Many enslaved women spent their days laundering on hot plantations. Tasked with washing clothes for so many people wasn’t easy, but they used what they had and made something out of nothing.
That something was soap.
They initiated the soapmaking process by making a lye substance known today as saponification. The process required a slow mixing of water with oak wood ashes. But their craft was much deeper than just making soap. It provided a clean path to liberation.
Our people were skilled artisans who used their skills to claim more autonomy and independence from enslavers. Often, they would get more work off the plantation, and many eventually saved enough to buy their freedom.
Today, many Black-owned companies like Blade and Bloom and Buttah continue the soapmaking tradition of our people. Consider honoring this history and switching to a product handmade for us by us.
We’ve always had the ingenuity to find and create new paths. Remember to lean into your talents or explore until you discover your thing because when we’re all aligned with our contribution to Black liberation, we win.