Movements For Freedom - Essay Example

This association was needed because people had seemingly ignored the fact that slaves deserved reparations for their treatment, instead believing that their freedom was rewarded enough. While this movement was supported by many in the African American community, many important African Americans, such as H.P. Cheatham, John Mercer Langston, and Thomas E. Miller, all of whom were congressional representatives, opposed House’s ideas. Most of the support came from poor members of the African American community, as they were struggling to be self-sufficient.

According to the Epilogue of this book, many issues still exist regarding the reparation of the ancestors of slaves because of judicial decisions. Since the American government cannot be sued without its own consent, these individuals must go after families of former slave owners for reparations. The problem with this is that it is difficult to convince a judge that someone who had nothing to do with actual slave trading should pay reparations. It will take government intervention to get anything done, but this does not appear to be a priority at this time.

In the story “When Freedom Came”, by Julius Lester, and the play “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”, by August Wilson, a common theme of searching exist. While “When Freedom Came” appears to be about the search for a lost family member, there is actually a lot more going on. This is because the family was recently freed into American society, but they have no idea where they will fit in or how to function in American society. All emancipated slaves had to immediately head into the unknown, not knowing how they would make money or survive in this land.

While Jake appears to be most concerned with tracking down Mandy, he is also unsure about what to do once Massa Brower tells him and the other slaves that they are free.