September Pundit 1
- Jylliann Huff
- Sep 9, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 21, 2019
Jamelle Bouie
In America, liberty and bondage have always been intertwined.
The New York Times
September 7, 2019
In “Slavery Was Not a Part of our History”, Jamelle Blouie discusses how white supremacy was not explicitly classified, but rather expressed through the construction of our new country. The American Revolution happened due to the American citizen’s desire for independence and self autonomy from Great Britain after their taxation and control could not be dealt with any longer. Colonists had to convince the people to fight for independence, so they had to use arguments that included both equality and liberty. The Patriots revered the white citizen soldiers but condemned those against the fight for autonomy. White colonists began to define an American as a ruthless insurrectionist. This new definition of what makes a quality American gave way to misconceptions and prejudices to oppressed groups such as African Americans and Native Americans. Tensions between the idea that slavery is not a form of liberty and the protection of private property became a reoccuring problem. In the creation of our Constitution, compromises such as the Fugitive Slave Act and the ⅗ ths compromise were created to once again suppress Africans and declassify them as true Americans. Although the act of white supremacy was not declared in the birth of our new nation, it was still prevalent through the enslavement and subjugation of Africans.
The purpose of this article is to convince the opposers of the 1619 project - a project created by New York Times to address the origins of slavery in America - that the project is a positive thing that sparks important conversation. This also ties into the intended audience of this article: Conservatives critiquing and arguing against the 1619 project. Throughout this article, strong uses of tone shifts can be found along with persuasive appeals. Jamelle Bouie allows his tone to shift from informative, teaching tone, to an open-minded, accepting tone. Bouie exposes the injustices of racism and slavery in the beginning of America to appeal to the emotions of the reader. Jamelle Bouie’s article addresses a sensitive topic of American history and utilizes different rhetorical strategies to best convey his argument.
I found your take on this article both informative and enlightening. While taking a class based around the United State’s history, I too noticed the emphasis on liberty, but the tolerance of racial suppression. I appreciated the tone you took with the critics of “The 1619 Project”. While you tried to convince them that the project was positive and important, you mentioned that you understood how Conservatives would oppose it. You used pathos to appeal to the sympathy and emotions of your reader in order open their eyes about the slavery that existed around the birth of our nation. I was truly captivated reading your article and hope to look into “The 1619 Project”.