Survival in the present and Prosperity in the future--Going Against the Grain

“O ye, daughters of Africa awake! Awake! Arise! No longer sleep nor slumber, but distinguish yourselves” (Maria W. Stewart) This quote resembles love, power and a calling to all women of African descent. In reading Maria Stewart passage, in the opening fourth chapter of Going Against the Grain, I felt a connection with the tone of her voice, as she emphasizes her passion behind each exclamation point. I thought to myself well if this is the opening up of chapter four, then I’m sure in for a nice treat.
In pages 108-125 Royster paints an outline of African American women, how they had a spirit of activism, “ an agenda for new world survival” fought within the slavery community, as well as the how these women had a quest for literacy. Royster also touches on the history of the country and how our forefathers were opposed to slavery but only few acted against it. Reading these pages left me feeling prouder to be an African American woman. Because these women that had been beaten, looked upon as capital, sexist, racist, class, and the list continues; however these unique special women during the slavery period did not break down, instead they “…re-created themselves under the oppression in ways people did not expect…” This notion is so profound, for it examines why African American women have distinctive survival characteristics and how they always seem to astonish the world time after time.
Although Roysters examines women of African descent during, I feel that some of the quotes mentioned could easily be emphasized in today’s day and age- 21st century. For instance, “…Survival in the present and prosperity in the future”. When it comes to survival women of color plan out their agenda’s. The agenda of making do- not breaking down completely, even with struggles and hardships, and the agenda of foreseeing prosperity- keeping faith that a brighter day is soon to come. The feeling that I grasped from the reading was strength. Strength in black Americans were strong in the slavery days and still is today.