Archival Object 5: Cleaning a Bedroom

This Archival item is a photo from the Sadye Weir collection in 1955; the photo shows an African American mother instructing and watching her daughter clean a bedroom.

This item is significant because it not only showcases how African American women were expected to stay home and clean/maintain the home, but also the belief that mothers are to pass on these skills to their children (specifically their daughters). Furthermore, this item is significant because it reflects the message of Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl”.

This item was used to provide viewers with an accurate visual of the life of African American women were forced to endure.

Arguably, society drove the creation of this item. During this time period, African American women were viewed as inferior and were treated with blatant disrespect. They were looked down upon and were expected to bear children and maintain the home. The content of this item supports my assumption – that society drove the creation of this item- because it is the assumed, societal chore of house cleaning that the women in the photograph are performing.

This item could be used by educators in schools and universities. Educators could use this photo to bring awareness to the expectations and roles of African American women. This item relates to Kincaid’s “Girl” in several ways; first, this photo features two African American women- presumably a mother and daughter- similar to how “Girl” features an African American mother and daughter. Furthermore, this item shows the mother teaching her daughter how to properly clean the home. In “Girl,” the mother is noted to be repeatedly instructing her daughter on how to perform domestic duties that will prepare her for her future as a wife and mother.

This item provides evidence and support to my analysis of the text. I believe “Girl” is meant to bring attention not only to the racial inequalities Black women endured, but their expected and assumed role within the home as well. This item reinforces my analysis of the text because it showcases the passing of gendered expectations from one generation to the next, similar to how Kincaid’s “Girl” does.

Cleaning a Bedroom. 1955. Robert and Sayde Wier Papers. Manuscripts Division, Special Collections Department, Mississippi State U Libraries, Mississippi State, MS. msstate.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/charm/id/14847/rec/34. Accessed 03 Nov. 2020.