Biocultural and intersectional analyses of Black motherwork and children in Georgia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Biocultural studies have illuminated the roles of slavery, racism, and economic marginalization on the health outcomes of African diasporic populations. This paper highlights Black women as historical agents who, after slavery, exerted greater autonomy over their reproductive roles in childbirth and childcare. The paper’s objectives and interpretations are situated within Black feminists’ discourses on Black motherhood as both a site of subjugation and of empowerment. Raced and gendered oppression meant that Black women’s reproductive and productive demands were burdensome. Yet, Black women’s lower fertility rates over time indicate that many of them chose to bear fewer children following slavery, a decision that is partially implicated in their increased longevity. Further, there is bioarchaeological and historical evidence illustrating how Black mothering practices, including women’s social networks, benefited children’s well-being. Comparative data for the occurrence of linear enamel hypoplasias among enslaved and free Black populations suggest that post-emancipation women prolonged nursing, which helped children to survive chronic stress.