Black History Lesson: Past presidents, slave laws forbid black people from having dogs
While police dogs made Black Civil Rights advocates fear German Shepherds, there was another law to block pet owners
Two days ago, I saw a flash of black go flying through the hallway, behind my computer chair, leap into the air onto an ottoman and land square in the window. She let out a low growl and then I heard my doorbell. The barking started immediately. I shook my head, hoped my upstairs neighbor doesn’t hate me and grabbed my keys. Clearly, a delivery person needed me to sign for a package or wanted to leave it in my lobby.
I walk down the street. Sometimes I hear nothing at all while I listen to news on my headphones. But I know a train is coming because I’ll feel a snap from that same body with the smooth-haired black fur. The train was blocks away, but suddenly it’s on the tracks above me. And she hates viaducts. Metra trains that are on level ground? Totally fine. Trains above her head? A fight for four straight years (tomorrow is her birthday), and I’m not winning.
I’ve lost count of the number of men and women she’s barked at, let out a low growl when they were too close to me, and then mysteriously was totally cool with and let others sneak up behind me without batting an eye. I trained Junee to be many things, but I never did anything at all to get her to be a guard dog. With a roll of the dice, she’s either extremely friendly or wants you to get as far away from her as possible — and I still haven’t figured out the method to her barking madness.
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George Washington’s zillionth problematic take on Black people
I lost count of the amount of times people asked me about my second dog, a German Shepherd, during the nine years she was alive. I watched Black folks dart across the street to get away from her. (Interestingly, when I walked a couple of Pits and Pit mixes, I noticed Hispanic men paid more attention to me and wanted to pet the dogs.) While both dogs are constantly categorized as aggressive, the reactions are what intrigue me. This entire time, I thought the problematic history of dogs and Black people was linked to Civil Rights advocates being attacked by police animals. I had no idea that there was a slavery link also banning Black people from even owning dogs before Jim Crow.
In yet another reason (besides being a slaveowner) that I’m unimpressed by former President George Washington’s birthday on February 22, I’ve come to learn that he was banning Black people from owning dogs. The audacity of this guy. I’ll never respect him. I didn’t as a child and definitely don’t as an adult.
If any negro presumes under any pretence whatsoever, to preserve, or bring one into the family, that he shall be severely punished, and the dog hanged. I was obliged to adopt this practice whilst I resided at home, and from the same motives, that is, for the preservation of my Sheep and Hogs; but I observed when I was at home last that a new set of dogs was rearing up, & I intended to have spoke about them, but one thing or another always prevented it. It is not for any good purpose Negros raise, or keep dogs; but to aid them in their night robberies; for it is astonish to see the command under which their dogs are. I would no more allow the Overseers than I would the Negros, to keep Dogs — One, or at most two on a Plantation is enough. The pretences for keeping more will be various, & urgent, but I will not allow more than the above notwithstanding.
-Racist President George Washington (December 16, 1792) (Source: National Archives)
Presidents’ Heads: Lighting or karma?
I still find it convenient that a Williamsburg, Virginia site stopped creating those Presidents’ Heads. The 44th president came along and suddenly investors didn’t want to invest an additional $60,000 to create a bust of President Barack Obama after he was elected in 2008. In September 2010, after lightning struck and the faces of pre-Obama presidents were crumbling, with bird droppings piling on their heads, the park closed. Karma.
A small part of me wonders if money would’ve miraculously shown up to add busts of former President Joe Biden or that poorly tanned Trump. Maybe, maybe not. But I’m no more impressed by those head busts in Virginia than I am Mount Rushmore.
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From slavery anti-dog-owning laws to Jim Crow attack dogs
I grudgingly understand the issue with dogs. No, I don’t mean Washington’s horrendously stupid take that Black people will be participating in “night robberies.” (Imagine being someone who participated in stealing millions of people only to then accuse those same people of being thieves. The irony!) But after being a dog owner three times, specifically with my current dog who already saved my life once, I already know how much a loving dog will guard you against all danger.
Recommended Read: “I should've listened to my dog long before the Fire Department arrived ~ Why I'll never be a fan of electric baseboard heaters again”
To go from being banned from having dogs and threats of your dog being hung (because you know the dog wasn’t going to handle aggression to its owner well) to then using that same animal to attack Black people is the cruelest 360 degrees of torture. I paused for a second over hanging the dog though — who had no control over its innocent owner (a human being who had every right to live and to having his freedom).
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However, even the friendliest dog can get really serious when their owner feels threatened. I believe even my fun-loving first dog (a Black Lab and German Shepherd mix who was friendly to everyone) would’ve protected me if I was in danger. I know for sure my purebred German Shepherd would, specifically considering she loathed a Pit Bull who lived next door and was constantly ready for action every single time we walked past that gate.
Ironically, my third dog (who is half their size) is just as scrappy. Even when I second-guessed whether my third dog was less likely to stand up for herself at the dog park, she was yanking me back to that same park the very next day. The domesticated ancestors of wolves may not have the same natural wildness to them and are (usually) tamer, but I can see why a dog would get in the way of a criminal and racist who was hell bent on harming a group of innocent people who happened to do nothing other than have melanin in their skin. This is the American history that Trump wants to erase. So I continue to learn and talk about it.
Shamontiel is a dog lover to her core: 622 completed walks with 99 dogs, eight dog-housesittings and six dog boardings at the time of this publication.
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the weekly posts every Wednesday. Thanks for reading!