Elizabeth Keckley

English 248 12 December 2009 Elizabeth Keckley Is She a Pioneer of Womanism? Keckley was innate(p) a buckle down in Virginia. She was an excellent seamstress and dressmaker. Using her skill and contacts she bought her freedom in 1855. After she was freed, she made her way to Washington, D. C. Elizabeth Keckley (1818-1907), seamstress and dressmaker to the wives of numerous political movers 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 reputation mounted, she came to the solicitude of Mary Todd Lincoln, and soon became her dressmaker. Keckleys soon became a companion to Mary Todd. When Mary Todd fell under financial strain after the assassination of her husband, Keckley helped Mary Todd auction off her clothing in New York. This effort proved to be futile and only ser ved to bring negative attention to Mary Todd.In another attempt to generate funds for Todd as well as her, Keckley published her diaries in 1868 Behind the Scenes or Thirty Years a break ones backward and Four Years in the White House. pic Mary Todd hated her portrayal in the book, to the point where her oldest son had it removed from publication. Because of the controversy, Keckley was treated like an outcast and her care declined. throughout her experiences Keckley maintained an air of dignity and self respected. When Keckley and Mary Todd went their separate ways, Keckley did not deign to speak ill of Mary Todd.This was indicative of the strength of slip that Keckley possessed. According to the African American Registry, From 1892 to 1893, she left Washington to teach domestic science at Wilberforce University in Ohio. She returned soon after to spend the rest of her long time at the Home for Destitute Women and Children in Washington, which she had helped to establish. She died there from a stroke 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 society.This mindset has been named Womanism. Womanism should in no way be confused with Feminism. Feminism is the impression that women are equal to and some ways superior to men. Because of this feminist proscribe to the notion the women station in American society should be equalized by some(prenominal) room short of violence. In her book Sisters in the Wilderness, Delores Williams defines womanism in the following way Womanist theology is a prophetic voice concerned about the eudaemonia 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 percentage of the Christian religion in the African American community. Womanist theology ch altogetherenges all oppressive forces impeding black womens struggle for survival and for the development of a positive, productive quality of life contributing(prenominal) to womens and the familys freedom and well-being. Womanist theology opposes all conquering based on race, sex, class, sexual preference, physical ability, 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 face sexual oppression at some time. It can be argued that perhaps the Keck leys mistress sensed her husbands interest in Keckley. Because of this Keckley received undeserved beatings. My wrangle seem to exasperate him.He seized the rope, caught me roughly, and tried to tie me. I resist ed with all my strength, but he was the stronger of the two and, after a hard struggle, succeeded in cover song my hands and tearing 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 instrument of torture and nerve himself for a blow and with fearful force the rawhide descended upon the quivering flesh. It cut the skin, raised great welts, and the blood trickled down my back (20-21). This particular 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 scream I was too proud to let my tormentor know what I was suffering. I closed my lips firmly, that not even a groan might escape from them, and I stood like a statute while the keen lash cut into my flesh (20-21). This may have also been the first time that Keckley shows some suit of resistance to her oppressor.Not allowing her tormentors to know how much she was suffering could only cause more(prenominal) suffering. Knowing that a lifetime of slavery would lead to only more unjustified persecution served as an impetus 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 idealisation there weel meet to part no more forever. So dear wife I hope to meet you In paradase to prase god forever(15). plaster bandage off her bonds of slavery and sexual repression was the first big step in Keckley becoming a paradigm of womanism.While Keckley was noneffervescent in slavery she wed 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 dissipated, and a burden instead of a he lpmate. more than all, I learned that he was a slave instead of a free man, as he represented himself to be. With the simple explanation that I lived with him for octette years, I will charity draw around 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 bear 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 popular dressmaker, and according to her, work was not simply about the material conditions of proceeds 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 Wash ingtonians was seldom given any African Americans at the time. Keckley was well known in religious circles as well as the social scene. She was a devout member of the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church. . Alice Walker wrote about womanism as challenging inherit traditions for their collusion with androcentric patriarchy as well as a catalyst in overcoming oppressive situations through revolutionary acts of rebellion(5). It is fitting that a new-sprung(prenominal) 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 waters uncharted and untraveled by anyone else. There should be no storm when their rudder is lifted from the turbulent water for inspection it is of a unique design. Strong, true, dependable, righteous without being self-righteous and always 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 Story of the Friendship Between a First Lady and a Former 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 womens liberationist Studies 28, no. 3 (fall 2002) In Search of Our (5)Mothers Garden Womanist Prose, Alice Walker