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For those of you who wonder why I insist on calling the first Black woman to publish a book in North America Phillis Wheatley Peters, instead of Phillis Wheatley—and why I politely (I hope) remind people of the “Peters” here are the reasons:
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First, the woman known as Phillis Wheatley—for this was not her birth name given by her parents—married John Peters in 1778 , she went by “Phillis Peters.” This was her choice.
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Sidebar: not going to debate here whether John Peters was “a good husband” to Miss Phillis. You can consult the afterward to my book, The Age of Phillis, for information on how racist—and false— “rebranding” of John Peters in the 19th c. led to a besmirching of his name.
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The Wheatley’s were not Miss Phillis’s parents.
They were white slave holders who purchased her in 1761. She was forcibly separated from her parents, sold into slavery, sent over the Middle Passage, purchased by the Wheatley’s—John Wheatley traded in slaves—and RENAMED.
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They were white slave holders who purchased her in 1761. She was forcibly separated from her parents, sold into slavery, sent over the Middle Passage, purchased by the Wheatley’s—John Wheatley traded in slaves—and RENAMED.
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It is not “feminist” to say “well Phillis Wheatley was forced to take her husband’s last name.” Actually, it was her choice to marry, which led to “Peters” being her last name.
It wasn’t Miss Phillis’s choice to be named “Phillis Wheatley.” That was her master’s choice.
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It wasn’t Miss Phillis’s choice to be named “Phillis Wheatley.” That was her master’s choice.
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Thus, when we erase the “Peters” from her last name when referring to her generally or after 1778–the year she married—we erase Miss Phillis’s agency as a Black woman. And we also reinforce the false, racist narratives abt her husband that were circulated for 200+ years.
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However, I completely understand folks referring to Miss Phillis as “Phillis Wheatley” as a child or when her first book was published—she was unmarried in 1773 when her book came out.
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But again, when folks refer to Miss Phillis as “Phillis Wheatley” in general or without a date attached, I will politely correct them: “It’s Phillis Wheatley PETERS.”
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I politely correct folks & say “Phillis Wheatley PETERS” bc I’d like folks to think about, if you went by a name you chose for yourself, & somebody said, “No, no, I’m going to call you Mary Jones instead,” how would you feel?
You’d feel disrespect & erased.
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You’d feel disrespect & erased.
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And just because Phillis Wheatley Peters is no longer alive, doesn’t mean we don’t have a responsibility to respect her choices, as a Black, formerly enslaved woman. We owe her that much.
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FIN.
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FIN.
