A problem that you frequently see in modern society is that people don’t stop to entertain the possibility that they could be wrong. That certainly appears to be the case for the professor, but it is also likely the case for the author here. It is hard for us in modern life to imagine slavery. We might see one account and assume that that is an accurate description for all. Where in life is that honestly the case though?
I am sure there were slaves that were treated pretty well. Though there were certainly slaves that were treated worse than any of us in modern times could truly comprehend. The extent to which was most prevalent is likely to be speculation at best. The most abused were likely not allowed to learn to read or write of course.
The professor’s biggest problem wasn’t any particular test question. It was her reaction to being challenged. The author here was much more assertive than I would be certainly. I find it bizarre the lack of self awareness at times. Terms like white privilege are markers for pretty ignorant statements usually. I know of some black families that live pretty privileged lives and white ones that are the opposite, and vice versa of course. It is always surprising that those who generally oppose racial stereotypes are then so quick to use them in their own generalizations. Being angry at white people for not knowing how it feels to be black is like a woman being mad that a man doesn’t know how to it feels to have a baby. Of course they don’t. The most reasonable approach to take is to explain it to them. They might not understand it fully, but they will usually try.