Journal 1

            In our first reading assignment we found ourselves reading the first one hundred pages of To "Joy my Freedom by Tera W. Hunter. At this point in our book, Hunter has primarily been concerned with the lives, role, and continuing struggle of the African-American woman during the post-Civil War years in Atlanta. A large percentage of the book so far has particularly gone in to describing black women movements in attempt to achieve equivalence and freedom.
             Immediately after the Civil War, African-Americans moved out in an attempt to enjoy their new freedom. With strong military presence in Atlanta, many of these African-Americans moved to this land with the hope of no longer being taken advantage of. However, despite the formation of different groups and laws that were created to ensure fairness, many African-Americans found themselves enduring the same kind of labors and treatment from before. Males still had jobs as laborers and females continued to wash, cook, clean, and do other jobs they were used to. The only difference was that now they would receive pay from their employer, which was usually little or nothing, for their services. However despite their new freedom and rights, African-Americans were still be taken advantage of. African-Americans would soon fight back.
             African-American domestic laborers, in an attempt to receive fair treatment, took on a new attitude. No longer would domestic laborers put up with any of the unfairness they were receiving. Laborers began to do what they wanted to. They slacked off at work, rebelled against orders given, and would quit at their pleasure. In my opinion, this event was the turning point for African-American laborers. From here on out, the role of the laborer would no longer be the same.