Reading this book of slave love letters got me laughing, smiling, and crying.
Read this letter from a formerly enslaved man who escaped to Canada. He misses his wife and is trying to get help getting her from Virginia.
May we all find longing like this man...
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Want to share one more.
A man escaped to New York and his former owner wrote him a letter saying she had become disabled and needed $1000 because he ran away otherwise she planned to sell him. She complained she already had to sell slaves and land.
Here is his response:
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For the record, the mother he mentions is Cherry, the same woman I profiled here.
This family did not make idle threats. If you deign to try to lay hands on them you better be ready for a battle.
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@PhuzzieSlippers
I read this with my students yesterday! We were discussing the role of Wm Still in ushering freedom seekers here to Canada, going through a few excerpts in his journal and book. This one sat with me and decided to share with my class.
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@NHenryFundi
Dope! I'm actually planning to share it with my class tomorrow!
Did y'all also read Benjamin Drew's book that has narratives from black folks who escaped slavery to Canada???
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Yo, I'm BEGGING y'all to not take this gorgeous display of longing and love and make it an ill-conceived commentary on modern relationships.
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@PhuzzieSlippers
@deray
Do remember that it was illegal for slaves to read and write. This is bad ass on so many levels
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@PhuzzieSlippers
This is what we need to get back to! Not "we dont love these hoes" and "bitches aint shit but hoes and tricks" and all this other nonsense keeping us divided. Thank you for sharing. Adding to my library's catalogue today!
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@PhuzzieSlippers
This reminds me of INDIGO by Beverly Jenkins. A free man sells himself into slavery for love and then was like in hindsight, maybe I could have found another solution. But these sound amazing. Glad to hear they were reunited.
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@PhuzzieSlippers
@ChezCharde
📚➡️ From 1890 to 1950, Black American women were more likely to be married than other women in the USA including white women.
In the 1950s, 95% of Black American families were 2 parent homes. Black people loved their families as a sign of their freedom.
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