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Portraits of Ex-Slaves (1930s)
- dang 12y agoThe archive these come from is linked at the bottom: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/snhtml/ http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/snhtml/.
- dropit_sphere 12y agoIs it just me or do these 90-yr-olds look really healthy for their ages?
- jaysonelliot 12y agoAccurate as the headline is, I prefer the dignity and empathy afforded by a phrase like "Portraits of Men & Women Once Enslaved in America." Before someone reacts with a kneejerk cry of "political correctness," think about the difference between giving someone an identity ("Slave") and describing their situation ("enslaved"). The first time I heard people described as "enslaved" rather than "slaves," it made me reflect on how we can dehumanize people instead of empathizing with them, and imagining what it would be like to be in their situation. Looking into the eyes of these men and women, I'm given to reflect on how little time most of us, certainly myself, spend outside our own experiences and social circles. As Americans, we all owe a debt of gratitude, remorse, and atonment to our ancestors that were treated with such inhumane violence and bondage.
- krick 12y agoI don't get the message of this. I mean it isn't surprising that somebody collects portraits of ex-slaves (somebody collects anything, after all), but as this gets enough attention to be posted on HN and even reach the top I assume there must be some deeper meaning which I don't see at all.