Time and time again, when the subject of slavery comes up, many black people tend to cringe with worry and sadness. The slave trade era is one of Africa’s darkest past and to this day, the atrocities committed against black people is still a sore subject.
We more often than not hear about how enslaved women were rap£d but what about the men. Shockingly, enslaved men were also often s3xually violated. This served more as a punishment than an act of pleasure. The worst of these s3xual violations of male slaves was known as buck breaking. A section of the world believes that the subject of buck breaking was purposely erased from our history books because of the humiliation it inflicted on those who suffered it.
What Is Buck Breaking?
Black men were frequently rap£d by their gay slave owners. The process was known as “breaking the buck. The term “buck breaking” comes from “Black Buck,” a post-Reconstruction era (1861-1865) racist term used to refer to Black men who were perceived to be violent or rebellious and refused to work with the law and society. Simply put, buck breaking is the rap!ng of African male slaves by white slave owners. Buck Breaking came to life when African slave rebellions had increased. It first started with the stripping of male slaves and having them flogged while other slaves watched. But with time, it progressed into stripping and rap!ng them. This act spared no male and affected both boys and men.
Origin Of Buck Breaking
It is believed that buck breaking originated in the Caribbean and was mainly used by slave owners in the Cuban plantations. Buck breaking was used against male slaves who were seen as disobedient or rebellious. It involved the slave owner forcing the enslaved man to lower his pants and bend over a tree stump to ensure that his b*ttocks were held up into the air. The enslaved man would then be whipped severely. The white slave owner would explain to all strong, young black men that if they do not follow strict orders and obey him, this would also be their fate. He would then remove his own clothes and proceed to savagely rap£ the slave. The worst part of this punishment was that it was done in full view of all the other slaves, including the slave’s family and friends. For the master’s plan to work, he would require the victim’s son to watch, front row in the centre, so he too could witness his father’s s3xual humiliation. Buck Breaking was the slave master’s very effective tool to keep all young black slaves from ever being defiant and would instil fear in other slaves to prevent any further rebellion.
Aftermath Of Buck Breaking As Punishment
Buck breaking was done to destroy the ego and strength of the male slaves. Most enslaved men after being rap£d, ran away from the plantations and killed themselves as they could not deal with the humiliation they had suffered. It broke the spirit of African male slaves and made them feel less than men. History also reveals that buck breaking wasn’t only a white-master-to-African-male-slave thing, most times two or more African male slaves were forced to rap£ each other. Some historical records have it that sagging also originated from buck Breaking. Slave masters forced male slaves to sag to let everyone (including other white slave masters) know they had already been rap£d. Buck breaking as a form of punishment eventually gained popularity among slave owners in the Caribbean.
At a point in time, buck breaking became so successful that s3x farms developed where male African slaves were bred just for the purpose of being rap£d by their white masters. These s3x farms allowed multiple slave owners to gang-rap£ male slaves as punishment for any supposed wrongdoing that they committed. Also, during the slavery era, gay white slave-owners would buy male slaves to engage in forced homos3xual acts These African male slaves were bought based entirely on the requirement of them possessing large manhoods. The immense popularity of the practice suggests that buck breaking may have been used as an outlet for homos3xual slave owners to fulfil their s3xual desires on men, without attracting the stigma associated with being gay. Homos3xuality during this era would have been rejected but shockingly rap!ng male slaves as a form of punishment was acceptable.
A Forgotten History Piece
Male rap£ is a taboo topic that is not often discussed often. This would probably explain why buck breaking seems to have been a forgotten piece of history that is not talked about or taught in schools. However, it is very much important to remember and talk about even the most painful parts of our history because this ensures that the past is not repeated. Although slavery has long been abolished, s3xual violence is still used to inflict fear and prove dominance. This is why rap£ remains a war crime because it terrorises, destroys, and declares dominance over communities.
It is because of its taboo nature that male rap£ is particularly damaging when weaponised because it’s a sure way of crippling the traditional protectors of a community. This is why it continues to be weaponised today. For example, “The number of males rap£d during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is still unclear. A recent Amnesty International report estimated that 3,000 men and boys had been subjected to s3xual violence in detention camps.” — Trial International. It can further be argued that buck breaking seems to have sadly evolved into a modern-day war crime. It’s more than just a physical act. S3xual violence often breaks an individual’s soul and will to fight. And, where s3xual violence is maintained in public, as was the case with buck breaking, it not only affects the direct victim but the entire community is shattered and unable to fight back.
