An historical note: I refrain from referring to Blacks prior to the 1990's as 'African American'. That term was resisted vehemently by all concerned prior to that decade. Referring to them thus implies to the naïve that Blacks, or Coloreds were citizens with a basis of pride of heritage that was not fashionable as many like to fantasize about today.
In the social climate of the 21st century the fundamental and the variety of questions to freedom from the perspective of people bound to the nature of being ghetto, and retaining the status of being 'niggers' makes the historical reference to Black folks of our past as African Americans as too far ahead of themselves. You cannot correct the past by renaming it from the present.
On April 20, 1853 Harriet Tubman's task was to free her sister, and her sister's two children, at a terrible cost: her marriage. Her husband was a free man. They lived in southern Maryland, she slave-born, he a free born man. He couldn't take the risk of entering into that affair running the risk of being caught by whites three years after a law that required returning runaways to their owners, or the authorities was passed.
Being free born would you had you been him then? ~ Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 7.17.16
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| a couple playing together. |
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