My topic is the internal social divide between African Americans. The line between lower class and upper class African-Americans, how they act to each other, how they compare, and how their actions affect one another. This divide originates from times of slavery, of bondage, and the concept of house slaves vs. field slave, in addition to the standards those two phrases hold in today’s society.  

The term ‘house negro’ or ‘house slave’ refers to the slaves that resided within the Master’s house. House slaves lived “better” lives; they ate leftovers instead of scraps, wore the old clothing of the Master’s family instead of rags or complete nakedness; than their counterparts, the field negro. (References to be researched and included: William W. Browns) 

The living conditions for house slaves were far superior to those of the field slave. House slaves often had actual sleeping quarters, rooms within the house to reside, and often befriended the Master’s family, which reaped them additional benefits. If befriended, the house slave was generally able to receive better conditions, and even get an education for the women in the household. All of these opportunities are ones that field slaves could not take advantage of, nor were they even offered. Field slaves were viewed as more monstrous and inhumane than house slaves and were kept distant from the house and the Master’s family, like ravenous cattle. (References:  Frederick Douglas book) 

Slaves that worked the field were working from sunrise to sunset. Whatever the weather, or the ailment, if they could breathe, they could work. Men, women, children, elderly, they were all subject to a days’ worth of intense labor. (References: Frederick Douglas) 

It is not to be said, however, that house slaves were never mistreated. According to the accounts of one woman, house slaves were aggressively bullied in certain cases. If the dishes were clean, her mistress would spit in all the kettles and pans, to make sure that the slave and her children were unable to eat the leftovers or make food for themselves in rare cases. (References: Harriet Jaccobs) 

The conditions and turmoil undergone by both groups play a very important role in how they interact. Within the slave society, house slaves were held to a higher regard. They dressed better, ate better, were educated, and had not sustained the same physical abuse. They were conditioned into obedience and compliance, which in turn means that they “sided” with their captors, and did not wish to revolt, fear of failure or punishment, or, they believed that their lives were destined to live in confinement. 

While there were the extreme cases of house slaves relaying information to assist in slave revolts, this is not an everyday thing. More often than not, house slaves turned a blind eye on the struggles of the field slaves. They held themselves at a higher standard. Field slaves also held a standard, a sense of betrayal, that house slaves presented. Field slaves were forced to undergo the most inhumane, grotesque things, and had no help from the house slaves. 

In our modern society, this is something that persists. Instead of slavery, we have an economic system built by founding fathers to keep the oppressed, oppressed. However, in this system, we still have African-Americans who can be successful and own businesses, while we have Black Americans at the bottom who are unable to even graduate.