Page 61 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 19

Community
Re-Education

House Slave Mentality

Abel Merawi, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

uring slavery, specif- with the slavers, as if they were the
ically in the US, the surrogate bodies of their masters.
slaveholders com- The house slaves are characterized
Dmonly divided the as the idolater type, who cry when
slaves into two: House Slaves and the slaver is sad, smile when the
Field Slaves. The house slaves were master is happy, are sickly when the
those who remained in the slaver’s master is ill, or enraged when the Abel Merawi
house to cook, clean and obedient- slaver is angry. Eventually, they be- Abel Merawi is from Addis Ababa. He
ly cater for the domineering family. gan to despise the field slaves and
The field slaves, on the other hand, execute the dirty deeds of the op- is an English literature teacher, freelance
were assigned to work on the pressor. The cruelty of the house writer/reporter for Ezega.com and an Am-
plantations, chop wood, build slaves was equal, and at times, haric-English translator and editor. He
ranches, and to all the field works. beyond that of the slaver because
While both types of slaves were they lived to impress their masters. also writes for www.msingiafrikamagazine.
oppressed and stripped of human In the eyes of the field slaves and com. You can reach him via: abelmerawi4@
dignity, the house slaves gradually all the oppressed of the world, the gmail.com
considered themselves privileged, name ‘house slave’ represents a
as compared to the field slaves. unique subservient mentality.
They slowly identified themselves

WWW.MSINGIAFRIKAMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 19 | JANUARY 2022 61