From the birth of slavery around the early 1600’s until its abortion in the latter years of the 1800’s, a very distinct, but brutal difference always existed between black slave children and slave master’s free children. Across a spectrum, their lives differed in the aspects of obtaining physical nourishment, durable clothing/shoes, a decent education, mental guidance, and most of all, freedom. The slave master’s children received the best treatment and the most solid foundation in which to build their life upon, while the black slave children struggled constantly just too even get a glimpse or a taste of what that life would be like.
To begin with, as a result of the harsh conditions that slave owners placed on African slaves, infants, who could not even defend themselves, were the smallest, most innocent victims. “Half of all infants died during their first year of life, twice the rate of white babies.” The high death rate for African infants was a direct result of “chronic undernourishment.” Most slave owners forced their pregnant, African mothers to work in the fields from sun-up until sundown until their last week prior to giving birth. They did not even have the decency to provide the women with nourishing food so that their baby could stand a fair chance at surviving birth. Therefore, if the infants survived, they were severely malnourished. Slave owners viewed infants as nothing more but another “dollar in their pocket.” They knew that a continuation of reproduction would continue to power a constant increase in slave labor and their wealth. On the other hand, the slave’s master’s infants were given the most adequate child care possible. Masters and their wives had ultimate control over their children and could raise their children in any way they desired. The master’s wives had an abundance of nourishment because they had a wide range of possible food choices, foods that contained sufficient amounts of protein and other nutrients. This luxury allowed many of the master’s wives to give birth to very healthy babies. Not to mention, white mothers were given bed rest and were not forced into carrying out multiple tasks that were strenuous to themselves or their babies. Having children was very important to slave owners because their children would inherit their plantations and keep their productions prospering.
Once the black child was old enough to read and write, he/she still was not allowed to acquire such knowledge. Enslaved children were looked upon as inferior property whose main goals, for the entirety of their life, were to perform labor. Their masters strongly felt that it was unnecessary for the children to receive an education because they saw no connection between an education benefiting the children in doing their tasks. For the longest period of time, slave owners saw learning to read and write as a white privilege and superiority only. An enslaved child’s life was to serve his master and his family, and thus, providing these children with an education would be redundant. After all, they did not want the slave children to have access of understanding of what was to become of their lives and their families.
Last but not least, the enslaved children lacked a stability of mental/parental guidance. Some of them were lucky if they were not separated from their parents and families, but most of them were sold. Thus, they were never able to see their families’ faces again. The few parents that were able to communicate with their children told them encouraging words, such as “you are worth far more than what any price tag could say,” and “you are superior above all.” For those whose parents were gone, their poor minds, broken bodies, and shattered spirits were left to battle the monster of slavery alone. They were never privileged enough to enjoy the laughter and smiles of just being able to play with toys and other kids. Unlike them, slave masters’ children did not know what the feeling was like to be raped of everything that made them who they were. They had awakened to the world each day with no major worries, but just to be a happy child.
These circumstances particularly filled me with rage because in reality they all are just children, who did not ask to be born in such a tragic time and place. They all deserved an equal right to a very joyous and fulfilling childhood. As I reminisce about my own childhood, those were some of the best memories of my life, and to know that so many children were robbed of the same chance brings tears to my eyes. If I had a wish and a time machine to travel back in time, I would love to be an angel to those children who were left alone, and turn their childhood nightmare into a dream of reality. But since that is not possible, I promise to always be grateful of their trials and tribulations, and to always cherish my education, but most importantly, MY FREEDOM.
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