Douglas describes that slave owners tried to dehumanize the slaves by making them ignorant to things everyone else knew, For example, many slaves did not know their own age, while the owner’s children could all record theirs. The owners would not answer any questions slaves had, because they were considered property and shouldn’t have questions about anything. Slaves were also whipped for seemingly minor things such as not waking in the morning for work or a woman getting too close to another man than the owner. Other slaves were also whipped for not working hard enough or not being grateful for their master. In one case Douglas describes a slave who didn’t recognize his master and said he worked too hard. A few weeks later he was sold to a master who was cruel to all his slaves.  Slaves were also given a yearly allowance of clothing, and in most cases for kids who were growing, the clothes wouldn’t fit them for long. They were also only given monthly allowances for food, the dehumanizing part of it all is when Douglas describes the slaves singing for this allowance from the master. They were grateful for the scraps and clothing they got every year. Douglas says growing up he wondered why he didn’t have the same rights as his master’s children such as simply knowing his own age and his father. He was also separated from his mother at a young age, and witnessed his own aunt be whipped until she bled. These all made Douglas see that his masters were unfair to most of their slaves and that he needed to be free.  

    Today, this dehumanization happens less frequently but it still has an effect on our culture. For example, today we are grappling  with a new threat called the coronavirus which originated in China. When the virus began to spread worldwide and also to the US many took to dehumanizing the Chinese Immigrant population. Avoiding Chinese restaurants, avoiding Asian people because “they may have the virus” and in some instances cursing at them and spraying them with disinfectant. Government officials and the Asian community have come together to denounce this type of behavior and call what it is “discrimination” and “”dehumanizing”.