Our Dirty Laundry

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Ahhh, Joe Manchin. Not a white woman, obviously, but we will get back to Krysten Sinema another episode. Just a quick mini-update on Joe, still being Mitch McConnell's best friend and doing Mitch's job of obstructing any progress we had hoped of attaining with the senate elections in Georgia. And while trying to appear principled about it, it's all just a scam, because it turns out Joe is also a hypocrite. Because, of course he is. 

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TW/CW: Today we are discussing sexual violence, assault and rape during slavery. 

Any discussion of slavery would be incomplete without acknowledging the sexual violence that was perpetrated against enslaved people by their owners - men and women alike. As with other aspects of slavery, white women were far from innocent or ignorant regarding sexual intimidation, assault and rape. 

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Today's episode delves into the details of white women's involvement in the markets where enslaved humans were bought and sold, and how very, very much these women knew and participated in this commerce. We also get into the details you never learned about in the Dred Scott Supreme Court case. You might remember that this case determined the Constitution never meant for Black people to be citizens, regardless of their status as enslaved or free (in which case you remember more than Mandy), but you most likely didn't know there was a white woman behind the whole dirty deal! 

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The history of wet-nursing predates US slavery, but investigating the forced labor of enslaved women as wet nurses brings in many different layers of trauma between Black and white women. Many of us have encountered the concept of a wet nurse before, but everything that went into this practice, from the timing of pregnancies, to the loaning or selling of black women as wet nurses, to the disregard for the biological children of  Black women and their needs...it's a whole dark, devastating, and incriminating history against the white women involved. 

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Today we're discussing how Nikole Hannah-Jones got done dirty by UNC-Chapel Hill.  In a definitely political move, UNC announced the Knight Chair recipient would not get automatic tenure, as was previously routine, but would have a five-year contract that would consider tenure after that point. Given the controversy around Hannah-Jones' 1619 Project and what we learn about the conservative agenda of North Carolina's board of governors (heyyyy, Art Pope) and broader movements to influence what happens on college campuses (heyyyy, Koch brothers). This is definitely some white-people-fuckery. 

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In this episode we're looking at the three commonly discussed historical myths regarding the white women involved in the enslavement of African people in the United States. 
1. White women weren't legally able to participate in the slave trade
2. White women weren't physically strong enough to be slave masters
3. White women had "uniquely feminine" ways of managing enslaved people
We talk about where these myths came from and the evidence that exists to prove that they are bogus trash. Long and the short of it: white women were absolutely as capable as white men in being horrendous pieces of shit as active participants in enslaving human beings, and their "unique feminine ways" certainly didn't make them kinder. If anything, there was a more psychologically abusive and calculated form of enslavement carried out by white female slave owners. Another spoiler: slave mistresses were certainly not the only white women involved in the system of slavery. There's plenty of culpability to go around in the ways all white women supported and benefited from the system of enslavement. Equally important to recognize - these same patterns of behavior and abuse exist in the actions of white women today and we ARE capable of stopping that if we commit to recognizing it and changing behavior. 

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This minisode visits a very white lady topic: the Jane Austen House Museum.  Mandy announces her disdain for romantic classic literature, and Katy outs herself as a gas station smut-lit aficionado.  But we're both here for the Austen museum's decision to include more context to Austen's writing by addressing the roles of colonialism and slavery in her history.  Yet, not everyone is on board....ahem, white ladies.  Shout out to Vanessa Riley's insightful op-ed in the Washington Post: A Jane Austen museum addressing Regency-era slavery? How sensible.

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It's Season 2! This one's going to be hard and dark, and while it's a history we abhor, it is also one that is important to know. We're calling this season "The Haters" and focusing on the women involved in the dirtiest institutions of white supremacy. Starting right off the line with the kidnapping and enslavement of African people, we're learning that white women were deliberately and intricately involved in upholding slavery. It's going to take some time to sort through, so prepare yourself for some hard truths. Many thanks to the work of Stephanie Jones-Rogers and her book "They Were Her Property". 

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It's the first minisode of Season 2! And, in true ODL minisode fashion, it's not that mini. But when you're talking about white lady fuckery, there's just a lot to cover. This minisode is a Local Laundry and Katy takes us to Cleveland in the early 60's to talk about school segregation. While we have plans to get deep into the soiled undergarments of public schooling and white-ladyness later this season, help yourself to this little pre-wash cycle!

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We're gearing up for Season 2, but had a quick minisode (that obviously turned not-so-mini) to discuss some legislative issues and just general ranting! We're taking the rest of the week off to keep prepping for the next history lessons, so enjoy a longer mini today!