Elizabeth Keckley

English 248 12 December 2009 Elizabeth Keckley Is She a Pioneer of Womanism? Keckley was born a break ones back in Virginia. She was an excellent seamstress and exercisemaker. Using her skill and contacts she bought her exemption in 1855. afterward she was chuck up the sponged, she made her way to Washington, D. C. Elizabeth Keckley (1818-1907), seamstress and dressmaker to the wives of galore(postnominal) political moers and shakers of that day. Her client list included Varina Davis, of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and bloody shame Todd Lincoln, of President Abraham Lincoln.She sewed and tailored dresses for the daughters and ladies of the most prominent families. As her story mounted, she came to the attention of Mary Todd Lincoln, and soon became her dressmaker. Keckleys soon became a consort to Mary Todd. When Mary Todd fell under financial strain later on the assassination of her husband, Keckley helped Mary Todd auction shoot her clothing in modern York. Thi s effort turn out to be futile and just served to bring oppose attention to Mary Todd.In a nonher attempt to generate cash for Todd as well as her, Keckley published her diaries in 1868 Behind the Scenes or Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. pic Mary Todd hated her portrayal in the track record, to the point where her oldest son had it removed from publication. Because of the controversy, Keckley was treated like an outcast and her business declined. end-to-end her experiences Keckley keep an air of dignity and self respected. When Keckley and Mary Todd went their separate ways, Keckley did not f each(prenominal) to speak ill of Mary Todd.This was indicative of the strength of character that Keckley possessed. concord to the African American Registry, From 1892 to 1893, she left Washington to teach domestic science at Wilberforce University in Ohio. She returned soon aft(prenominal) to spend the rest of her old age at the Home for Destitute Women and C hildren in Washington, which she had helped to establish. She died there from a thump May 26, 1907. (1) There is a body of thought that subscribes to the idea that African American women have developed mindset to cope and prosper in American rules of order.This mindset has been named Womanism. Womanism should in no way be disoriented with Feminism. Feminism is the belief that women are equal to and some ways best to men. Because of this feminist proscribe to the notion the women station in American society should be equalized by any means short of violence. In her book Sisters in the Wilderness, Delores Williams defines womanism in the following way Womanist theology is a predictive voice concerned about the well-being of the entire African American community, male and female, adults and children.Womanist theology attempts to help black women see, affirm, and have confidence in the importance of their experience and faith for determining the character of the Christian devotion in the African American community. Womanist theology challenges all oppressive forces obstructive black womens struggle for survival and for the development of a positive, productive step of life conducive to womens and the familys freedom and well-being. Womanist theology opposes all oppression based on race, sex, class, sexual preference, physical expertness, and caste (67). 2) Throughout her life Keckley was a subscriber of Womanism. Keckley opposed three aspects of oppression-sexual, race and caste. Keckley proved to be an advocate for her family life as well as others. Keckley at all times strived to be a productive member of American and African American society. Born a slave and female, it was inevitable that Keckley would governing body sexual oppression at some time. It can be argued that maybe the Keck leys mistress sensed her husbands interest in Keckley. Because of this Keckley received undeserved beatings. My words seem to exasperate him.He seized the rope, caught me roughly, and seek to tie me. I resisted with all my strength, but he was the stronger of the two and, after a hard struggle, succeeded in binding my hands and ferocious my dress from my back. Then he picked up a rawhide, and began to ply it freely over my shoulder. With steady hand and practiced eye he would raise the peter of torture and nerve himself for a blow and with fearful force the rawhide descended upon the palpitation flesh. It cut the skin, raised great welts, and the blood trickled down my back (20-21). This fussy beating was requesting by the mistress.Keckley was never given a reason for it. The tearing off the dress is a form of sexual humiliation. Even slave women had a sense of self-respect about nudity Oh God I can feel the torture-now the terrible, excruciating agony of those moments. I did not foretell I was too proud to let my tormentor know what I was suffering. I closed my lips firmly, that not even a groan efficiency escape from them, and I stood li ke a statute while the express feelings lash cut into my flesh (20-21). This may have also been the original time that Keckley shows some type of resistance to her oppressor.Not allowing her tormentors to know how a good deal she was suffering could only cause more suffering. Knowing that a life story of slavery would lead to only more unjustified persecution served as an trend for Keckley to escape slavery. It is amazing that Keckley persevered to leave slavery considering that even her parents thought that only death would set them free. Her father wrote In glory there weel occupy to part no more forever. So dear wife I hope to meet you In paradase to prase god forever(15). Casting off her bonds of slavery and sexual repression was the first big step in Keckley fit a paradigm of womanism.While Keckley was still in slavery she matrimonial a man whom she thought was a freeman. She found out later that was not the case. Mr. Keckley-let me speak kindly of his faults-proved diss ipated, and a burden kind of of a helpmate. More than all, I learned that he was a slave instead of a free man, as he represented himself to be. With the simple chronicle that I lived with him for eight years, I will charity draw just about him a mantle of silence (32). It is rumored that Mr. Keckley was an alcoholic. Keckley refused to have a child of her free will while still a slave. for I could not persuade the thought of bringing children into slavery (29). (3) In explaining how Keckley believed in the development of a positive, productive quality of life conducive to women Xiomara Santamarina writes The author was a general dressmaker, and according to her, work was not simply about the material conditions of end product but, more importantly, about the emotions of respect and attachment the production process entailed(4). Keckleys ability as a dressmaker turned out to be not only an economic tool but indeed the means by which she achieved status as a socialite on the D.C . scene. The respect afforded Keckley by Washingtonians was rarely given any African Americans at the time. Keckley was well known in religious circles as well as the social scene. She was a dear member of the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church. . Alice footer wrote about womanism as challenging inherited traditions for their collusion with androcentric patriarchy as well as a catalyst in overcoming oppressive situations through revolutionary acts of rebellion(5). It is engagement that a new concept of thought has been attributed to African American women.After all what other segment of American society has dealt with the drawbacks of enslavement, racism, sexual abuse, classism and sexism? The African American womans journey to find their place in America has taken them through weewees uncharted and untraveled by anyone else. There should be no surprise when their rudder is lifted from the turbulent water for inspection it is of a unique design. Strong, true, dependable, right eous without being self-righteous and ever so challenging what is to progress to what can be. This rudder may be defined as womanism.Elizabeth Keckley was indeed a pioneer of womanism. Works Cited (1)Reference Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly The Remarkable narrative of the Friendship Between a First Lady and a author Slave. Jennifer Fleischner, New York Broadway Books. 2003 (2)Sisters in the Wilderness Delores S. Williams. Orbis, 287 pp (3)Behind the Scenes or Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. Elizabeth Keckley, New York G. W. Carleton. 268 pp. 1868 (4)Xiomara Santamarina feminist Studies 28, no. 3 (fall 2002) In Search of Our (5)Mothers Garden Womanist Prose, Alice Walker