Ciera Johnson Reaction Paper AFA 3104 “Go Sound the Trumpet” Reading the Article Go Sound the Trumpet by Larry Rivers has put into perspective that basically ‘you reap what you sew’. Slave masters had tried to control the slaves every being but could not control their soul. Religion is an outlet to freedom for some. Slaves in this time were using their religious freedom to plan a way out, plan for an escape to a better life. Slave masters were under the impression that slaves were having church so when caught, of course slaves had to ‘pay the price’.
Christianity paved the path for a better future for an African. After the abolition of slavery in the north; religion began to take a serious role in the succession of African Americans in society. Beginning with the black Methodists being the first to show true definitive by seizing independent control of all means, of their church finances. The underground Railroad consisted of ministers and other Christians such as Christopher Rush, Theodore Wright, and Henry Highland Garnet , helping out slaves from the south in hiding along the way to the North, for freedom. At the time slaves were still legal in the south; therefore the act of of helping them escape to freedom was illegal.
The selected slaves would proudly sing songs and chants to demonstrate their enthusiasm as they traveled to the Great House Farm. As Douglass relived his slave memories, he realized that the songs sung by the slaves as they walked towards the Great House Farm did not reveal their sense of eagerness, but instead released all their suffering and pain caused by slavery. Douglass, through repetition and personification, states “They [the songs] told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over the bitterest anguish.” (4). The author explains that the songs in a depressing and deep tone representing their sadness of being enslaved opposed to being a freed man. Douglass very artistically states how the song’s true meaning was beyond its literal content, and actually contradicts his previous thought that the songs showed a sense of happiness from the slaves.
Select one of the poems and explain why the poet is effective in presenting his message. Consider such elements: rhythm, rhyme, diction, imagery, and purpose. In this Petrarchan sonnet, Dunbar makes clear his message and expression of the pain of racial injustices after the Civil War. Douglass, as depicted as a great leader, is called upon for comfort through this problem that America faces. The purpose of this poem I feel is to represent the struggles the African Americans had to endure during their time being slaves while offering hope for the black community, letting the reader knows that one day someone will lead them out of this struggle and into their promise land.
“No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem,” claims Washington (Atlanta Compromise-Washington). He wants to convince his fellow Negroes to have dignity in anything, even tilling a field. He also makes several attempts to mend the broken relationship between whites and blacks for the mutual progress of both. He seeks peace and prosperity for all and wants to move
In the series of Slave Narratives described by Bruce Fort and Randall Hall, some slaves support the idea that freedom was the solution to all their problems and that being a slave was the worst experience that life could possibly create. Charity Anderson, for instance, recalls “seeing slaves torn up by dogs and whipped unmercifully”. This demonstrates that for many, the Emancipation Proclamation provided them with opportunities to make up their lives and have a fortunate future. Maria Jackson also described her story for the slave narratives, and said that she was separated from her family by slavery and had the chance to reunite with them again after the Emancipation Proclamation. Emma Crockett also benefited from being free, because she recalls that “after emancipation, she learned to read a bit of printing...” Also, a slave from North Carolina called Tempe Herndon Durham stated that he rented his master’s plantation until his family saved enough money to buy their own farm.
If one says no to the other, let his wing break. “ (Narrator and Okonkwo, page 19) The oral tradition is for people to say “We shall all live. We pray for life, children, a good harvest and happiness.” after breaking a kola nut. The meaning of this is to wish for prosperity for all. This is important in the novel because when Okonkwo interferes with the Christians’ way of life at the end of the novel his “wing breaks”(he dies).
While the end of the Civil War brought an end to the tragic institution of slavery, the hardships the African Americans were bound to endure had only begun. Tera W. Hunter wrote To ‘Joy My Freedom, a novel highlighting the difficulties black women had to face and the way they manipulated these struggles to make them happy and feel proud during the Reconstruction Era. Hunter shows how domestic black workers, mostly in cities like Atlanta, used their “freedom” to gain respect and make a life they could call their own. Working women, along with all freedpeople, established freedom as the idea that one has the liberty to practice their religion freely, get an education, be politically active and overall live a safe and fulfilling life. They pursued this through small and silent revolts
In the autobiography, “Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass,” Douglass narrates his personal experience of being a slave and what steps he took to relinquish him from slavery and become a free man. Douglass uses vivid imagery in order to really depict what was really happening under the slaveholder’s hands. Without these images, his life story would have been in vain and everything he endured to achieve his dream of freedom along with it. Douglass’ style of writing, in his autobiography, is relative to the time when he wrote it. Not only did he want to voice the inhumane treatments brought upon other slaves, but he also wanted to let them know not to lose confidence, dignity or self-worth.
Selected musical cultures Musical culture 1: Blues Musical culture 2: Chinese Investigation Musical culture 1: Geographical context: Blues music originates from the Mississipi Delta in the south of the USA. It originates from field camps and cotton fields. Historical context: In the past in the Mississipi Delta many African slaves were brought to work in plantations. These slaves had to deal with harsh working conditions and did not get any money for the hard work they did. Musical History: The slaves working in the cotton fields and plantations would sing chants to tell stories about their lives, these stories were most commonly about sadness, loneliness, sorrow and tragedy.