MY grandchildren will NEVER have to suffer what the slaves of the past did. I can't believe you guys are claiming those songs as the TRUTH. There are so many other teaching aids!

And, history encompasses so MUCH more than what those songs represent. Of couse, now I can open another can of worms by pointing out that history has mostly been written and perpetuated by the white, male of European origin and only in the past 20 or so years have we finally been finding out more of the Truth of women's history, but it wasn't necessarily through singing the old folk songs about women as chattles. It was mostly through finding our voices, as in the Civil Rights movement, as women/wimmin and telling OUR stories which had been ignored and/or supressed. In case you are wondering, yes, I am a feminist and yes, I am sometimes radical about it as I abhor injustice!

With the Civil Rights movement etc. how can any of you truly believe people DON'T know the history of slavery by now? These songs do not serve the purpose you claim, in my opinion.