I am glad that someone finally said this.
Elizabeth

On Mon, 23 Feb 1998, Jill C W,Duqusene U wrote:

> As an African-American female I was greatly annoyed by the use of the word
> servant as opposed to slave in certain museum exhibits.  A servant is a PERSON
> EMPLOYED for domestic work.  A SLAVE is a person held in servitude as
> PROPERTY.  Property is something tangible or intangible to which its owner has
> LEGAL title.
>
> My ancestors were forced to work (blood, sweat and tears) for the PROFIT of
> their owners in which they shared NONE.  Immigrants came to the United States
> for a better chance at life.  They were not FORCED to come; they came
> VOLUNTARILY.
> I'm not dismissing that they did not experience hard times when they arrived,
> but what I am trying to get across is that they were AT LEAST given the
> opportunity to
> reach for the "so called American dream."  My ancestors were NOT.
>
> It does not take a lot of intelligence  to figure out that the fallout of
> slavery is still being felt to this very day.  Remember WHITE ONLY water
> fountains were still around in the 60's. CIVIL RIGHTS is an on going battle.
> It is a direct result of blind denial on the parts of BOTH blacks and whites.
>
> Face the facts, slavery happened. And until all of the facts of slavery are
> realized and recognized this ugly monster will NOT go away and pretend that it
> was never created and programmed to destroy.
>
> If you are going to depict the "true" story of slavery in museums tell the
> whole story and not what people (black and white) are comfortable with.
> Slavery was a revolting and hideous (long) period in AMERICAN HISTORY.  Any
> exhibit that attempts to tell the real story of slavery should be educational,
> informative and factual. House slaves were not just making pancakes and
> shining silver, many were being raped, beaten and treated worst than the
> family pet.  Field slaves were not  just humming happy tunes in the cotton,
> rice and tobacco fields, many were being separated from their families, being
> forced to work from sunrise to sunset and simply trying to adjust to the
> deplorable environments they were forced live under.
>
> Lets start working on resolutions to this PROBLEM.  I don't mind getting my
> hands dirty.  How many other people are willing to?
>