Adolescence, Young Adulthood, and Soul Values (PDF)

# **Chapter 3: Adolescence, Young Adulthood, and Soul Values** ## Average Appraised Values: - **Females:** $517 ($15,189 in 2014) - **Males:** $610 ($17,934 in 2014) ## Average Sale Prices: - **Females:** $515 ($15,131 in 2014) - **Males:** $662 ($19,447 in 2014) ## **The Auction Block** * **T...

# **Chapter 3: Adolescence, Young Adulthood, and Soul Values** ## Average Appraised Values: - **Females:** $517 ($15,189 in 2014) - **Males:** $610 ($17,934 in 2014) ## Average Sale Prices: - **Females:** $515 ($15,131 in 2014) - **Males:** $662 ($19,447 in 2014) ## **The Auction Block** * **The story of Joseph**: * A seventeen-year-old field hand who was sold at a slave auction in New Orleans. * The auctioneer was excited about his potential because of his age, strength, intelligence, and dancing abilities. * The initial bid was $1,000, but the auctioneer was hopeful that the price would go much higher. * The auctioneer described Joseph as a "capital" boy because he was "a hand for almost everything" and a "great dancer." * The auctioneer also pointed out that Joseph knew how to pray beautifully. * **The story of Lucy Delaney**: * She described a slave auction in 1891. * She said that the enslaved people were lined up for potential buyers to examine them at their leisure. * She added that the buyers would "present his wife with this flesh and blood commodity, which money could so easily procure in our vaunted land of freedom." * **The value of young bodies**: * The auctioneer's excitement over a seventeen-year-old field hand like Joseph highlights the value society placed on young bodies during the years of puberty and young adulthood. * These years were particularly important for enslaved people because they were considered to be at their physical peak and were capable of more labor. ## **The Value of Human Property** * **A moment of sale**: * The text explores the experiences of enslaved people from ages eleven to twenty-two, the years when children enter puberty and adolescence, and eventually become adults. * Young adults' bodies were valued as a commodity. * The auctioneer's descriptions of Joseph's talents highlight the economic value that society attached to youth and the "flesh and blood commodity" that enslaved people were viewed as. * This period was a significant transition in the lives of both girls and boys. * Girls became women after the onset of their menstrual cycles, which marked a defining moment in their maturation. * Fertile enslaved women commanded high prices in the market, and their enslavers appraised them accordingly. * Young men also matured into their prime working years. * The institution of slavery was defined by a woman's uterus and beyond, so enslaved women were valuable for their reproductive capacity. * The book acknowledges that we have much to learn about the value of human property during each stage of life, not only the moment of sale. ## **The Trauma of Enslavement** * **Joseph's experiences**: * There is no direct testimony from Joseph about his response to being sold. * However, the text raises questions about his state of mind: * How did Joseph feel about being the second person on the auction block that day? * Did his experience differ at age seventeen from others who were younger or older than him? * Had his adolescence and teen years prepared him for this moment? * **The Trauma of Being Sold**: * The text describes how enslaved children stepped on to the auction block as a "funeral pile erected for martyrs" and held on to their last embrace. * Witnesses said that Joseph stood on the block alone, holding on to "the last embrace" while the auctioneer described him with a host of complimentary adjectives. * The text raises important questions about what was going through Joseph's mind: * Did these descriptions comfort him, uplift him, or add to the trauma of being sold? * Did Joseph approach the block in silent prayer? * **The Uncertain Fate of Joseph and Isam**: * The chapter closes with the observation that Joseph and Isam (slave #21), who were both known for their preaching abilities, approached the block in silent prayer, and ultimately their fate is unknown. ## **Soul Values** * **The value of immortal selves**: * The text goes on to discuss the concept of "soul values." * The author argues that enslaved children, as well as adults, valued their spiritual and psychological lives. * The text highlights the importance of spiritual values and how enslaved people developed these values through their inner spirit and their relationships with loved ones. * Soul values, according to the text, often escaped calculation. * They were often reinforced by loved ones through "an inner spiritual centering that facilitated survival." * This inner spirit was often expressed as a vision, a voice, a spirit, a "God," a heaviness in their core, or a sermon which helped them survive the horrors of enslavement. ## **The Impact of Puberty on Enslaved People** * **The challenges of puberty**: * The text discusses how the pubescent years were terrifying for enslaved children, who were experiencing not only their bodies changing but also the separation from their parents that they had dreaded all their lives. * Daughters and sons were often taken away from their parents as the external value of their bodies increased. * These years also marked the time when enslaved children began to understand that they were not only the property of their enslavers, but also that they were subject to sexual assault at any age. * **The importance of soul values**: * The text notes that enslaved children were often reminded by their parents—and other kin—of "a value that enslavers and traders could not commodify: the spiritual value of their immortal selves." ## **The Value of the Enslaved Body** * **The impact of puberty on female bodies**: * The text emphasizes how the onset of menstruation for girls was a defining moment in their maturation. * It was also a defining moment in their commodification. * As enslaved women matured, they became "harbingers of additional sources of labor" because they were fertile. * Fertile enslaved women commanded high prices in the market, and their enslavers often appraised them accordingly. * These "additional sources of labor" often meant that they would be used for breeding—enslaver's could generate more profit from their bodies. * Enslavers were constantly looking for ways to maximize their profits. * They sought to increase enslaved laborers through a woman's uterus. * **The impact of puberty on male bodies**: * Men could be used for sexual reproduction, even in their elder years. * Young men also matured into their prime working years. * They became more valuable for their bodies and their potential as breeders. ## **The Power of Spiritual Centering** * **The voice of the soul**: * The text suggests that many enslaved people discovered the value of their souls during the years of puberty and adulthood. * This value was not a commodity. * Instead, it was something that their enslavers could not commodify. * Yet, it allowed them to survive the trauma of enslavement. ## **The Experience of Separation** * **The importance of the family**: * The text notes how enslaved children often experienced the separation from their family as one of the most terrifying experiences of their lives. * Daughters and sons were often taken from their parents as the economic value of their bodies rose. * The forced separation of enslaved families was one of the cruellest aspects of the institution of slavery. * **The power of resilience**: * The text points out how the children experienced this terrible loss and how they endured it. * The text cites testimonies of enslaved people who spoke about their families and how they longed to keep their families together even at great cost. ## **Soul Values and the Struggle for Freedom** * **The importance of internal values**: * The text highlights how enslaved people often discovered the value of their souls during the years of puberty and adulthood. * They did not accept the external devaluation that their enslavers placed on their bodies. * They recognized their value as human beings and sought to live their lives. * They resisted sexual abuse, exploitation, and the power of their enslavers. * They sought to protect themselves. * They chose to risk their lives to escape. * **The power of faith**: * Sometimes, enslaved people turned to religion—Christianity, Muslim faith, or Afro-Caribbean religions—to help them survive the horrors of slavery. * The text reminds us that religion was an "invisible institution" for enslaved people. * Their religious beliefs and their faith in a higher power helped them maintain their humanity in the face of an inhumane system. * **The fight for freedom**: * The text goes on to discuss how enslaved people sought to escape slavery. * They learned about geography, made plans, collected money, and risked their lives. * They took pride as they travelled to Canada, where they experienced a new sense of freedom and they finally were able to live as human beings. * They finally were able to make their own choices. ## **The Economics of Slavery** * **The importance of money and profit**: * The text emphasizes how enslaved people were viewed as commodities. * Enslavers were always looking for ways to increase their profits. * They sought to increase the number of enslaved people through sexual exploitation. * Their valuation of enslaved people was based on their age, health, and skill set. * They were appraised based on their potential to be a productive member of society. * The text highlights how the economic system of slavery encouraged abuse and cruelty. * **The tragic realities of death**: * Death was a constant threat to enslaved people. * Death often came quickly and the lives of the enslaved were often cut short. * Enslavers capitalized on death by insuring enslaved people. ## **The Legacy of Enslavement** * **The lasting impact of a brutal system**: * The text concludes with a reminder that the institution of slavery was a brutal system that left a lasting impact on all aspects of enslaved people's lives. * It was more than a system of economic exploitation. * It was also a system of psychological and emotional abuse. * It had a long-lasting impact on the lives of enslaved children, who were often taken from their parents and separated from their families. They suffered the trauma of sexual abuse and exploitation. * Those who survived enslavement had to find ways to cope with the scars of the past. * They had to carve out new lives for themselves and their families. They found ways to resist the inhumanity of the system, and to find strength, resilience, and hope. * The text reminds us that the lessons of slavery are still relevant today. * We must learn from the past, and make sure that we are building a more just and equitable society. ## **The Power of Story** * **The importance of their voices**: * The text ultimately reminds us of the power of storytelling. * By sharing the stories of enslaved people, we can learn more about their experiences, their resilience, and their struggles for freedom. * Their stories are a powerful reminder of the depths of human cruelty, but also of the power of human spirit. * By listening to their voices, we can honor their memories and their fight for freedom.