African American Women and Struggle for Survival

This paper examines the role of women to guarantee their survival in the African American community against the restrictions of slavery and racism and, sometimes, even against gender discrimination. Women challenged restrictions and attained public roles either through direct or indirect struggle in antebellum and post-bellum America. This paper shows that while women in urban centers achieved important community and social functions in the fields of religion and education, some rural women challenged restrictions through the mastery of rhetorical games or through resource to magic and divination or hoodoo practice.