Authors purpose for the article
The washer women’s strike was one of the most successful attacks in Atlanta at that time. The purpose of the article is to show us how the black southern women claimed their freedom. The blacks had to request and define that freedom since they worked as domestic laborers for the whites. These women had to get their own way of survival, since the work they were given required seven days of seemingly endless labor each week. After years of working for the whites for just little payment, they designed their own strategies such as illiteracy and organizing politically, which would help them begin a strike demanding for better pay and treatment, thus their voice could be heard ( Zhang, 2018) . These women who worked as laundresses knew that they deserved better lives and that is what prompted them to begin a strike, which they later won, and their grievances heard.
Your analysis of the article
This article is explaining the kind of slavery that existed in Atlanta years ago, where Africans were being mistreated because of their race. The writer is trying to demonstrate that the strike was a privilege for them because after speaking out, their grievances were heard. The strike spread to other workers who were being mistreated. This led to increase of the numbers of the striking workers from twenty to three thousand. This gave them a greater say, and they wrote a letter to the mayor claiming what they wanted. This showed a sign of bravery, and they were tired of working as slaves for the whites (Zhang 2018). The strike affected the normal functioning of the Atlanta’s white business and political establishment, and since the city could not run without the black labor, they had to agree with their demands and give them the pay rise. Therefore, sometimes it is good to apply force to people in power, for your grievances to be heard.
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What you learned from the article
From the article, we learn that without freedom, life is like a cell. The women felt the work they were doing was too much with a little wage, and that is why they had to strike. We also learn that it is okay to speak out when you are being mistreated especially as a worker, the employer may not mind so much whether you are suffering in the job you are doing or not if one does not speak out. The article shows the importance of women in a society. When they stopped working and went for the strike, the Atlanta business establishment could not run smoothly; this indicated that they played a significant role in the city. It also teaches on the importance of equality; no discrimination should be shown to anyone irrespective of the gender. Every individual plays a vital role in the success of a society and in the smooth running of day to day activity, regardless of their occupation or the position they hold in the community.
What questions do you have now about the subject after reading the article?
For how long did the slavery go on in Atlanta? Were the Africans allowed to participate in politics in the area, and get their own leader to be their spokesperson? Were there African schools? After their wages were added, were they forced to do more work?
Would you recommend this article to your classmates? Why or why not?
I would recommend this article to my classmates because it will give them knowledge on freedom. How women fought for their freedom, motivates students that they can claim their rights whenever they are being suppressed by leaders or their employers.
Key words from the article for future search
Buckled, haul
References
Zhang, Y. (2018). I didn’t know how big a problem sexual harassment was in China — until #MeToo . Public Radio International . Retrieved 13 February 2018, from https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-02-09/i-didn-t-know-how-big-problem-sexual-harassment-was-china-until-metoo
