Enslaving of Women in "Jezebel and Mammy" by Deborah Gray White

Look back at your lesson on Slavery but focus on black women specifically and ask yourself were black woman respected or treated with amazing kindness. Do you have an answer? I bet the answer is no. Well here is another question do you know how bad of a treatment they received or even how were they seen? I guess your answer is the same as my mind not really I know a little. Well, I read this story that showed me the parts of slavery in black woman concern of which I didn't know about, so, this story here titled "Jezebel and Mammy" written by Deborah Gray White and this story focuses on enslaving of women and how they were seen in mainly European men eyes. My goal is to bring out points in what I learn of the black woman living in the era of slavery.

In this story there are two-term that was brought to my attention and The term was “Jezebel”, Jezebel was something I never heard before until my last class section subject History 300 and what I have learned that this is how a black woman was described I learn in class that Jezebel was a term was basically use to describe a black women feathers and sexuality from the eye of an European man. Black woman in slavery had a lot of mistreatment they really had to tolerate you may already know, therefore, here is this statement from the story that support my claim perfectly in what I mean “ It is of a woman of inordinate strength, with an ability for tolerate an unusual amount of misery and heavy, distasteful work” that is so true in so many ways, okay let's continue to the second concept of mammy.

While I continued reading this story I learned something new like I mention before and that is the term “Mammy” what I have learned from this story that mammy concept is different from the concept of Jezebel because this showed black women in a different light I am not saying that this concept show black women are free because Mammy was selected for “her worth and reliability.” I honestly don't like how the term they use Worth like they bought a piece of object and not a person but let's continue to my point it just that it shows that black women have moved on from the concept jezebel sexual stereotype maybe I am wrong but this is what I see anyways, there is a statement from this story that speaks on the topic Mammy “Mammy was the woman who could do anything and does it better than anyone else. Because of her expertise in all domestic matters, she was the premier house servant and all others were her subordinates” that so different from standing on a platform while white people stare at every inch of your body.

While I was reading in deep with this story it had me thinking I felt like I was missing a part of the information and that is black little girls in the slavery era we heard all about the woman but not the little girls and here's what I got. In slavery I call the dark time, you always hear about a story some black person getting the whip and it always an a adults but in this story, it mentions female slaves were sexually suggestive. The female slave is a thirteen-year-old Georgia slave girl who was for some reason mention that she had some sexual overtones. She is thirteen what sexual overtone did she have and the story didn't stop here they went in description and the story state “The girl was put on all fours “sometimes her head down, and sometimes up” and beaten until froth ran from her mouth.” that quote made so mad because this was so unbelievable treatment I can't imagine this happen to me at that age or any age.

Well reading this story was very interesting I learned of the two terms Jezebel and Mammy and personally it was a bit disgusting to read and interesting to learn because before all I knew was two things about enslaved black women and that is they were constantly rape and very much treated like garbage I had now I dear of the concept Jezebel or Mammy.