women slaves

"Sitting in the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture is a rough cotton bag, called 'Ashley's Sack,' embroidered with just a handful of words that evoke a . . . family story of loss and of love passed down through generations. In 1850s South Carolina, just before nine-year-old Ashley was sold, her mother, Rose, gave her a sack filled with just a few things as a token of her love. Decades later, Ashley's granddaughter, Ruth, embroidered this history on the bag--including Rose's message that 'It be filled with my Love always.' Historian Tiya Miles carefully follows faint archival traces back to Charleston to find Rose in the kitchen where she may have packed the sack for Ashley. From Rose's last resourceful gift to her daughter, Miles then follows the paths their lives and the lives of so many like them took to write a . . . history of the lived experience of slavery in the United States. The contents of the sack--a tattered dress, handfuls of pecans, a braid of hair, 'my Love always'--speak volumes and open up a window on Rose and Ashley's world. As she follows Ashley's journey, Miles metaphorically 'unpacks' the sack, deepening its emotional resonance and revealing the meanings and significance of everything it contained. These include the story of enslaved labor's role in the cotton trade and apparel crafts and the rougher cotton 'negro cloth' that was left for enslaved people to wear; the role of the pecan in nutrition, survival, and southern culture; the significance of hair to Black women and of locks of hair in the nineteenth century; and an exploration of Black mothers' love and the place of emotion in history"--Provided by publisher.

The author describes her experiences as a slave in North Carolina, her eventual escape, and emancipation, including descriptions of the seven years she spent hiding in a crawl space above her grandmother's attic.

The slave narrative of Harriet A. Jacobs, published in 1861 under the pseudonym Linda Brent, in which she describes the trials of her life as a Southern slave, and discusses her determination to win freedom for herself and her children.

Discusses the lives and social contributions of a number of imprisoned African American women.

"A picture book biography sharing the . . . true story of the nation's oldest student, Mary Walker, who learned to read at the age of 116"--Provided by publisher.

Shares the journey of Henrietta Wood as she sued a deputy for damages and slavery in 1870, including how she won her case and the prison system changes that rose after.

The author describes her experiences as a slave in North Carolina, her eventual escape, and emancipation, including descriptions of the seven years she spent hiding in a crawl space above her grandmother's attic.

Tells the story of a runaway slave.

A graphic novel account based on the 1876 court case involving a West African woman named Abina who was wrongfully enslaved. Includes a transcript, historical context for the story, a reading guide, and strategies for classroom use.