Question
Question
Excerpt from I Am American by Jennifer Tibbets
TY SMITH: I am American. My ancestors probably were Yoruba, from the West African coast. Sometime during the 1750s they were sold into slavery. I say “probably” because no records were kept of my people; slave traders preferred to consider them livestock. They survived the Middle Passage, the trip from Africa, chained below deck. They were brought to Virginia and sold—mothers to one owner, children to another, torn apart. My ancestors weren’t allowed to go to school. They just worked sun-up to sundown, growing the cotton that went north to textile mills, then traded back to Europe. Many people got rich. Just not my people, who did all the work. Life was so hard, my ancestors invented the Blues to ease the pain. (SILHOUETTES stop their pantomime and come together, holding hands, now humming or singing a verse from “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”)
How does the Silhouettes’ singing of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" enhance Ty Smith’s story?
(1 point)
Responses
It provides an example of the blues music Ty’s people invented.
It provides an example of the blues music Ty’s people invented.
It accompanies a story of slavery with a spiritual song that was sung by enslaved people.
Excerpt from I Am American by Jennifer Tibbets
TY SMITH: I am American. My ancestors probably were Yoruba, from the West African coast. Sometime during the 1750s they were sold into slavery. I say “probably” because no records were kept of my people; slave traders preferred to consider them livestock. They survived the Middle Passage, the trip from Africa, chained below deck. They were brought to Virginia and sold—mothers to one owner, children to another, torn apart. My ancestors weren’t allowed to go to school. They just worked sun-up to sundown, growing the cotton that went north to textile mills, then traded back to Europe. Many people got rich. Just not my people, who did all the work. Life was so hard, my ancestors invented the Blues to ease the pain. (SILHOUETTES stop their pantomime and come together, holding hands, now humming or singing a verse from “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”)
How does the Silhouettes’ singing of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" enhance Ty Smith’s story?
(1 point)
Responses
It provides an example of the blues music Ty’s people invented.
It provides an example of the blues music Ty’s people invented.
It accompanies a story of slavery with a spiritual song that was sung by enslaved people.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The Silhouettes’ singing of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" enhances Ty Smith’s story by providing an example of a spiritual song that was sung by enslaved people, which underscores the themes of suffering, hope, and resilience in the face of oppression. This connection enriches the narrative by linking Ty’s ancestors’ experiences with the cultural expressions that emerged from those experiences, emphasizing the emotional weight of their struggles and the strength they found in their music.
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