Category: The Ugly-Facts!

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Story of Wet Nursing

The Untold Story of Wet Nursing

wet nursing, a black thang book

During slavery and well into the Jim Crow era, many enslaved Black women were tasked with the practice of breastfeeding the children of their white enslavers. Primarily to preserve the shapes, figures, time, and labor of white mothers, these Black mothers were forced to separate from their own infants to become surrogate mothers to the children of those who held them in bondage. (See page 130)

 

 

The physical and emotional tolls of this practice echo throughout generations as deep scars left by the dehumanizing institution of slavery and serve as one of many reminders of the strength of those who, despite the cruelty imposed upon them, found ways to nurture and preserve the unspoken narrative of sacrifice and resilience that others sought to strip away.

 

 

#onceuponatimeinamercia #ablackthangbook #Historical Exploitation #Enslaved Women #Wet Nursing Practices #Motherhood in Slavery

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Breed Farms

Breeding Farms & Pata Seca

pata seca and breeding farms, a black thang book

In the shadowed corners of American history lies a chilling chapter that whispers of pain and dehumanization—the era of slavery breeding farms and the untold story of, Pata Seca. In the 18th and 19th centuries, some plantations evolved into more than just places of labor but became dehumanizing grounds of merciless human production. (See page 238)


On these breeding farms, men and women were not human individuals with dreams and aspirations but assets, whose bodies endured horrors of forced breeding subjected to a cruel calculus of profit, and offspring destined to a life of servitude before even drawing their first breath. The haunting legacy of these breeding farms is a testament to the resilience of those who endured unimaginable suffering as families were torn apart, children separated from their mothers, and husbands from wives, all in the name of economic gain.

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The legacy of Pata Seca, born in Brazil, was branded as the perfect Black specimen and an iconic figure in slavery forced to breed over 200 children to slave owners.


Tags: Slavery Practices, Enslaved Women, Human Commodification, Historical Exploitation

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Slave Masters

Anthony Johnson/Original Slave Masters

Anthony Johnson is a man whose life traversed the thin lines between freedom and bondage. Born in Angola, Johnson was captured and transported to the English colonies in the early 17th century. Eventually gaining his freedom, he became the first African American landowner and, surprisingly, the first to legally own slaves. (See page 95)

 

Johnson’s journey unfolded in Virginia, where he acquired land and cultivated it into a successful farm. Strikingly, he became a slaveholder himself, a fact that raises eyebrows and invites reflection on the complexities of power and circumstance during that time.

 

A step further, Johnson found himself at the center of a legal battle that would echo through history when in 1655, he went to court to seek the return of a black indentured servant, John Casor, who claimed he had fulfilled his term of service. This case is often considered one of the earliest involving the legal status of enslaved individuals in the English colonies. The court’s decision in Johnson’s favor marked a chilling precedent, laying the foundation for a system that would entrench slavery as an institution in America.

 

Original Slave Masters refers to the fact that when commodities like Ivory, gold, cotton, and other trades drew European traders to West Africa in search of cheap labor to work on plantations, enslaved West Africans became the most valuable commodity because Slavery was already in existence in African before any Europeans arrived.

 

Tags: Early African American History, Legal Precedents, Landownership, Slavery in America

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Pepsi and Coca-Cola

The Untold Dance of Pepsi and Coca-Cola

pepsi and coke, a black thang book

Born in the heat of the Jim Crow era, both Pepsi and Coca-Cola emerged with distinct targets in mind, etching a carbonated legacy that mirrors the complex racial dynamics of their times. (See page 131)


In the 1940s, Pepsi seized an opportunity and set its sights on quenching the thirsts of African American consumers left parched by discrimination and racial divides that marred society, with a bold marketing campaign called “Nickel Nickel” promoting the notion that for the same price as a bottle of Coca-Cola, you can enjoy a larger, more refreshing Pepsi.


Meanwhile, Coca-Cola maintained a more conservative, white-centric approach, seemingly oblivious to the winds of change blowing through the civil rights movement, “The Real Thing” a catchy slogan that echoed through commercials, always carried with it a ever-lingering question: Was it the real thing for all Americans?


As the civil rights movement gained momentum in 1964, Pepsi hired Edward F. Boyd, a young African-American executive, as vice president. A groundbreaking move that further endeared the brand to a diverse audience. Both colas would ultimately make moves to confront any divide or racial blind spots.


The “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” campaign of 1971 marked Coca-Cola’s pivot towards unity, emphasizing harmony and diversity and a bold waltz away from the racial divides of the past, and embracing a future where soda is not just a drink, but a symbol of shared humanity. Today, as the pop wars continue, we sip not just on taste- not race.


Tags: Soft Drinks, Racial Segregation, Beverage History, Marketing Strategies, Civil Rights Movement

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Claudette Colvin

Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin


Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old African-American girl, on March 2, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, much like Parks would do several months later, refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a city bus. Arrested and charged with violating segregation laws, Colvin’s act of resistance was bold and unyielding. However, the civil rights leaders hesitated to thrust her into the spotlight as the face of the movement.

Several factors influenced this decision. Colvin was a teenager, and the leaders worried about the public’s perception of her age and whether she could endure the intense scrutiny. Moreover, she became pregnant, a circumstance that added complexity to the narrative in the conservative social climate of the time.


When Rosa Parks, a seasoned and respected activist with a long history of civil rights engagement, refused to give up her bus seat on December 1, thus emerged a more palatable figurehead, triggering the Montgomery Bus Boycott fueled by the African-American community’s refusal to utilize the bus system, resulting in a landmark Supreme Court decision declaring segregation on public buses unconstitutional.


While Rosa Parks became the face of the struggle against segregation, Claudette Colvin’s bravery was not forgotten. History may have cast a brighter spotlight on Parks, but the intertwined stories of these two women underscore the collective courage that propelled the civil rights movement forward. Claudette Colvin’s early act of defiance laid the groundwork for the seismic shifts that followed, reminding us that the fight for justice often begins with unsung heroes.


Tags: Civil Rights, African American History, Bus Boycott, Segregation Protest, Activism