Axe!
Christmas and the Negro in the Atlantic World
December 25, 2009 by Special Guest
Many people think Christmas has become “too commercialized” and have moved too far from “tradition”. Really? When was Christmas not about commerce? Christmas for Africans in the Atlantic world has always been about controlling their minds, energy and whereabouts because they were property.
Instead of being “staid, sober, thinking and industrious” like Frederick Douglas and Samuel Sharpe, many of us continue to imbibe religious and historical fallacies which serve only to isolate us from true freedom.
To prove our point, let’s take a trip down memory lane: “…on Christmas day, 1833. The days between Christmas and New Year’s day are allowed as holidays; and, accordingly, we were not required to perform any labor, more than to feed and take care of the stock. This time we regarded as our own, by the grace of our masters; and we therefore used or abused it nearly as we pleased.
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