Words of Fire
Page 10
Her first column for T. Thomas Fortune’s New York Freeman (December 1885) as editor of “Our Woman’s Department” was “Woman’s Suffrage” in which she indicated she would “promote true womanhood, especially that of the African race.” She is best known for The Work of the Afro-American Woman (1894), which she wrote out of a desire to correct glaring omissions in American women’s history and to affirm the noble womanhood of black women who were excluded from racist and classist concepts of “true women.” This pioneering feminist history text also chronicled the achievements of black women in the professions (medicine, business, religion, education, and journalism), exposed black male sexism and white female racism, particularly their ostracism of black feminists, and celebrated black women writers.
“The Opposite Point of View” is a critique of traditional notions of marriage, which demand that wives be passive and submissive to their husbands. The best marriages, from her progressive vantage point, are ones in which wives possess a mind of their own and are equal partners. Joanne Braxton’s assessment of this essay as “a radical statement on family life and marital relations,” as well as a “valuable document of the sexual politics of black America” (Gates, Schomburg Library, xxxvi) locates Mossell within a clearly black feminist tradition. “A Lofty Study” called for women writers to have “a room of their own” long before the publication of Virginia Woolf’s classic feminist essay, “A Room of One’s Own” (1930). For an excellent discussion of Mossell, see Claudia Tate’s Domestic Allegories of Political Desire (1992).
THE OPPOSITE POINT OF VIEW
Home is undoubtedly the cornerstone of our beloved Republic. Deepplanted in the heart of civilized humanity is the desire for a resting place that may be called by this name, around which may cluster life-long memories. Each member of a family after a place is secured, helps to contribute to the formation of the real and ideal home. Men’s and women’s desires concerning what shall constitute a home differ largely, sex counting for much, past environment for more. Man desires a place of rest from the cares and vexations of life, where peace and love shall abide, where he shall be greeted by the face of one willing to conform to his wishes and provide for his comfort and convenience—where little ones shall sweeten the struggle for existence and make the future full of bright dreams.
Woman desires to carry into effect the hopes that have grown with her growth, and strengthened with her strength from childhood days until maturity; love has made the path of life blend easily with the task that duty has marked out....
Many wonder that so many people separate, my wonder is that so many remain together. Born in different places, reared differently, with different religious and political opinions, differing in temperament, in educational views, at every point, what wonder strife ensues. But we will consider in this paper the life of those who elect to remain together whether life is a flowery path or overgrown with briers and thorns. Now, first, here I must explain that I am about to look at the opposite side of a much-discussed question. The pendulum will swing in this paper in the opposite direction to the one generally taken.
The conservatives can take the median line with the pendulum at a standstill if they so desire. For several years, every paper or magazine that has fallen into our hands gave some such teaching as this: “The wife must always meet her husband with a smile.” She must continue in the present and future married life to do a host of things for his comfort and convenience; the sure fate awaiting her failure to follow this advice being the loss of the husband’s affection and the mortification of seeing it transferred to the keeping of a rival. She must stay at home, keep the house clean, prepare food properly, and care for her children, or he will frequent the saloon, go out at night, and spend his time unwisely at the least. These articles may be written by men or by women, but the moral is invariably pointed for the benefit of women; one rarely appearing by either sex for the benefit of men. This fact must certainly lead both men and women to suppose that women need this teaching most; now I differ from this view of the subject. In a life of some length and of close observation, having been since womanhood a part of professional life, both in teaching, preaching, and otherwise, where one receives the confidences of others, I have come to the conclusion that women need these teachings least.
I have seen the inside workings of many homes; I know there are many slatterns, many gossips, and poor cooks; many who are untrue to marital vows; but on the whole, according to their means, their opportunities for remaining at home, the irritating circumstances that surround them (and of our women especially), tempted by two races, they do well. After due deliberation and advisedly I repeat that they (remembering the past dreadful environment of slavery) do well. Man as often as woman gives the keynote to the home-life for the day; whether it shall be one of peace or strife. The wife may fill the house with sweet singing, have the children dressed and ready to give a joyful greeting to the father; the breakfast might be fit to tempt an epicure, and yet the whole be greeted surlily by one who considers wife and home but his rightful convenience. I may not be orthodox, but I venture to assert that keeping a clean house will not keep a man at home; to be sure it will not drive him out, but neither will it keep him in to a very large extent. And you, dear tender-hearted little darlings, that are being taught daily that it will, might as well know the truth now and not be crying your eyes out later.
Dear Willie can go out at night, yes, a little while even every night, and not be going to the bad nor failing to do his duty. Now let me tell you an open secret and look about you where you live and see if I am not right. The men that usually stay in at night are domestic in their nature, care little for the welfare or approval of the world at large, are not ambitious, are satisfied with being loved, care nothing for being honored. The men who used when single to kiss the babies, pet the cat, and fail to kick the dog where they visited are the men who remain at home most when married. A man who aspires to social preeminence, who is ambitious, or who acquires the reputation of being a man of judgment and knowledge, useful as a public man, will be often out at night even against his own desires, on legitimate business. By becoming a member of many organizations it may become necessary for him to spend most of his evenings out, sacrificing his own will to the will of the many. Again, men after working at daily drudgery come home to their families, eat the evening meal, hear the day’s doings, read the paper, and then desire to meet with some masculine friends to discuss the topics of the day. The club, the church, the street corner, or a chum’s business place may be the meeting place. Bad men go out for evil purposes; to be sure, many men, social by nature, are tempted by the allurements of the saloon and the chance of meeting their boon companions. But these men would do the same if they had no home, or whether it was clean or not. Wives should be kind, keep house beautifully, dress beautifully if they can; but after all this is accomplished their husbands will be away from home possibly quite as much for the above-given reasons. Women must not be blamed because they are not equal to the selfsacrifice of always meeting husbands with a smile, nor the wife blamed that she does not dress after marriage as she dressed before; childbirth and nursing, the care of the sick through sleepless, nightly vigils, the exactions and irritations incident to a life whose duties are made up of trifles and interruptions, and whose work of head and heart never ceases, make it an impossibility to put behind them at all times all cares and smile with burdened heart and weary feet and brain.
Small means, constant sacrifice for children prevent the replenishment of a fast dwindling wardrobe. Husbands and fathers usually buy what they need; at least most mothers and wives will not even do that while children need anything. The great inducement for a woman to fulfil these commands is that she may retain her husband’s love and not forfeit her place to a rival. Suppose someone should tell a man, “Now you must smile at your wife always, in her presence never appear grumpy, dress her in the latest style, and so on, or else she will transfer her affections to the keeping of another.
” What would be his reply? We all know. And yet women need love to live and be happy, are supposed to be most susceptible to love and flattery, and men therefore ought to fear this fate most, and the daily record teaches the fact if the magazine writers fail to do so. A good husband will do his duty even if the wife fails, as so many wives are doing to-day with bad husbands. The man who wants to lead a reckless life, will complain of his wife’s bad housekeeping, extravagance, the children’s noise or, if not blessed with offspring, still complains that this fact makes home less interesting ; but let me tell you, friend, it is all an excuse in nine cases out of ten. A husband’s ill-doing is never taken as an excuse for a wife’s turning bad, and why should a man be excused for doing wrong, if he has a bad wife? If he be the stronger-minded one, especially. If a husband is a true one in any sense of the word, his transference of the kiss at the door from the wife to the firstborn that runs before her to greet him will not cause even a sigh of regret.
Doing the best she can in all things will be appreciated by a true husband. The one remaining thought unmentioned is temper, the disposition to scold and nag. Now no man desires a scolding, nagging wife, and no child desires such a mother; but saints are rare and I don’t believe that history past or present proves that saintly women have in the past or do now gain men’s love oftenest or hold it longest. The two women, one white, another colored, that I sorrowed with over recreant husbands, were true, loving wives; one had just saved her small earnings toward buying the husband a birthday present and had unsuspectingly kissed good-bye the partner of his flight. The other clasped more lovingly the hand of the baby boy that most resembled him and only spoke of the facts as occasion required it in business concerning the property he had left behind; both men had found no fault with these wives, treated them kindly up to the last hour when they deserted them forever. Neither sugar nor pickles would be a good diet, but most of us could eat a greater quantity of pepper hash than of sugar after all. I believe that a woman who has a mind and will of her own will become monotonous to a less extent than one so continuously sweet and self-effacing; and I believe history proves it.
It may be humanity or masculinity’s total depravity, but I believe more men tire of sweet women than even of scolds, and yet I do not desire to encourage the growth of this obnoxious creature. The desirable partner for a successful, peaceful married life is a woman of well-balanced temperament, who is known among her associates as one not given to what is often called fits of temper, and yet withal possessing a mind of her own....
A LOFTY STUDY
In these days of universal scribbling, when almost everyone writes for fame or money, many people who are not reaping large pecuniary profits from their work do not feel justified in making any outlay to gratify the necessities of their labors in literature.
Everyone engaged in literary work, even if but to a limited extent, feels greatly the need of a quiet nook to write in. Each portion of the home seems to have its clearly defined use, that will prevent their achieving the desired result. A few weeks ago, in the course of my travels, I came across an excellent idea carried into practical operation, that had accomplished the much-desired result of a quiet spot for literary work, without the disarrangement of a single portion of the household economy. In calling at the house of a member of the Society of Friends, I was ushered first into the main library on the first floor. Not finding in it the article sought, the owner invited me to walk upstairs to an upper library. I continued my ascent until we reached the attic. This had been utilized in such a way that it formed a comfortable and acceptable study. I made a mental note of my surroundings. The room was a large sloping attic chamber. It contained two windows, one opening on a roof; another faced the door; a skylight had been cut directly overhead, in the middle of the room. Around the ceiling on the side that was not sloping ran a line of tiny closets with glass doors. Another side had open shelves. On the sloping side, drawers rose from the floor a convenient distance. The remaining corner had a desk built in the wall; it was large and substantial, containing many drawers. Two small portable tables were close at hand near the centre.
An easy chair, an old-fashioned sofa with a large square cushion for a pillow, completed the furniture of this unassuming study. Neatness, order, comfort reigned supreme. Not a sound from the busy street reached us. It was so quiet, so peaceful, the air was so fresh and pure, it seemed like living in a new atmosphere.
I just sat down and wondered why I had never thought of this very room for a study. Almost every family has an unused attic, dark, sloping, given up to odds and ends. Now let it be papered with a creamy paper, with narrow stripes, giving the impression of height; a crimson velvety border. Paint the woodwork a darker shade of yellow, hang a buff and crimson portière at the door. Put in an open grate; next widen the windowsills, and place on them boxes of flowering plants. Get an easy chair, a desk that suits your height, and place by its side a revolving bookcase, with the books most used in it. Let an adjustable lamp stand by its side, and with a nice old-fashioned sofa, well supplied with cushions, you will have a study that a queen might envy you. Bright, airy, cheerful, and almost noiseless, not easy of access to those who would come only to disturb, and far enough away to be cosy and inviting, conferring a certain privilege on the invited guest.
These suggestions can be improved upon, but the one central idea, a place to one’s self without disturbing the household economy, would be gained.
Even when there is a library in the home, it is used by the whole family, and if the husband is literary in his tastes, he often desires to occupy it exclusively at the very time you have leisure, perhaps. Men are so often educated to work alone that even sympathetic companionship annoys. Very selfish, we say, but we often find it so—and therefore the necessity of a study of one’s own.
If even this odd room cannot be utilized for your purposes, have at least your own corner in some cheerful room. A friend who edits a special department in a weekly has in her own chamber a desk with plenty of drawers and small separate compartments. The desk just fits in an alcove of the room, with a revolving-chair in front. What a satisfaction to put everything in order, turn the key, and feel that all is safe—no busy hands, no stray breeze can carry away or disarrange some choice idea kept for the future delectation of the public! Besides this, one who writes much generally finds that she can write best at some certain spot. Ideas come more rapidly, sentences take more lucid forms. Very often the least change from that position will break up the train of thought.
Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954)
Mary Church Terrell, born in Memphis, Tennessee, to a wealthy family, was a prominent club woman, race woman, lecturer, women’s rights reformer, and teacher. She was educated at Oberlin College (1884) where she, unlike most females, took the gentlemen’s course—four years of study in the classics. Against the wishes of her traditional father, she pursued a career after graduation that began with a teaching position at Wilberforce University (1885) and later the M St. High School in Washington, D.C. In 1892, she became president of the Colored Women’s League in Washington, D.C., and was founding president of the National Association of Colored Women following the historic 1896 gathering in Boston of black club women. Terrell’s 1898 speech to the mostly white National American Woman’s Suffrage Association (reprinted in Voice of the Negro in 1904) emphasized the extraordinary intellectual and political achievements of black women only two generations away from slavery. She also spoke to the same group in 1900 on the “Justice of Woman Suffrage.” Terrell was one among a few black women reformers with international connections, which her fluency in French and German facilitated. She was the only black woman present when she spoke at the 1904 Berlin International Congress of Women; she also spoke in 1919 at the International League for Peace and Freedom in Zurich, and in 1937 at the World Fellowship of Faiths in London. Major themes in her speeches and writing included black female empowerment, lynching, woman suffrage, and the glories of black history.
“I expected to see a dozen clever colored women, but instead of twelve I saw two hundred. It was simply an eye opener.” This is the way one white woman expressed herself, after she had attended a convention of colored women held in Chicago about four years ago. This sentiment was echoed by many other white women who assisted at the deliberations of the colored women on that occasion. These Chicagoans were no more surprised at the intelligence, culture, and taste in dress which the colored women displayed than white people of other cities. When the National Association of Colored Women held its biennial two years ago in Buffalo, New York, the logic, earnestness and common sense of the delegates were quite as much a nine days’ wonder as it was in Chicago. “I hold myself above the pettiness of race prejudice, of course,” said one of the best women journalists in the country, “but for all my liberal mindedness the four days session of this federation of colored women’s clubs has been a revelation. It has been my lot, first and last to attend a good many conventions of women —‘Mothers, Daughters,’ and what not, and of them all, the sanest, the liveliest, the most practical was that of the colored women.” And so quotation after quotation might be cited to prove that even the white people who think they know all about colored people and are perfectly just in their estimate of them are surprised when they have an ocular demonstration of the rapidity with which a large number of colored women has advanced. When one considers the obstacles encountered by colored women in their effort to educate and cultivate themselves, since they became free, the work they have accomplished and the progress they have made will bear favorable comparisons at least with that of their more fortunate sisters, from whom the opportunity of acquiring knowledge and the means of self culture have never been entirely withheld. Not only are colored women with ambition and aspiration handicapped on account of their sex, but they are almost everywhere baffled and mocked because of their race. Not only because they are women, but because they are colored women are discouragement and disappointment meeting them at every turn. But in spite of the obstacles encountered, the progress made by colored women along many lines appears like a veritable miracle of modern times, Forty years ago for the great masses of colored women there was no such thing as home. To-day in each and every section of the country there are hundreds of homes among colored people, the mental and moral tone of which is as high and as pure as can be found among the best people of any land. To the women of the race may be attributed in large measure the refinement and purity of the colored home. The immorality of colored women is a theme upon which those who know little about them or those who maliciously misrepresent them love to descant. Foul aspersions upon the character of colored women are assiduously circulated by the press of certain sections and especially by the direct descendants of those who in years past were responsible for the moral degradation of their female slaves. And yet, in spite of the fateful heritage of slavery, even though the safe guards usually thrown around maidenly youth and innocence are in some sections entirely withheld from colored girls. Statistics compiled by men not inclined to falsify in favor of my race show that immorality among the colored women of the United States is not so great as among women with similar environment and temptations in Italy, Germany, Sweden, and France.