There have been a number of commemorations this year to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery. Most notable perhaps, in terms of world attention, were the United Kingdom events in March that culminated in Westminster Abbey, house of worship and final resting place for centuries of English royals. Arguably no absolution is ever possible for the horrors perpetrated by man on man for the hundreds of years the Atlantic slave trade endured, but perhaps some atonement and awareness can happen...
From June 24 through July 1 Halifax, Nova Scotia, a garrison outpost of the former British Empire, hosted a gathering of its own honouring and respecting all those whose lives had been destroyed by the 'middle passage'. Commemoration 2007 featured a series of panels with participants from the US and Canada.
Best-selling author Dr. Afua Cooper told the story of Angélique executed by the state for an alleged arson that burned a section of early 18th century Montréal to the ground. It is through the lens of this slave woman that Dr. Cooper gives voice to the complicity in slavery of those colonial jurisdictions that would eventually become Canada. The Hanging of Angélique is Canadian history that we don't learn at school - get your copy today.
Two other significant events are linked to Commemoration 2007: a visit to the port by the clipper Amistad; and the dedication of a public monument at the entrance of the city's North Branch Library.
The public art depicts a crouched man atop a wall extending an arm to pull another to freedom. On one of its surfaces is text attributed to George Elliott Clarke - Nova Scotia's poet laureate in all but name.
North is freedom -
Uptown, down-home:
Each book a drum
Each life a poem.
Local artists Doug Bamford and Stephen Brathwaite have created a sculpture that speaks to hope and humanity.
Amistad is a replica of the 19th century vessel whose slaves overcame the crew in the 1830s and eventually won their freedom in the American justice system. Many returned to their homes in West Africa free from bondage. The replica is sailing from North America to Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and back again to the Carolinas. It has a young multinational crew eager to learn and share their experiences.
The journey has just begun. Check the Amistad site to keep in touch with their adventures.
1 comment:
Reading this piece reminds me how much there is that I don't know, that I would like to brush up against, explore. I tell myself I will come back to it when I have more time, go further through the links to other worlds--but will I? The force nipping at my heels for snippets of my time is powerful. The desire to read the rest of that review of Clarke's book is at least as strong, I say.
We'll see...
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