fJasmine has 14 post(s)

In chapter one of  Jennifer L. Morgan’s Laboring Women: Reproduction and Gender in New World Slavery, Morgan discusses the role gender and the perception of the female body had on justifying slavery and racial views. Morgan examines the ideologies of European settlers particularly their  judgement of the African woman’s body. Prior to exploration Europeans had a predetermined perspective of the New World’s civilization. This lead to the developing ethnocentrism. During the Age of exploration many European seekers found themselves to be superior to Africans. They would describe the black women as masculine, monstrous and beastly (Morgan 2004:28). Her body was paradox it was both productive and vile in the sense that Europeans were not accustomed to witnessing “strong” built women who endured laborious hours. Their built lead the Europeans to believe they were predisposed to physical labor and reproductive labor. Testimonies of black women giving birth and be adept days following contradicted the white woman’s role in child labor as they would take months to recuperate. The black woman’s “hanging” breasts contributed to the validation of racial superiority. The white women did not posses these “hanging” breast which equated the black woman to savagery. Ultimately the black women role in her culture did not parallel the white women. The standards of beauty were those obtained by the white women who possessed soft features and were usually described as gentle and dainty. The black women did not seize these features as they were seen to capable of  working alongside men and then come home to her domestic works. She was not feminine or delicate as described by the European settlers. Women were even compared to livestock in terms of reproducing. Indigenous women were not seen as womanly thus facilitating dehumanization. This ideology lead to the notion of European superiority which in turn justified the slave system.

Discussion question

Why did European slavers purchase more children than women during the eighteenth century? Weren’t women more able than children according to their accounts?

Silvia Federici’s The Accumulation of Labor and the Degradation of Women voices the political and socioeconomic struggles women endured as a direct cause of land privatization. Prior to land privatization the public was able to provide for themselves, they  could harvest their own crops and were able to sell those crops to gain profit for themselves. After the development of land privatization, the public was forced to work under the conditions others set out for them. These conditions did not benefit common man and eminently stripped women of the little independence and respect they had.

The creation of enclosures heavily effected women as they could not migrant as easily as their male counterparts. Women were responsible for caring for children and withstanding pregnancies (Federici, 2004: 83). These conditions sparked anti-enclosure movements. Mass riots were led by women whom destroyed enclosures and were then imprisoned. Prior to masses of women rioting the courtroom rarely hosted women as husbands were held responsible for their wives. This law was later eradicated to hold women accountable for their actions and ultimately lead to the exploitation of women. During the 16th and 17th century women were being executed due to the illegal acts of abortion and witchcraft. Women were being executed for absurd accusations of witchcraft.Furthermore, women did not posses the power to their own bodies as abortions lead to death. Additionally, both women in the old and new world were being exploited. In Europe the proletariat women was ordered to not procreate as the state did not want to children who solely depended on assistance and ultimately weakened the state. In the new world women were forced to “breed” in order to give birth to a new generation of working slaves. In both cases the women’s body is being exploited and degraded for the sake of profit. This again reinforced the mentality that women were considered second class citizens.

In chapter 3 of Women, Race & Class Angela Y. Davis throughly analyzes and critiques the women’s movement. Davis discusses the actions of Sojourner Truth at the 1851 women’s convention (1981:60). At this event Sojourner Truth reminds the white women that black women are exactly that – women. Throughout this movement, white women would  advocate for their middle-class obstacles. The middle class white women would often not work but would have the skills to do so as many had the privilege and access to education . Thus, the white women would promote the idea of having equal rights in order to work. Yet, doing so they ignored the already working class women who endured abhorrent working conditions and painfully long days (Davis, 1981:54). Moreover, they ignored the black women who for years have been working alongside men but were ignored because of race.

Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Women?” speech was an embodiment of the troubles within the movement. The speech itself was intended to unite black and white women as it reminded the listener that women for decades have worked without the help of men and furthermore bore children. Instead this address displayed the actions of the white women as Gage was told to not let her speak on the second day of the convention (Davis, 1981:63). Truth’s speech was intended to bring white women, black women, immigrant-working women together but she was met with negative response and backlash because of racism and classism. Nonetheless, Truth forced the white middle-class women to be uncomfortable and become aware that their beliefs have halted the great effort to become one and fight against white male supremacy.

The white women of the movement ignored the fight that the black women had to endure. They ignored the fight that the working class had to endure because they could not understand that they did not have money or education to fall back on. Davis wants us to be aware of the separation within a movement that was intended to unify.

My name is Jasmine Becerril. I am a freshman at Hunter and intend to major in Nursing. My parents are both from Mexico, a country which I know to be patriarchal. I hope this class broadens my perspective on how and why gender and sexuality play diverse roles in different countries and cultures.