During the period of enslavement of our African fore-parents, plantation life and the “responsibility” of the black male included increasing Massa’s inventory of enslaved Africans, and whereas the men were naturally productive, rape became an acceptable part of their labour. There is no doubt that after physically laboring for in excess of 12 hours daily in the hot sun, hardworking black men were forced to impregnate young virgins and women who knew they had a duty to submit to this indignity and humiliation which was a condition of their enslavement solely for the purpose of increasing Massa’s human inventory. It could not be a pleasant experience for either party, and the need to get it over with must have created savagery which is the core of rape!
Repeated rape and forgiving oneself for this act of brutality easily becomes routine.
Four hundred years post the enslavement of our people we may face and analyze the reality of that aspect of our cultural heritage. When routine behaviour becomes normalized, eventually it gradually embeds itself into the psyche of a society and the lines between wrong and right, the unacceptable and the acceptable become blurred! In fact, it is likely that incest happened frequently because records were not always accurate, and the failure to own children created opportunities where these violations became commonplace.
Any prominent aspect of a culture gradually takes on a life of its own and permeates and perpetuates itself… the societal outrage which should be seen, heard and felt whenever a rape happens is generally absent because historically it was brushed off and seen as inconsequential and further, poverty and overcrowded homes often encouraged incest.
In the 21st century, while rape is no longer used as a tool to increase the population, women and girls are still bullied into having sexual encounters against their will which is still rape! Sexual harassment and indecent assault exist in the workplace and occur on multiple levels. These atrocities involve more than just being forced into a corner or passageway in the office by a male counterpart. The exploitation of vulnerable persons – men and women – occurs regularly when someone in authority exercises dominion and control by using his or her power whether in government or the private sector to inflict harm or exert control – emotional, financial, mental, psychological, physical – over a subordinate. We must collectively and individually call rape by its name and rid our society of this heinous crime! The shame must be placed squarely at the feet of the perpetrators and never the victim!
Time to Make a Change!
