Sojourner Truth’s Argument
The 19th century was a historical period full of critical events for the United States, and the mass emergence of human rights activists among oppressed groups was one of these. Sojourner Truth was one of them, and she gave a significant speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” in 1851. She highlighted male hypocrisy as men who constantly talk about their duty to help women but constantly forget about it and abuse Christian rhetoric. She asked the men twice, “where did your Christ come from?” (ZinnEdProject 2:22-2:27). Her point was that women perform their socio-economic responsibilities and gender roles and, therefore, deserve equal rights.
Frederick Douglass’s Argument
Frederick Douglass was one of the central figures of abolitionism and a prominent critic of the racist and slave-owning American society. His “What to the Slave Is the 4th of July?” heavily criticized white Americans’ celebration of Independence Day. He argued that it is ironic, hypocritical, and horrible that Americans celebrate the values of freedom and justice while enslaving and profiting from Black people. He shared his sincere feelings, “you may rejoice, I must mourn” (Democracy Now! 2:29-2:33). It is visible in the manner of delivery that Douglass both criticized the white majority and wanted them to take action and abolish the slave system.
Victor Sejour’s “The Mulatto” as a Useful Abolitionist Tool
As the first known literary work written by an American person of color, Mulatto carries a strong message about the oppression of people of color. It was so influential that abolitionists used it in their campaigns. This story vividly and authentically demonstrates the discrimination and exploitation of Black people by the white majority. The figure of Georges’ mother can be interpreted as the former, and Alfred, who “virtually raped” her using his master status, can be seen as the latter (Sejour 300).
Moreover, the situations described in the story are of the everyday level for those times. One of those is the antagonist’s sexual harassment of Zelia, which turned out to be “not one of these women who sell their favors or use them to pay tribute to their master” (Sejour 303). It is why abolitionists saw it as a practical, cultural tool that could change the public’s opinion of slavery.
Works Cited
Sejour, Victor. 303. “The Mulatto.” Pp. 298-309.
“Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” Performed by Kerry Washington.” YouTube, uploaded by ZinnEdProject. 2018. Web.
“What to the Slave Is the 4th of July?”: James Earl Jones Reads Frederick Douglass’s Historic Speech.” YouTube, uploaded by ZinnEdProject. 2022. Web.