AI Africa stories on Instagram: "During the era of American slavery, mixed-race women—often called "mulatto"—occupied a painful and complex place within the system of oppression. Many were the children of white enslavers and Black women. These were not love stories—they were stories of power, coercion, and trauma. Despite being born into bondage, their lighter skin often marked them as “different,” sometimes granting them access to the master’s house—but never to true freedom. They were groomed