that a very different –looking class of people are springing up at the South, and are now held in slavery, from those originally brought from Africa; and if their increase do no other good, it will do away the force of the argument that God cursed Ham, and therefore American slavery is right.”
AND THE BIBLE AND SLAVERY CURSE OF HAM, the reason for American Christian Slavery
“But the bible was rewritten and destroyed and made their own versions, like the King James Version of the bible, which created different religions.” (Eric Smith Agosoto)
From the Bible Verse, New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis, 9:22, “Later Ham the father of Canaan saw his father’s nakedness and went telling it to his two brothers outside. 23 At that Shem and Japheth took a mantle and put it upon both their shoulders and walked in backwards. Thus they covered their father’s nakedness, while their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 Finally Noah awoke from his wine and got to know what his youngest son had done to him. 25 At this he said: “Cursed be Canaan. Let him become the lowest slave to his brothers.” 27 Let God grant ample space to Japheth, and let him reside in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan become a slave to him also.” (read by Darian Smith Agosto, age 14)
10:6 And the sons of Ham were Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan.
Question: Why did America use this bible verse to sanction American Christian slavery?
Response: They wanted to control this group of people, the descendents of Africans and white slave masters. They believed that by having slaves they were doing what the bible told them and they believed they were doing the work of God and they wanted God’s blessing. But really they were doing inhumane horrible stuff, would give any sensible humane person nightmares for the rest of their lives. Not only were they torturing but by torturing and killing slaves is not the work of God but the work of the devil. For a real Christian to believe that God would torture, rape and kill a human being is blasphemy itself. (Social Commentary by Darian Smith Agosto and Eric Smith Agosoto)
———————————————–
From Daria Nefertiye Giraud Takharu, mother of twin boys, Darian Smith Agosto and Eric Smith Agosto:
When I googled “slave boy and slave master” to find our third picture for our story (a picture of a slave master and a slave boy) the first hit that came up was quite a disturbing one. I had never read anything like this but read it to my boys who began to change their demeanor. They stopped chatting loudly in the middle of my reading this article, they held their heads down below them, and they asked me to stop reading the article. I clicked to page two of the article, Many of the boys told me that in order to avoid rape some of the male slaves tried to escape, but were quickly hunted down by their captors. They said that the punishment for resisting rape is severe beatings, limb amputation or death.” My twins begged me to stop reading protesting why they had to endure this horrible story. They could no longer bare the real account, eyewitness and narrative of twelve year old boys being raped by Arab Islamist soldiers in the Sudan and Nuba Mountains. I wanted to cry but I couldn’t. My voice was weakened but clear and slow as I continued to read, I wanted them to know that although slavery in American history happened some two hundred years ago, slavery in the Sudan and Darfur and other parts of Africa was taking place right now in 2003 and to this day in 2008.
“What are we doing about this?” I turned to them.
“I didn’t know this was happening. “ I said as I turned away from their silent bodies that seemed to hang in a shame not their own but of some line of human male spiritual chain or bloodline.
“Slavery still exists!” I said starring at them as they protested my continuation, “What’s the difference between Christian Slavery or Islamic Slavery? What’s the difference? Its all the same to me, its all horrible actions for money, land, oil, resources waged upon “black” people in the name of religion and culture and superiority. “This is so horrible! I cant believe this. This kind of thing stops the family. The rape of little boys messes with their minds. How can they have a normal life? Their masters rape them, the soldiers rape them. How can they be the same? How can they continue normally and raise children of their own, have families with women, continue on their name and culture? My sons’ just looked at me in silence. They just wanted to forget.
Finding this article was spontaneous! It was not planned or part of our reading and although this topic may be out of context and too graphic for the mind of a young child. The fact that this topic exists right in our world should be far more disturbing both spiritually and culturally. We are tied to these people due to our very unique history in America and our ancestors in Africa. And although we are a truly mixed people with ancestry from every European nation, and Trans Atlantic slave route and port, and Native American and Caribbean tribe, we are still connected to those in Sudan, Darfur just as we are connected to cousins and great, great, great grand fathers of Irish or English decent. And slavery is a horrible tool used to destroy identity, culture, race and the humanity of people of any color. And what happened thousands of years ago, and three hundred years ago, happens right now to this very day. And what are we doing about it? Do we even know it exists? Do we ever hear the stories of those men, women and children who are brutalized emotionally, mentally, and physically by slavery?
———————————————–
To read this article: “The rape of slave boys in Sudan” Contemporary Review, June, 2004 by Maria Sliwa.
<http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_1661_284/ai_n6140462/pg_2>.
———————————————–
For more on Darfur and the Sudan:
Save Darfur Organization – <http://www.savedarfur.org/content?splash=yes>.
24 Hours in Darfur – <http://www.24hoursfordarfur.org/>.
Human Rights Watch-- Crisis in Darfur. < http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=Darfur>.
The U.S. Role in Darfur, Sudan: Oil reserves rivaling those of Saudi Arabia? ,< http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=FLO20060606&articleId=2592>.
Genocide Intervention Network–< http://www.genocideintervention.net/?gclid=CNm0gqmSgZQCFQslHgodi3avWw>.
NYTIMES Editorial– The Genocide Continues: Published: June 17, 2008, < http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/opinion/17tue1.html?ex=1229313600&en=6e4fea6a0a2c46c2&ei=5087&excamp=GGOPdarfursudan&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=OP-S-E-GG-NA-S-darfur_sudan>.
Save the Children Organization– Relief in Sudan’s West Darfur State <http://www.savethechildren.org/emergencies/africa/sudan/darfur/index.html?WT.mc_id=x_gg_sudan_txt_2&WT.srch=1>.
The Carter Center –Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.
<http://cartercenter.org/peace/human_rights/index.html?gclid=CN7l-LOigZQCFQo2GgodS3ZbVw>.
Don Cheadle, Black American Actor, Human Rights Activist– Don Cheadle acts to stop Darfur genocide – CNN, Entertainment, < http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/05/04/darfur.book/index.html>.
———————————————–
United States Holocaust Museum website <http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/history/>.
The term “genocide” did not exist before 1944. It is a very specific term, referring to violent crimes committed against groups with the intent to destroy the existence of the group. Human rights, as laid out in the U.S. Bill of Rights or the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, concern the rights of individuals.
(read more), <http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/?gclid=CMX97qejgZQCFQQmGgodPkH6XA>.
———————————————–
REFERENCES:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845)
“The rape of slave boys in Sudan” Contemporary Review, June, 2004 by Maria Sliwa. Bnet. CNet Networks. 2008.
<http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_1661_284/ai_n6140462/pg_2>.
———————————————–
WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT?:
Chapter 2
June 19, 2008
Frederick Douglass Narrative, Chapter 1
Posted by ria takharu under African American History, American History, Geneology, Slavery, Social Commentary | Tags: African Slavery, American History, American Slavery, Darfur and Sudan, Frederick Douglass Narrative, Maryland History, Race in America, Slave Boys |Leave a Comment
Quote from Frederick Douglass: “the means of knowing was withheld from me”
Frederick Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, 12 miles from Talbot County, Maryland. He was a Mulatto who had a very dark mother and white father who was a slave. He was sold because of this white slave masters wife. The wife hated all the mullato children.
His own mother would come to see him in the middle of the night because she had to go back to the fields by sunrise. If she was caught she would have been whipped. But she risked being caught or whipped to see her son.
Frederick Douglass didn’t know his own age because no one told him. Slaves didn’t know their birthdays because their master’s didn’t want them to be human or fully alive. (see below IDENTITY- EMPOWERMENT)
———————————————–
Who was Frederick Douglass, the child?
He was a mulatto of white slave master and dark skinned slave mother, Harriet Bailey.
He was bent on Freedom. He ran away as a young child, and never stopped running until he was a “free” man.
———————————————–
IMPORTANT TOPICS
IDENTITY AND EMPOWERMENT
Questions: Are Blacks really blacks? When filing out forms when we choose our race, are we really black? Are we really white? Are we really Hispanic?
Response: We can look back and really trace all our history and find out what race we are. Or we can do the logical thing since we are living in the 21st Century to go back to go back and find out that we are related to Every race. That there is no pure blood of any pure race. If you look back at every family, white black Hispanic they all had different children with someone of a different race. So, while you are checking a form at a doctors office or employment office the logical thing to do is to check all of them. (a Social Commentary from 14 year old Eric Smith Agosto)
According to Frederick Douglass, “Every year bring with its multitude of this class of slaves. It was doubtless in consequence of knowledge of this fact, that one great statesman of the south predicted the downfall of slavery by the inevitable laws of population. Whether this prophecy is ever fulfilled or not, it is nevertheless the plain that a very different –looking class of people are springing up at the South, and are now held in slavery, from those originally brought from Africa; and if their increase do no other good, it will do away the force of the argument that God cursed Ham, and therefore American slavery is right.”
AND THE BIBLE AND SLAVERY CURSE OF HAM, the reason for American Christian Slavery
“But the bible was rewritten and destroyed and made their own versions, like the King James Version of the bible, which created different religions.” (Eric Smith Agosoto)
From the Bible Verse, New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis, 9:22, “Later Ham the father of Canaan saw his father’s nakedness and went telling it to his two brothers outside. 23 At that Shem and Japheth took a mantle and put it upon both their shoulders and walked in backwards. Thus they covered their father’s nakedness, while their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 Finally Noah awoke from his wine and got to know what his youngest son had done to him. 25 At this he said: “Cursed be Canaan. Let him become the lowest slave to his brothers.” 27 Let God grant ample space to Japheth, and let him reside in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan become a slave to him also.” (read by Darian Smith Agosto, age 14)
10:6 And the sons of Ham were Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan.
Question: Why did America use this bible verse to sanction American Christian slavery?
Response: They wanted to control this group of people, the descendents of Africans and white slave masters. They believed that by having slaves they were doing what the bible told them and they believed they were doing the work of God and they wanted God’s blessing. But really they were doing inhumane horrible stuff, would give any sensible humane person nightmares for the rest of their lives. Not only were they torturing but by torturing and killing slaves is not the work of God but the work of the devil. For a real Christian to believe that God would torture, rape and kill a human being is blasphemy itself. (Social Commentary by Darian Smith Agosto and Eric Smith Agosoto)
———————————————–
From Daria Nefertiye Giraud Takharu, mother of twin boys, Darian Smith Agosto and Eric Smith Agosto:
When I googled “slave boy and slave master” to find our third picture for our story (a picture of a slave master and a slave boy) the first hit that came up was quite a disturbing one. I had never read anything like this but read it to my boys who began to change their demeanor. They stopped chatting loudly in the middle of my reading this article, they held their heads down below them, and they asked me to stop reading the article. I clicked to page two of the article, Many of the boys told me that in order to avoid rape some of the male slaves tried to escape, but were quickly hunted down by their captors. They said that the punishment for resisting rape is severe beatings, limb amputation or death.” My twins begged me to stop reading protesting why they had to endure this horrible story. They could no longer bare the real account, eyewitness and narrative of twelve year old boys being raped by Arab Islamist soldiers in the Sudan and Nuba Mountains. I wanted to cry but I couldn’t. My voice was weakened but clear and slow as I continued to read, I wanted them to know that although slavery in American history happened some two hundred years ago, slavery in the Sudan and Darfur and other parts of Africa was taking place right now in 2003 and to this day in 2008.
“What are we doing about this?” I turned to them.
“I didn’t know this was happening. “ I said as I turned away from their silent bodies that seemed to hang in a shame not their own but of some line of human male spiritual chain or bloodline.
“Slavery still exists!” I said starring at them as they protested my continuation, “What’s the difference between Christian Slavery or Islamic Slavery? What’s the difference? Its all the same to me, its all horrible actions for money, land, oil, resources waged upon “black” people in the name of religion and culture and superiority. “This is so horrible! I cant believe this. This kind of thing stops the family. The rape of little boys messes with their minds. How can they have a normal life? Their masters rape them, the soldiers rape them. How can they be the same? How can they continue normally and raise children of their own, have families with women, continue on their name and culture? My sons’ just looked at me in silence. They just wanted to forget.
Finding this article was spontaneous! It was not planned or part of our reading and although this topic may be out of context and too graphic for the mind of a young child. The fact that this topic exists right in our world should be far more disturbing both spiritually and culturally. We are tied to these people due to our very unique history in America and our ancestors in Africa. And although we are a truly mixed people with ancestry from every European nation, and Trans Atlantic slave route and port, and Native American and Caribbean tribe, we are still connected to those in Sudan, Darfur just as we are connected to cousins and great, great, great grand fathers of Irish or English decent. And slavery is a horrible tool used to destroy identity, culture, race and the humanity of people of any color. And what happened thousands of years ago, and three hundred years ago, happens right now to this very day. And what are we doing about it? Do we even know it exists? Do we ever hear the stories of those men, women and children who are brutalized emotionally, mentally, and physically by slavery?
———————————————–
To read this article: “The rape of slave boys in Sudan” Contemporary Review, June, 2004 by Maria Sliwa.
<http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_1661_284/ai_n6140462/pg_2>.
———————————————–
For more on Darfur and the Sudan:
Save Darfur Organization – <http://www.savedarfur.org/content?splash=yes>.
24 Hours in Darfur – <http://www.24hoursfordarfur.org/>.
Human Rights Watch-- Crisis in Darfur. < http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=Darfur>.
The U.S. Role in Darfur, Sudan: Oil reserves rivaling those of Saudi Arabia? ,< http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=FLO20060606&articleId=2592>.
Genocide Intervention Network–< http://www.genocideintervention.net/?gclid=CNm0gqmSgZQCFQslHgodi3avWw>.
NYTIMES Editorial– The Genocide Continues: Published: June 17, 2008, < http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/opinion/17tue1.html?ex=1229313600&en=6e4fea6a0a2c46c2&ei=5087&excamp=GGOPdarfursudan&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=OP-S-E-GG-NA-S-darfur_sudan>.
Save the Children Organization– Relief in Sudan’s West Darfur State <http://www.savethechildren.org/emergencies/africa/sudan/darfur/index.html?WT.mc_id=x_gg_sudan_txt_2&WT.srch=1>.
The Carter Center –Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.
<http://cartercenter.org/peace/human_rights/index.html?gclid=CN7l-LOigZQCFQo2GgodS3ZbVw>.
Don Cheadle, Black American Actor, Human Rights Activist– Don Cheadle acts to stop Darfur genocide – CNN, Entertainment, < http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/05/04/darfur.book/index.html>.
———————————————–
United States Holocaust Museum website <http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/history/>.
The term “genocide” did not exist before 1944. It is a very specific term, referring to violent crimes committed against groups with the intent to destroy the existence of the group. Human rights, as laid out in the U.S. Bill of Rights or the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, concern the rights of individuals.
(read more), <http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/?gclid=CMX97qejgZQCFQQmGgodPkH6XA>.
———————————————–
REFERENCES:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845)
“The rape of slave boys in Sudan” Contemporary Review, June, 2004 by Maria Sliwa. Bnet. CNet Networks. 2008.
<http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_1661_284/ai_n6140462/pg_2>.
———————————————–
WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT?:
Chapter 2
Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)