Knowledge of poison conferred power and respect within the slave community

Evidence

Like Cubah, Minelta, Mary Anne, Jenny and their countless anonymous sisters, they possessed far deeper resources than those for which they’ve been given credit. The most powerful and enduring of these was their role as the primary conveyors of culture. This meant clinging to their belief in the medicinal powers of plants; adhering to remembered birthing and weaning practices; adapting their song, dances, dress and food preparation; and reviving their traditional leadership roles. By passing this knowledge on to each new generation, these women ensured that Africa’s lost children would not only retain their cultural identity but survive to tell the tale. — Stella Dadzie, A Kick in the Belly- Women, Slavery and…, 331 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Enslaved people responded to violence through collaboration, avoidance, or counter-terror — Dubois, Laurent, Avengers of the New World_ The Story of…, 183; Slaves used poison to dominate and humiliate their masters; Some enslaved Africans knew herbal remedies to erase or mitigate brands (+2 more)

Related

• Slaves used poison to dominate and humiliate their masters (similarity 0.83)
• Enslaved women transmitted cultural knowledge to ensure survival across generations (similarity 0.83)
• Enslaved people defied authorities to maintain their own burial grounds (similarity 0.82)
• Enslaved women preserved their humanity by clinging to traditional African practices (similarity 0.80)
• Slaves maintained an autonomous culture and consciousness apart from their rulers (similarity 0.80)
• Poison was slaves’ undetectable weapon against masters, their property, and rival slaves (similarity 0.79)
• Poison gave enslaved cooks a hidden, undetectable source of power (similarity 0.79)
• Anti-poison laws repressed traditional healing because poison gave slaves power over masters (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Some enslaved Africans knew herbal remedies to erase or mitigate brands #expands (0.75)
• Enslaved women transmitted cultural knowledge to ensure survival across generations #expands (0.60) — Stella Dadzie, A Kick in the Belly- Women, Slavery and…, 331
• Slaves maintained an autonomous culture and consciousness apart from their rulers #expands (0.60)