AAAS Final Mason Taylor

This podcast episode explores the forgotten stories of black women who served as wet nurses for white families during slavery. The separation of enslaved mothers from their own children was a cruel aspect of slavery. Enslaved women were forced to care for white infants at the expense of their own children's needs. This practice had a severe physical and emotional toll on the black mothers. Despite the harsh conditions, love and attachment could develop between the wet nurses and the white children they cared for. However, as these children grew up, they were often taught to think less of their black mothers. Wet nursing was a brutal form of exploitation during slavery, where enslaved women were treated as property and forced to bear children. The separation of enslaved mothers from their newborns was common, resulting in broken mother-child bonds and higher mortality rates for their own children. Recognizing the courage and power of these women is important as we understand the legacy Welcome to Mason's Mentions, the podcast that looks into often overlooked stories from our past. I'm your host, Mason Taylor, and today my high school audience and I will be exploring a heart-wrenching chapter of American history. This is the lives of the black mothers who served as wet nurses for white families during slavery. One of many cruelties of American institutions of slavery was the forcible separation of black women from their own children. Slavery was based on cruelty and dehumanization. Constantly caring for white people's infants as wet nurses was a common task for enslaved women. This practice affected the black moms and their families profoundly and permanently. Think about a nursing woman whose body is naturally generating milk to feed her new baby. This is compelled to care for her enslaved infant instead of holding her own child. During the time of slavery, this was a situation for many black women. White infants were fed and cared for during wet nursing period frequently at the expense of the needs of their own children. There was a severe physical and emotional toll. The pain of being taken from their own children who might be abandoned to starvation or taken care of by another enslaved person who were already overworked had to be weighed against the forced labor that enslaved women had to perform. Wet nursing was a psychologically torturous practice in addition to a physical requirement. While their own children, if they survived, grew up without the essential time of their own mother could supply, these moms were made to care for the children of the exact people who had enslaved them. The attachment that frequently developed between the enslaved wet nurses and the white children they looked after was one heartbreaking feature of this practice. Even in such harsh conditions, love and devotion could grow. These relationships, though, were complex relationships. Once they were adults, white children were frequently taught to think less of black people, including the very mothers who had raised them and cared for them. Wet nursing is a centuries-old practice that assumed a particular brutal form during the American enslavement era. Women in slavery were treated like property, and every opportunity to procreate was taken advantage of. They were made to look after the children of their captors in addition to the expectation that they would have children who would also become enslaved. Early on, enslaved mothers were separated from their newborns. An enslaved mother had little time to heal or form a bond with their child after giving birth. Soon after delivery, many were sent to domestic duties or the fields. In the event that they were selected to work as wet nurses, they were frequently sent to the enslaver's house where they could mostly take care of the white children. Their own children were left without their mother's care as a result of this transfer. Due to the lack of mother's milk and care, these babies had worse mortality rates. Their mother-child link, which is essential to a child's emotional and psychological growth, was brutally broken. Recognizing these women's courage and power is crucial as we consider this history. In the face of crazy odds, they managed to endure and persevere their humanity. Their experiences serve as a powerful reminder of both the enduring spirit of those who faced systematic tyranny and its devastating effects. The importance of honoring and remembering these black mothers' stories are becoming increasingly apparent in modern times. We can gain a better understanding of the legacy of slavery and its continuing influence on our culture by recognizing their suffering and tenancy. Let's pause as we wrap up this episode to pay tribute to the many women who suffered unspeakable tragedies, including enslaved wet nurses. Their tenancy and fortitude serve as a monument to human spirit's enduring power. Thank you for joining us on this episode of Mason's Mentions. By bringing these frequently overlooked stories to light, we seek to improve knowledge of our past and how it continues to influence the present. Please remember to subscribe, share, and review this episode if you liked it. Thank you.