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The Mask Of African American Women

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Defining “The Mask” of Black African American Women

In the book of To Joy My Freedom it all began in the eighteen hundreds in the city of Atlanta. The Black women lived their life working on the field and as house slaves on plantations in antebellum cities that had been strictly under governed rules and regulations over which they had no control. “The black African American women were playfully constructing new identities that overturned notions of racial inferiority that could only be interpreted by white southerners” (Tera W. Hunter pg. 3). Through the experiences of working in labor, the African American women engaged in washing, cooking, cleaning, scrubbing, and mopping in exchange for pay. Being free people, the black African American …show more content…
Hunter pg. 25). The African American society encountered way more tragic life situations through slavery. So therefore, encountering the struggles in Atlanta was nothing that the Black African American Society could not handle in comparison from the daily life of living in slavery. During the reconstruction, the Black African American wore masks that depicted to enhance their wages and the improvement of work conditions. Although the Blacks were free, they faced many racial obstacles. “The Black women showed courage in the face of political violence” (Tera W. Hunter pg.33).The women supported the men in their families and gave civil advice that carried out activities. Accordingly to Hunter, the Negro women were wilder than the men. The women were seen everywhere and was eager to show off their religion. Facing racial problems, the Klu Klux Klan, terrorized the black community. “The Black women risked sexual abuse no matter where they lived” (Tera W. Hunter pg.34). During the reconstruction, many families sought to find and recreate bonds that were broken or strained by slavery and the Civil War. Moving to Atlanta the women and families continued to struggle through daily life as they …show more content…
In comparison, Dunbar is describing a mask women wore to hide the pain while Hunter is describing the life and obstacles women faced. “We wear the mask that grins and lies, it hides our cheeks and shades our eyes” (P.L. Dunbar pg.173). Which could possibly mean that the face the world see is a totally different image of what they see and go through. However, the black African American women may smile but their cries are hidden behind a lie they live in. “But let the world dream otherwise, we wear the mask!” (P.L. Dunbar pg.173). This statement by Dunbar meaning is that the world will never know the struggles behind a smile that holds cries, a mask that hides the bleeding hearts and souls, and cries for the truth. The world will never know what their struggles are behind those untruthful

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