Category: slave narrative
+ a muslim american slave: the life of omar ibn said, ala alryyes, american colonization society, colonization, Muslim, omar ibn said, slave narrative, slavery
Resistance in Omar ibn Said’s Narrative
In every class, I choose to teach a few new texts that I have never read. Sometimes this will include one texts. Other times it will include more. For this semester, in my multicultural American literature course, I chose two new texts that I had never read before: Hala Alyan’s Salt Houses and Omar ibn Said’s 1831 narrative. I plan to write about each … Read More Resistance in Omar ibn Said’s Narrative
+ african american literature, alice walker, american history, american literature, cult of domesticity, enslaved, harriet jacobs, incidents in the life of a slave girl, slave narrative, the slave's narrative, Trimiko Melancon
Harriet Jacobs’ Challenge to the Cult of True Womanhood
A while back, I wrote a post about the ways that Harriet Jacobs, in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, challenges the Cult of True Womanhood. Specifically, she counters it by showing the ways that society denied her the chance to adhere to the four pillars of the Cult of True Womanhood. Thinking about this some more, I want to briefly look … Read More Harriet Jacobs’ Challenge to the Cult of True Womanhood
+ african american literature, american literature, comics, early american literature, enslaved, graphic novels, kyle baker, literacy, nat turner, neo-slave narrative, slave narrative, slavery, the confessions of nat turner
Literacy in Kyle Baker’s “Nat Turner”
In his preface to the graphic novel Nat Turner, Kyle Baker talks about his reasons for wanting to tell Turner’s story through the medium of comics. He states hat “[c]omic books/graphic novels are a visual medium, so it’s important to choose a subject with opportunities for compelling graphics.” The story of Nat Turner’s rebellion in 1831 provides just that opportunity. More importantly, Baker wanted … Read More Literacy in Kyle Baker’s “Nat Turner”
+ african american literature, american literature, early american literature, enslaved, frederick douglass, narrative, slave narrative, slavery, southern literature, the slave's narrative, what to the slave is the fourth of july?
Frederick Douglass’ Rhetorical Rebuttals of Stereotypes
Over the past couple of semesters, I have taught Frederick Douglass’ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? instead of teaching his narrative. I do this for a couple of reasons. One, I assign Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave, and during discussions about Northup, I bring in Douglass’ narrative and Harriett Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl because … Read More Frederick Douglass’ Rhetorical Rebuttals of Stereotypes
+ african american literature, american literature, early american literature, louisiana literature, mixtape, music, Pedagogy, slave narrative, solomon northup, soundtrack, southern literature, twelve years a slave
Soundtrack Assignment in the Literature Classroom
Every semester I try something new in the classroom. Sometimes this may involve adding activities such as the fish bowl, working in the archives, or having students write on the board to generate ideas. I take these ideas and tweak them as I go along because, as we know, every class is not the same. What works in one class may not necessarily work … Read More Soundtrack Assignment in the Literature Classroom
+ african american literature, american literature, early american literature, enslaved, frederick douglass, Literature, louisiana literature, slave narrative, slavery, solomon northup, southern literature, the slave's narrative, thomas jefferson, twelve years a slave, william cowper
The Transmission of Racist Thought in Solomon Northup’s “Twelve Years a Slave”
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post entitled “Why can’t we just move on? The past is the past.” In that post, I examine how Thomas Jefferson, David Walker, and Solomon Northup all argue that it is nurture, not nature, that produces within us thoughts of discrimination. I wrote about Northup’s descriptions of William Ford and Edwin Epps’ son in that post, … Read More The Transmission of Racist Thought in Solomon Northup’s “Twelve Years a Slave”
+ african american literature, american literature, declaration of independence, early american literature, enslaved, fourth of july, frederick douglass, louisiana literature, propaganda, slave narrative, slavery, solomon northup, southern literature, thomas jefferson, twelve years a slave
Fireworks, hot dogs, music, and inequality on the Fourth of July
Why you ain’t march on Selma? Why you ain’t tell the refugees “please stay with me”? Why when you take communion, it don’t remind you of your union? That you too were once undocumented too Why do you love your guns more than our sons? Why you patriots first? Why you worshipping the flag?–Propaganda Today, we celebrate the Fourth of July, America’s independence. We … Read More Fireworks, hot dogs, music, and inequality on the Fourth of July
+ african american literature, american literature, dark sousveillance, discipline and punish, early american literature, enslaved, Literature, louisiana literature, michel foucault, panopticon, simone browne, slave narrative, slavery, solomon northup, southern literature, the slave's narrative, twelve years a slave
Surveillance and “Dark Sousveillance” in Solomon Northup
In various posts, I ave written about surveillance in African American literature and music in the works of Ernest J. Gaines, Lecrae, and Arna Bontemps. Drawing upon Jeremy Bentham’s “Panopticon,” Michel Foucault argues that individuals, in various settings, experience surveillance whether they know it or not. As well, that surveillance creates within the subject a feeling of policing him or herself, thus becoming both … Read More Surveillance and “Dark Sousveillance” in Solomon Northup
+ african american literature, american literature, early american literature, enslaved, Literature, louisiana literature, slave narrative, slavery, solomon northup, southern literature, the slave's narrative, twelve years a slave
The Juxtaposition of Beauty and Brutality in Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave
During an interview with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Steve McQueen commented on the juxtaposition between beauty and horror in his film adaptation of Twelve Years a Slave (2013). I have written about this before in regards to the scene where Tibeats attempts to lynch Nortup. Today, I want to expand upon that discussion some more, especially after recently rereading Northup’s narrative. This time around, … Read More The Juxtaposition of Beauty and Brutality in Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave
+ african american literature, american literature, an appeal to the colored citizens of the world, andy mineo, david walker, early american literature, enslaved, Literature, louisiana literature, notes on the state of virginia, slave narrative, slavery, solomon northup, southern literature, thomas jefferson, twelve years a slave, william ford
“Why can’t we just move on? The past is the past.”
My own people owned people, but they don’t own that They say racism’s dead, man our President is black Two terms in the White House, that don’t mean jack If we still believe our present ain’t affected by our past–Andy Mineo “Uncomfortable” One question I hear over and over again when I speak or write about the history of racism, subjugation, and oppression in … Read More “Why can’t we just move on? The past is the past.”
