Super Short Summary

Celia, A Slave by Melton A. McLaurin examines the 1855 trial and execution of Celia, an enslaved woman in Missouri, who kills her master, Robert Newsom, after years of sexual exploitation. The book explores the intersection of gender and racial oppression, the moral complexities of slavery, and the legal system's role in upholding white supremacy, offering a detailed case study of the period's moral and political anxieties. The book discusses sexual violence and exploitation.