Critical Thinking :
Reparation for the Exploited
Pamela D.Bridgewater, in her article on reproductive abuse describes how black women were used for breeding slaves by their masters. The state did not give a woman the legislative power to charge her master or any white man with rape. The child born to such a woman was legally a slave, which meant he or she could be used for labour or sold for profit. In a way, the state supported the exploitation of the reproductive rights of these women. She feels that while it is difficult to talk about beatings and other forms of exploitation, it is still more painful to talk about sexual exploitation. It must be very difficult to come to terms with the hard facts of one’s own identity. It is very important therefore, to include reproductive exploitation in the list of crimes and probe into its effects on the community.
As a partner in crime, the government, she feels,should apologise publicly and try to legally redress the heirs of such parentage. Only if government owns that it is accountable, private accountability can be analysed. The government should amend inheritance laws. The progeny, who were not acknowledged as legal heirs should get the benefits that are out of their reach till now. This would be a remedy to children who have been deprived of their rights.
But she argues that this is not happening. She talks about two recent cases. Although the parentage of Thomas Jefferson’s descendants through his slave, was proved genetically, the court did not give them their right to the Thomas Jefferson estate.Instead the court gave the right to decide their fate to the official descendents, who run the foundation, and limitations were placed on the descendents. Washington –Williams, a woman born to a black domestic worker and a white boss, sought admission to United Daughters of the Confederacy, in order to learn about her heritage . A law in her favour would make her admission easier. Thus the writer feels that the government should do its bit in making life better for the exploited.
But Kozol’s in chapter eighteen of his book, “Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope” , points out to the attempt at healthy interaction with the parents by the teachers, and how the staff were ably moulded to be parent friendly by Principal Rosa. He finds that n children such as Isaiah and Pineapple are very interesting and have developed distinct personalities inspite of the harsh environment they live in. Chapter nineteen is about a highly educated woman priest, who, instead of taking advantage of the equal opportunities she got as a young college student at Harvard, chose to be ordained as a pastor in a very backward neighbourhood. Many of the children’s fathers and brothers are in jal. Chapter twenty throws light on medication such as Ritalin, given to children and the concern of Otto’s mother as to the side effects of drugs.While some of the neglected children manage to cope, some others fail. The author wonders why two people from the sam. In this way he is different from Bridgewater. He does not say categorically that equality can be brought about by legislature. Some people born in these terrible circumstances manage to be determined, have developed strong moral insights and sensitive. Words such as disadvantaged and deprived are only labels for such children, for they have evolved to be spiritied human beings. However,the society too, should recognize segregation and exploitation is still part of American life; garbage dumping , shabby housing, poor school infrastructure, povery and crime, are part of the lives of blacks. forcing them to make do with inferior lives, just because they have no voice in the society.
Sources:
- Bridgewater, Pamela D. “Ain’t I a Slave: Slavery, Reproductive Abuse, and Reparations”, http://academic.udayton.edu/Race/02rights/repara37.html. Web. 10 May 2013
- Kozhol, Jonathan. " Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope" Crown Publishers, NewYork , 2000
