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Prejudice and the Estelusti: A Qualitative Examination of Contemporary Status

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Abstract

This article examines how prejudice has resulted in the attenuated status position of the Estelusti (Black Seminoles) vis-à-vis the Seminole Indians within the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. I argue that the most succinct status precipitators: allotment, statehood, Jim Crow (legalized segregation), money, and overt attempts at disenfranchisement can be discerned using Bobo’s (J Soc Issues, 55:445–472, 1999) association of prejudice as group position theory. Drawing from a purposive sample of self-identified Estelusti, I delineate the social and historical factors relevant to the group position of the Estelusti. Additionally, three themes emerge from socio-historical examination: (1) a shifting relationship characterized as either congenial or antagonistic depending on the socio-historical period; (2) the source of intergroup antagonism rooted in outside forces; and (3) a lack of knowledge of the role of slavery (on both sides) as a catalyst for conflict between the two groups.

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Notes

  1. Interview #5, Second contact, 5/28/07-Oklahoma City, OK.

  2. Interview #6, 11/6/2006-Oklahoma City, OK.

  3. Interview #13, 5/27/07-Oklahoma City, OK.

  4. Interview #6, 11/6/2006-Oklahoma City, OK.

  5. Interview #10, 11/8/2006-Oklahoma City, OK.

  6. Interview #12, 5/26/2007-Oklahoma City, OK.

  7. Interview #3, 10/19/2006-Oklahoma City, OK.

  8. Interview #5, 10/23/2006-Oklahoma City, OK.

  9. Interview#1, 10/18/2006-Oklahoma City, OK.

  10. Interview #14, 5/28/07-Oklahoma City, OK.

  11. Interview # 15, July 11, 2007-Oklahoma City, OK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Social Work and Criminal Justice, Lamar University, P.O. Box 10026, Beaumont, TX, 77710, USA

    Ray Von Robertson

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Robertson, R.V. Prejudice and the Estelusti: A Qualitative Examination of Contemporary Status. J Afr Am St 12, 266–282 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-008-9041-x

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