The Rexphiles: Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, and Sphynx rexcues.
Joined: Jan 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 349 Location: Arizona
Was Addy, Becoming Phillis Wheatley « Thread Started on Today at 8:01am »
To commemorate the anniversary of Phillis Wheatley's sale into slavery
tomorrow, July 11th, I'm posting a work-in-progress photo. I got her
Windsor writing chair last night from Brenda and I'm still waiting for
Phillis's wig.
Phillis
Wheatley was a slave child of 7 or 8 and sold to John and Susanna
Wheatley in Boston on July 11, 1761. Her gift of writing poetry was
encouraged by her owners and their daughter who taught Phillis to read
and write. Phillis published her first poem in the Newport, RI, Mercury
on December 21, 1767 at the age of 12. She was finally freed on on
October 18, 1773. She died in poverty at the age of 31 in December
1784.
To commemorate Phillis Wheatley's sale into slavery tomorrow, July 11th,
To do WHAT?
I
can understand making the Phillis doll, she was a very interesting
person in history, but I have to say I cannot think of anything that is
in more bad taste then this.
I
can understand making the Phillis doll, she was a very interesting
person in history, but I have to say I cannot think of anything that is
in more bad taste then this.
I am not celebrating the fact by any means! I am trying to teach my biracial daughter about all aspects of her ancestry.
I
can understand making the Phillis doll, she was a very interesting
person in history, but I have to say I cannot think of anything that is
in more bad taste then this.
I am not celebrating the fact by any means! I am trying to teach my biracial daughter about all aspects of her ancestry.
I
didn't say you were celebrating it. But it strikes me on the gut level
as wrong to mark the day that someone has their freedom taken away with
anything except mourning. I know the day that my nephews' great-great
grandfather was lynched - should I make a doll of him and post pictures
on April 3?
I
didn't say you were celebrating it. But it strikes me on the gut level
as wrong to mark the day that someone has their freedom taken away with
anything except mourning. I know the day that my nephews' great-great
grandfather was lynched - should I make a doll of him and post pictures
on April 3?
Then why have an Addy doll? I am not trying to literally white-wash history.
I
didn't say you were celebrating it. But it strikes me on the gut level
as wrong to mark the day that someone has their freedom taken away with
anything except mourning. I know the day that my nephews' great-great
grandfather was lynched - should I make a doll of him and post pictures
on April 3?
Then why have an Addy doll?
Bad
example. My memory is fuzzy because I read the books as a wee Goo, but
I believe it was stated or implied that Addy was born into slavery, and
her books start with her escaping slavery, not entering it. Complete
opposite end of the spectrum.
My
Dolls: Elizabeth Michelle "Liz" Rowland (AGT6), Sebastian Anthony
Lebedov (AGT17 Boy), Mary Rose Calloway (AGT28), and Claire Bennet
(AGT24) "Oh, look. I do see before me an open word processor document. Perhaps I should put words upon it." Visit the Writing Class to show off your creativity!
I
didn't say you were celebrating it. But it strikes me on the gut level
as wrong to mark the day that someone has their freedom taken away with
anything except mourning. I know the day that my nephews' great-great
grandfather was lynched - should I make a doll of him and post pictures
on April 3?
Then why have an Addy doll?
Addy
doesn't "commemorate" the day her family was stolen from Africa or the
day her father and brother were sold. Addy's stories also acknowledge
that she and her family were treated like absolute dirt by white people
around them. Are you also going to commemorate how Wheatley had to
defend her abilities in a court of law because no one believed that
she, as an African slave, could think? Or how the Wheatleys controlled
all her earnings and left her absolutely destitute?
Addy
doesn't "commemorate" the day her family was stolen from Africa or the
day her father and brother were sold. Addy's stories also acknowledge
that she and her family were treated like absolute dirt by white people
around them. Are you also going to commemorate how Wheatley had to
defend her abilities in a court of law because no one believed that
she, as an African slave, could think? Or how the Wheatleys controlled
all her earnings and left her absolutely destitute?
Of
course not. How she was stolen, sold, treated, "freed," and died are
appalling. I'm sorry my doll and my attempt to educate my daughter and
others has offended you. However, this attitude is what prevented me
from taking a black history course at ASU in the 1980s. I was told I
wouldn't be comfortable in there and to withdraw.
I do find it interesting that I seem to do nothing but offend on this more "liberal" board.
Bad
example. My memory is fuzzy because I read the books as a wee Goo, but
I believe it was stated or implied that Addy was born into slavery, and
her books start with her escaping slavery, not entering it. Complete
opposite end of the spectrum.
It
was not my intent to start yet another critique of my knowledge of
history. When I was about to post this photo I noticed that tomorrow
was the sad anniversary of her sale.
Addy is a fictional character but is a composite of the experiences of many:
"The
Fugitive Slave Act was part of the group of laws referred to as the
"Compromise of 1850." In this compromise, the antislavery advocates
gained the admission of California as a free state, and the prohibition
of slave-trading in the District of Columbia. The slavery party
received concessions with regard to slaveholding in Texas and the
passage of this law. Passage of this law was so hated by abolitionists,
however, that its existence played a role in the end of slavery a
little more than a dozen years later. This law also spurred the
continued operation of the fabled Undergound Railroad, a network of
over 3,000 homes and other "stations" that helped escaping slaves
travel from the southern slave-holding states to the northern states
and Canada."
"Lincoln and the North entered the war to preserve
the Union rather than to free the slaves, but within a relatively short
time emancipation became an accepted war aim. Neither Congress nor the
president knew exactly what constitutional powers they had in this
area; according to the Dred Scott decision, they had none. But Lincoln
believed that the Constitution gave the Union whatever powers it needed
to preserve itself, and that he, as commander-in-chief, had the
authority to use those powers.
In the fall of 1862, after the
Union army victory at Antietam, Lincoln issued a preliminary
proclamation, warning that on January 1, 1863, he would free all the
slaves in those states still in rebellion. Intended as a war and
propaganda measure, the Emancipation Proclamation had far more symbolic
than real impact, because the federal government had no means to
enforce it at the time. But the document clearly and irrevocably
notified the South and the world that the war was being fought not just
to preserve the Union, but to put an end to the peculiar institution.
Eventually, as Union armies occupied more and more southern territory,
the Proclamation turned into reality, as thousands of slaves were set
free by the advancing federal troops."
I might be new to
American Girl dolls but I am a well-read woman who is a voracious speed
reader that devours histories and biographies. Again, I meant no
offense to anyone. I might be white but my daughter is bi-racial and
almost none of you know me so please don't assume I'm an ignorant
bigot.
1754/Phillis
Wheatley (former Addy), 1854/Kirsten Larson, 1864/Addy Walker,
1904/Betsy-Tacy and Tib, 1934/Kit Kittredge, 1944/Molly McIntire,
1944/Jeannie Akiko Wakatsuki (FKA Jess), and thoroughly modern Mimi
(#4), and Angel (#26).
A Guy Named Goo Writer's Block Official Board Pimp Daddy member is offline
No Day But Today
Joined: Dec 2006 Gender: Male Posts: 3,006 Location: Kenduskeag, ME
Re: Phillis Wheatley « Reply #11 on Today at 9:59am »
I never said you were an ignorant bigot or meant to imply it. I just
said that your example was faulty and stated why. If you can think of a
better example of what you are trying to accomplish, have at it.
My
Dolls: Elizabeth Michelle "Liz" Rowland (AGT6), Sebastian Anthony
Lebedov (AGT17 Boy), Mary Rose Calloway (AGT28), and Claire Bennet
(AGT24) "Oh, look. I do see before me an open word processor document. Perhaps I should put words upon it." Visit the Writing Class to show off your creativity!
I
never said you were an ignorant bigot or meant to imply it. I just said
that your example was faulty and stated why. If you can think of a
better example of what you are trying to accomplish, have at it.
Our
history is full of holes. AG touched on it by creating Addy but has
skirted adversity otherwise. Does the Nellie doll show her as poor and
starving? No, it's a happy and well-fed doll after her adoption. Kaya
is on the northwest coast in 1764 where she and her tribe have yet to
meet the white people and our forms of death and destruction. All the
other dolls are wealthy or comfortably middle class. I'm trying to fill
in the holes to educate my daughter. Again, I said to "commemorate" not
"celebrate" the anniversary.
Re: Phillis Wheatley « Reply #13 on Today at 10:50am »
Okay, here we go - Iam
saying you're celebrating it. I don't see how what you're doing is
anything less than celebrating it. And celebrating that anniversary is
in bad taste, I don't care if your daughter is biracial. Actually, I
think using your biracial daughter as a "honest, I'm not being an
offensive racist!" shield is in extremely bad taste too. (At the very
least-- I think it's potentially a lot of other things, too, but I'm
not going to go into how marginalising one's own children is made of so
much bad parenting.)
You know what else is tacky? 1) Going on
about AG's history being full of holes when you've a Jess doll be a
character which existed in real life camps have the kind of pretty
little movie set props that you've proudly posted. That shows a
signifigant divorce from reality and a willingness to ignore obvious
historical inaccuracies for the sake of pretty little niftiness when it
suits. and 2) Imply others do want to "white-wash history"
(nice bit of emphasis there, implying others are racist), and call
people's liberalness into question when they call you on your offensiveness.
Addy
doesn't "commemorate" the day her family was stolen from Africa or the
day her father and brother were sold. Addy's stories also acknowledge
that she and her family were treated like absolute dirt by white people
around them. Are you also going to commemorate how Wheatley had to
defend her abilities in a court of law because no one believed that
she, as an African slave, could think? Or how the Wheatleys controlled
all her earnings and left her absolutely destitute?
Of
course not. How she was stolen, sold, treated, "freed," and died are
appalling. I'm sorry my doll and my attempt to educate my daughter and
others has offended you. However, this attitude is what prevented me
from taking a black history course at ASU in the 1980s. I was told I
wouldn't be comfortable in there and to withdraw.
I do find it interesting that I seem to do nothing but offend on this more "liberal" board.
I
am not trying to accuse you of being an ignorant bigot. Race is an
issue that needs to be handled with a lot of tact and forethought. I
don't think you meant to be offensive, but it is one thing to note that
tomorrow is the anniversary of when she was sold, and quite another to
talk about "commemorating" it. You've got a picture of a clean,
well-dressed and apparently happy Wheatley...for the day that he
history was taken away. I suppose that if she hadn't been sold to the
Wehatleys we wouldn't have her poetry, but does that excuse what
happened?
And I don't think that you're offending more people
here on the "liberal" board. It's been my experience that liberal
places are far more likely to call people out when there's something
that they don't agree with or question. Also, the things that will set
people off here are going to be different than the hot-button issues
elsewhere.
I was told I would be uncomfortable taking classes in
race or Black history. I did it anyway and I was, the classes were
hell. But I wouldn't have traded the experiences for anything. I came
out a hopefully better person, or at least a more concious one.
Thank
you for your comments on my nphews' great-great grandfather. It
happened long before they (or their father) was born, but is a but of
family history that is difficult to discuss.
Okay, here we go - Iam
saying you're celebrating it. I don't see how what you're doing is
anything less than celebrating it. And celebrating that anniversary is
in bad taste, I don't care if your daughter is biracial. Actually, I
think using your biracial daughter as a "honest, I'm not being an
offensive racist!" shield is in extremely bad taste too. (At the very
least-- I think it's potentially a lot of other things, too, but I'm
not going to go into how marginalising one's own children is made of so
much bad parenting.)
You know what else is tacky? 1) Going on
about AG's history being full of holes when you've a Jess doll be a
character which existed in real life camps have the kind of pretty
little movie set props that you've proudly posted. That shows a
signifigant divorce from reality and a willingness to ignore obvious
historical inaccuracies for the sake of pretty little niftiness when it
suits. and 2) Imply others do want to "white-wash history"
(nice bit of emphasis there, implying others are racist), and call
people's liberalness into question when they call you on your offensiveness.
Congratulations! Your nasty and hate filled post has me in tears. Do not EVER question my parenting.
And what "historical inaccuracies" are you referring to? I know what I have read about the camps and you don't.
Thank
you for your comments on my nphews' great-great grandfather. It
happened long before they (or their father) was born, but is a but of
family history that is difficult to discuss.
The Rexphiles: Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, and Sphynx rexcues.
Joined: Jan 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 349 Location: Arizona
Re: Phillis Wheatley « Reply #17 on Today at 11:47am »
Would the mods please remove this thread? I am very sorry I introduced
it. I didn't think this was going to be so controversial since others
have done Phillis Wheatley, too.
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