To Go Aganist the Grain

In chapter 4 of Going Against the Grain, Jacqueline Royster opened with a quote by Maria W. Stewart. "O, ye daughters of Africa, awake! Awake! Arise! No longer sleep nor slumber, but distinguish yourselves. Show forth to the world that ye are endowed with noble exalted facilities” (Royster 108).  Stewart is a very influential woman not only because she is thought to be the first African American essayist, but because she choose to speak out on injustices that faced her as an African American.

Within the first few pages Royster speaks on the literacy of an African American woman and how it has been subject to many intellectuals throughout the centuries. She states “Since the beginning of Africans’ lives in the Americas, African American women have been encumbered by racist, sexist, class-bound ideologies” ( Royster 109). With theses stereotypes plagued upon us it has been very hard for us to prove our worth.  Yet as a double minority we still strive to excel pass those boundaries. Although Stewart had little formal education, she constantly demonstrated her learning in her lectures, referencing the Bible, the U.S. Constitution, and various literary works.

As the chapter progresses she begins to elaborate on slavery and how it has affected the African American woman.  In those days a woman of African descent was only good for two things, working and breeding.  Royster says that this was “A degraded status” She then references to Africa and how we were treated. The African woman was the storyteller; they kept the culture alive and thriving. They were the healers and well respected. However, upon being brought to the Americas there were treated in the worst way imaginable, not only dealing with sexual abuse and harassment, but also having to endure a “genderless” status when it came to work side by side the men. 

As that passage continues Royster begins to elaborate on the three right of every human being. They are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. She talks of the thinkers that influenced theses great unalienable rights, and how the United States chose to interpret these rights. Jefferson, Mason, and a few others were advocates when it came to the abolition of slavery.  She cites Mason for saying that slavery was “diabolical in itself and disgraceful to mankind” (Royster 119). I know too, that Thomas Jefferson freed all of his slaves in his will. There were a few too that thought slavery was wrong but though nothing to end it, like Ben Franklin, who did not support the emancipation of African Americans.

To go against the grain, is something that we as African American Woman have had to struggle with for centuries and in doing so we have made such immense progress that all we can do is move forward and pave the way for others to follow.