I agree with this approach to telling history like it was- the good, the
bad, and the ugly.  I have two observations:  Generally, most Jewish folks
don't shy away from the harsh realities of what happened in the Holocaust.
 They insist on being brutally honest and forthright in conveying the
history of this time period.  On the other hand, I have observed that some
(many?) African Americans are reluctant to have the history of slavery in
US history conveyed in an open and frank manner.  It was undeniably
horrible.  Yet it seems to be too much, too horrible to contemplate and
teach in a realistic way- in terms of living history interpretations.  I
remember a group of African Americans (and others) objecting to the
portrayal of a realistic slave auction at Colonial Williamsburg a year or
two ago.  Why is this?  Having said this, I can't imagine anyone willingly
taking on the interpretive job of being a slave who is to be whipped or
beaten for some infraction on a living history plantation museum or
whatever.

----------
From:   Elizabeth Anne Hanson[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Tuesday, February 24, 1998 12:33 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Re: SERVANT vs. SLAVE

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?
>