Yeyiphi iKrisimesi eOwes kwiAwabolitionists

NguWilliam Loren Katz, News Consortium

Ngaphambi kokuba iKrisimesi ibe yimpumelelo yoshishino, kwakhokelela ekuhlaleni ubomi bezentlalo. Kwii-coloni ze-13 zaseMelika kunye neentsuku zokuqala zase-United States, kwaziwa ngokuba ngumthendeleko wokusela kakhulu kunye nokukrakra.

Kodwa njengoko umzabalazo ekugqibeleni ubugqwetha ushushu kwii-1830s, iqela labafazi be-abolitionists abangamaKristu likhokela kwiholide enikezelwe kwisikhululo soxolo nokukhululwa.

Ku-1834, amalungu eWilliam Lloyd yaseGermany aseMaspala aseMassin-Slavery Society-aseMerika-aseMelika kunye nabamhlophe, amadoda nabesifazane - babona iKrismesi njengethuba lokutyhila i-republic republic evakalisa inkululeko kubo bonke bebanjwe nezigidi zabantu baseAfrika, abafazi kunye abantwana abathunjiweyo ebukhoboka.

Abafazi babecala ukukhokela kulo mzamo, ngokuchasa ngentshiseko uluntu olwenqatshelwe ivoti kunye neninzi yelizwi likawonkewonke. Ukuxhasa imali yokuphelisa, aba bhinqa baqulunqa iimpahla zeKrisimesi ezazithengisa izipho ezixhaswe kunye nezigidimi zokulwa nobukhoboka.

Ngenxa yokuba amabhinqa ayevelele kulo mzamo, abezindaba belo suku babhala imibuthano yokubhubhisa "iindibano ezinobungqina" kwaye baxela abaxhasi bendoda ngokuthi "Uninakazi kaNancy." Sekunjalo, nangona ekuhlaselweni ngomlomo nangokwenyama, amadoda namabhinqa angabikhokhoboka aqhubeka . Emva kwezinye iintlanganiso, abafazi baxhamla iingalo, abamnyama nabamhlophe, baza bajikeleza amadoda abo ukuba bawakhusele emimoyeni evuthayo.

Abasemagunyeni abaphululiyo baphinde baholele ekujonganeni noluntu lwaseMntla ovelele ukuba ukuhlaziywa kwamabhinqa kunye nabantwana abagqilazileyo kwakunomdla kakhulu kwaye ungayithobeli umxholo wengxoxo yoluntu. Ngolwimi olucacileyo kunye nemifanekiso ecacileyo, abafazi bezinto zokubhubhisa abafazi babasebenzisa iintambo zabo zeKrisimesi ukuvakalisa ububi nokudlwengulwa abazalwana babo abagqila.

Ukungena kwesazela saseNyakatho, abafazi bafanisa umkhuba oqhelekileyo wokubetha abantwana njengendlela yokuqeqesha - eyayiqala ukufumana ukungavumelekanga - ukubethelwa ngokugqithisileyo kwamadoda, amabhinqa kunye nabantwana abagqwethayo, okwakubonakele ukuba abezindaba bafihliwe kwimbono yomntu.

Abafazi baphenduka iholide yeKrisimesi ibe yisihlandlo sokupha isipho esivulekileyo. Ngokugxininisa ukuphathwa ngonyango lwabantwana, abafazi bacela amaMelika ukuba amkele ukuba abantu abagqilaziwe, ababenamalungelo ambalwa kunabantwana, bafanelwe ukhathalelo lobuKristu nokuphana, nabo.

Okungenani enye yaseMassachusetts yokuchasana nobukhoboka ekhethekileyo ibonisa i-chorus yabantwana eyaziwa ngokuba yi "Boston Garrison Youth Choir." Yahlabelela iingoma ezidumile ezifana ne "Sugar Plums." Abafazi abaqhuba le ntsimi zeKrismesi basebenzise iimpawu ezikhangayo, njenge-shrub esisiqho. Ekupheleni kwe-1830s, iifesi zeKrisimesi zazingumthombo oyintloko wokunciphisa imali.

Abaxhasayo baBaar bafaka endaweni ye-shrub encinci eluhlaza, isiqhamo esipheleleyo saso sonke isiqhamo, ingcamango ephefumlelwe nguCharles Follen, ummi waseJamani owayengummeli wamalungelo kunye noprofesa weencwadi kwiYunivesithi yaseHarvard. Waxoshwa kwi-1835 ngenxa yemisebenzi yakhe yokulwa nobukhoboka.

Le Krismesi, umbhali waseBrithani odumile uHarriet Martineau, watyelela indlu kaPollen waza wangena kwiqonga lakhe eliluhlaza. UMartineau wachaza ngentshiseko imifanekiso ethi "iKrismesi" yomthi weKrisimesi kwenye yeencwadi zakhe kunye noluntu luye lwaba nantoni na. Umthi weKrisimesi wawunjani uhlobo olude lweflegi yenkululeko.

Ngaloo mihla, abafazi abachasayo ubukhoboka kunye nabazalwana babo babemelana neqela elinamandla elinamakhoboka abaphatha izigidi zamadoda, abafazi kunye nabantwana njengepropati, kunye neenkqubo zezopolitiko ezilawulwa yilizwe laseMzantsi elilawula imigaqo emininzi yamathathu amasebe karhulumente karhulumente.

Nangona kunjalo, ukucacisa ubugebengu obukhulu belizwe lobugqila, leli qela elidityanisiweyo labafazi latshintshile into eyayingumntu ongeyantlukwano, umthendeleko oqhelekileyo ube ngumthendeleko wobuKhisimusi owawukhuthaza inkululeko kubo bonke.

Ukuze ukhanyise ukukhanya kwesibhambathiso sabantu kunye nokufuna ukukhululwa kwiKrisimesi kunye nezinye iintsuku ze-364, ezi zixhobo zokulwa nobukhoboka zibetha nzima kwiingcango ezivaliweyo, usebenzisa ubuchule bokuqonda kunye nokuziphatha. Ekugqibeleni i-crusade yabo ayizange ikhulule kuphela abazalwana babo noodadewabo baseMzantsi kodwa yazala intshukumo ye-Suffrage kangangokuba emva kweminyaka emine yafumana amalungelo ezopolitiko kuwo onke amabhinqa e-United States.

Ukusetyenziswa kwabo kweKrismesi ukubonisa imigaqo yokulwa nobukhoboka kwanikezela iimpawu ezininzi ezithandekayo zeKrismesi, kuquka ukugxininiswa kwabantwana, ukupha isipho kunye nesihlahla esisiqhamo. Kwaye, ngokomeleza inkululeko, aba bafazi babanika idemokhrasi yaseMerika isipho sikaKhisimesi esingayeki ukunikela.

UWilliam Loren Katz, umbhali we AmaNdiya aseMnyama: iGugu efihliweyo kunye nezinye iincwadi zembali zaseMelika ezingamashumi amane, nguMfundi oNdwendweleyo kwiYunivesithi yaseNew York. Ilungelo lokushicilela uWilliam Loren Katz 2010 Iwebhusayithi yakhe yile www.williamlkatz.com