Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Slave Songs


Earlier this semester, we had very insightful discussions about slavery and how the African slaves were suppressed and enslaved both physically and mentally. They were oppressed, subjugated and the totally subjected to the most inhumane of treatments. They were abused, misused, and degraded to the level of animals, depriving them of anything that would make them human, such as reading and writing. In response to this dehumanizing experience, the slaves developed ways to cope with their situation. One of these coping mechanisms was the “slave songs” or “Negro spirituals.” The Negro spirituals served as a means through which the slaves could vent out their frustrations and despair.

While reading about Frederick Douglass in another class, I came across some very interesting points that shed more light on the slave songs. In Frederick Douglass’ autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, he describes how slaves would sing choruses and songs which revealed at once “the highest joy and deepest sadness” (Gates 400). These songs possessed powerful undertones about the institution of slavery and the plight of the slaves, which was undetectable by the white slave holders and white readers of the time. The white readers mistakenly assumed “the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness” (401). Douglass also explains that while he was a slave, he never really understood the deep meanings of those songs because they sounded incoherent. However, years after he obtained his freedom he began to realize that these songs had deeper meanings: they “breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish; every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains” (401).

It is very understandable that the slaves would utilize songs as a means to vent out their pains and sorrows since that was more or less the only option they had.  They had endured all kinds of atrocities and many of them had lost their wives, children, sisters, brothers, friends, etc. and there was nothing they could do about it. These slaves were bound by the fetters of slavery and their only means of escape was via their mouths. It's no surprise then that it is often said “you can tie my hands and my feet but you can’t tie my mouth.” Their mouths were their only means of escape in this barricaded slavery camp.

As I pondered some more over the slaves songs a Bible scripture came to mind: Matthew 12:34, which states “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (NKJV). I then began to realize that the slaves sang out of the abundance of pain, hurt, bitterness, sorrow, and frustrations within their hearts.
The slave songs show how the African slaves coped with their situation. It not only gave them a breeze a fresh air in the middle of a scorching slave dessert, but it also gave them peace amidst the storms of slavery.

Citation:
Gates Jr., Henry L., and Nellie Y. McKay. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2004. Print

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