“Tar Baby”

Culture Forged in Bondage

Was Brer Wolf smart or stupid? What got Brer Rabbit in trouble? Why didn’t Brer Rabbit call for help? What got Brer Wolf in trouble? Why did enslaved Africans think controlling their anger

was important? How did Brer Rabbit’s trick show that he understood the

wolf? Do you think it was important for enslaved Africans to

understand their masters? Do you think enslaved Africans were always honest with

their masters?

Questions to Consider

Why did enslaved

Africans identify with the rabbit?

Why did enslaved Africans think of their masters as the wolf?

An African-American Folk Tale

While this story may be amusing and innocent

to white masters, it actually contains valuable lessons for enslaved Africans about how to conduct themselves

Conclusion

“…the negro situation is a dangerous one.

Between the negro haters and the negro lovers there are many chances to run afoul of situations that could run the gamut all the way from the nasty to the controversial.” Vern Caldwell – Disney Publicist

Controversy