Honoring the Past to Change the Future

    The Whitney Plantation was an incredible experience and opportunity to be a part of historically. The rich, vibrant life of the developing slave memorial was truly felt today as the spirits of the slaves resonated through to my very own soul. As we well know, the blacks and whites of America have had countless years of conflict due to the African slave trade lasting around 400 years. Forced labor in our country has been a topic that has divided America for centuries and with racial profiling still initiating crimes in our country, it is time we explore these issues deeper. As seen with the Trayvon Martin case, the display of KKK loyalty and confederate flags allowed in neighborhoods, racism is clearly still alive. Now is the time more than ever that we begin to honor the slaves and their experiences no matter what background any American derives from due to changes brought by the Civil Rights Movement. Our freedom by law gives us freedom to live and to educate each other. Understanding the time era and the circumstances slaves were in will aid the overall well-being and culture of our country. Children growing up today need to recognize that there was a point in time when society was considerably harsh and cruel.
    As a mid-westerner from a small community of around 1,200 people, New Orleans was a city I longed to discover due to the cultural and social issues the community has faced. I was excited to be involved in a project that honors the American history of the slaves and to gain a new perspective by being in this environment where slaves actually lived and died. Thousands and thousands of forgotten children, women, and men. Today changed my life. I was exposed to the realities the slaves in the south faced, specifically Louisiana. The day started by a meet and greet with Mr. Cummings, the plantation owner and museum founder. He began by educating our bear break group with the history of slavery. Slavery was started by the Pope in the 1450's when he gave the King of Portugal rights to trade Africans to the Western world. Wow. Let that sink in. So, I sat there in the church in awe while looking around at the statues of the young African children whom were treated like animals. How could this be? The children were so young and innocent. Lives lost. Lives taken. Families broken apart. The plantation has granite memorials of hundreds of thousands of Louisiana slaves with names engraved as well as numerous slave narratives. One in particular almost brought me to tears. It was the account of a young slave child who was beaten so terribly that the meat was taken off his back and he was forced to go back to the field to work while blood was dripping down his back and maggots infested the open wounds. His cries were so awful all the slaves could hear his pain. It is important to study the history so that we can change the future. Racism has the ability to end now more than ever because of our equal rights but it begins with equal treatment.

Mollie K. Gavin