African American history and cultural development

¶ … Generations of Bondage

please note I have provided references so that you may include them if you wish

The book upon which this review is written is a fantastic, true story of the African-American family that shows how it survived through some of American history's most detestable and hypocritical times. This essay will attempt to answer the specific questions associated with the book review, for didactical purposes, but will strive to also provide an overview sprinkled with some intimate details into the family's journey from slavery to the 21st century.

To begin, the Lewis-Green family history includes specific characters that portray the strength of the Black Family. These are found in every person, but most notably comprise Violet, Syntha, Kitty and Tom. Violet, with whom the book begins, arrives in America in the 18th century, and is considered "freeborn." Due to the times' circumstances, Violet has the ability to sue for freedom, which she does, but soon finds herself and her family within the confines of slavery's horrific and inescapable grip. The book then continues to describe the life of the enslaved Syntha, who is sold at least six times, and who also portrays the strength of the family, but in a different way. Then, there is Kitty, who is a proud African, yet who is literally kidnapped from her homeland. Kitty arrives in chains in America, and portrays the struggle of a Black woman. Then there is Tom, who is a Native American man who finds himself enslaved in an attempt to rescue his wife from the despicable institution. Yet perhaps a fifth strongest person is the author herself, who has the discipline and ability to dig through all these records, to fight with the memories and the sadness and recount for us this incredible account. [1: Referenced from < http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.aspx?bookid=39781 >.]

The second question relates to the 1929 Stock Market Crash that heralded in the Great Depression. This period was difficult for everyone, but especially for the residents of Taylor, Arkansas, a small town in the south of the State. The economic situation for Arkansas suddenly became very bleak and the prospect of recovery from this depression diminished as finances were spent. Jobs were few for everyone no matter if Black or White, and discrimination was high, as it usually is when people fare poorly.

Thirdly, the Dred Scott decision is mentioned as another issue that the author discusses, and which had a great impact upon the way Blacks and Whites viewed each other and themselves. This case basically stated that African-American were not Americans at all, and therefore they would not be protected by the constitution. The ruling also made Blacks who were enslaved their master's property and stated that they could not be taken away without trial. This would go against everything that the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by the President Abraham Lincoln a few years later would state, and would lead to Blacks being treated even worse. Thus, emancipation from slavery did not signify freedom for many of the former slaves, because this case stated that they could not be taken away from their masters. [2: Referenced from < http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2933.html >. ]

Another important issue relates to the death of the master. Though slaves were widely regarded as commodities to be traded, many masters saw them as real people. Thus, a master's death affected the lives of his slaves in different ways, positive and negative, depending upon the will the master left when he or she died. For example, some masters released their slaves; in other words "freed" these slaves. But in many cases, though the slaves were freed, if they did not run to the North, there were ways by which to return some to slavery. Thus, it was important for the master to be considerate as a human being towards another (when speaking about the slaves), but it was also important for society to accept the master's wishes, which did not always happen.

The next issue involves a discussion in which integrated schools in Denver still maintained a level of segregation. After the 1890's when the first Jim Crow laws were passed, the United States phenomenon of segregation became a lasting stain upon this country's history. Though slaves were free, they really were not free. To worsen things, in the late 1800's the Supreme Court actually authorized segregation and found the "separate but equal" law constitutional (Brown v. Board of Education Timeline of School Integration). Public schools are further segregated to whites vs. non-whites throughout the early 20th century until the 1950s when the Court finally remembers its constitution and finds the law unconstitutional. Thus, in 1952 the court finally hears the Brown case, and in a unanimous decision overturns Plessy vs. Ferguson, the case that had established segregation in schools. However, desegregation does not happen as smoothly as one would hope, and many schools remained segregated, or had a violent reaction to the new rules and some even hurt newly attending, Black students. [3: Referenced from < http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-25-spring-2004/brown-v-board-timeline-school-integration-us >.]

The Black Church, which is the next topic to be discussed, has a significant impact upon the lives of Kitty, Frank, Huey and Cyrus after the period of emancipation, as it often did in newly freed African-American's lives. The new church not only offered baptisms for newly born Americans, but was a reaction to the horrendous racism that was enveloping the country still. The Black Church thus became a beacon of hope in the face of the troubles which the community had experienced and continued to experience for a hundred more years. The Church also helped Blacks unite in a medium that promoted their culture and accepted their beliefs, which was very important for the community throughout the years. [4: Referenced from < http://www.blackandchristian.com/blackchurch / >.]