Perhaps this list-serv is not the place for a frank 
discussion on racism or sexism but it seems that 
ignoring the subject when it arises is also a 
disservice. Thanks for your open questioning on such a 
sensitive subject, many professionals are too horrified 
to give it their attention. 

I do believe your comment was not intended to be 
malicious but it appeared your joke was that a woman 
slave could be secretly signaling to her master to come 
meet her for a rendez vous instead of a coded message to 
other slaves. I was surprised at the shocking disregard 
for the violence perpetrated during slavery between 
master and slave, particularly sexual violence against 
women. 

On a second read, perhaps your word "massa" was intended 
to mean mister?

--- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 06:26:17 -0800
>From: Indigo Nights <[log in to unmask]>  
>Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Codes in slave quilts  
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>Offense is what you choose to take.  There was no
>malice intended whatsoever, and was written in the
>third person paralleling the "story line" about
>symbols in the quilts and why "Miss Nancy" put the
>quilt up once a month.
>
>This is the second such "slam."  If you can tell me
>folks did not talk in such fashion in the period in
>question (except possibly to append the wink to show
>the current era it was intended as a joke), and that
>such symbology is not sometimes used in relationships,
>then I'll apologize.  Till then, I'll simply state it
>was intended to infuse a little humor as sometimes
>happens to this list that is seemingly taking itself a
>little too serious of late.
>
>Now, if you're choosing to make it a color thing, step
>back.  My children's ancestors might have been looking
>for such quilts if the history of the symbology were
>true.
>
>Something you learn when you get as many candles as I,
>and there will be one more next week, you just can't
>please everyone and, on a list this size, I guess it
>was just your turn not to be pleased.
>
>--- Lanora Pierce <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Wow, that's pretty offensive.
>>
>> ---- Original message ----
>> >Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 08:11:41 -0800
>> >From: Indigo Nights <[log in to unmask]>
>> >Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Codes in slave quilts
>> >To: [log in to unmask]
>> >
>> >maybe miss nancy was a hangin that ole quilt in the
>> >winder once a month as a come hither for massa
>> james.
>> >wink wink!
>> >--- [log in to unmask]
>> <[log in to unmask]>
>> >wrote:
>> >> On 11/17/05, Mark Janzen
>> <[log in to unmask]>
>> >wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > As a historical topic, there may yet be some
>> >secret diary written by a
>> >> > literate slave somewhere who sets out the
>> secret
>> >of her quilts for us.
>> >> > Seems a little unlikely, but then they changed
>> >what happened at the Alamo
>> >> > after more than a hundred years. Who knew?
>> >>
>> >> I've also thought that if illiterate slaves could
>> >read the "codes" in
>> >> quilts, wouldn't non-slaves have caught on or
>> >figured it out sooner or
>> >> later? "Gee, Miss Nancy has been hanging that
>> quilt
>> >out on her porch
>> >> every month right around the full moon. Wonder
>> why?"
>> >>
>> >> Plus. many other signals and signs have survived
>> >from the Underground
>> >> Railroad, you'd think that there would be more
>> >information on the
>> >> quilts as well.
>> >>
>> >> Deb
>> >>
>> >>
>>
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>> >[log in to unmask]
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>Indigo Nights
>[log in to unmask]
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