Visiting galleries/museums (beyond dedicated category) (2 points)

 

When I visited the Annaberg Plantation in St. John, USVI I was struck by the dungeon holding cells for “unruly slaves” and its resemblance to modern day prison cells. The dungeon was located on the back end of the windmill and featured wooden slats across the entrance to effectively imprison slaves who might have been suspected of attempting to scale an uprising. This cell was particularly resonant to me because it was a physical manifestation of the practices of incarceration of Black bodies even during their literal bondage. The white desire to quell resistance and understanding of the effectiveness of organizing has been a persistent threat to the liberation of Black people from the beginning of enslavement. 

While most of my previous education on the legacy of enslavement was in the continental United States context, seeing a similar system of subjugation taking place in the Caribbean islands, and particularly in an American modern colonialist context was interesting to witness. One of the things that was poignant about this experience for me was that the plantation remains. In many of the plantations in the United States, they’ve been either turned into prisons or completely built over and taken over by a host of capitalistic ventures. This plantation remains, and there are people that still work the land to harvest sugarcane, mangoes, and coconut. We had the opportunity to meet and talk with several of them during my visit and they shared a beautiful story of the agricultural practices and life of the formerly enslaved people on this plantation. This visit allowed me the powerful connection to place as I walked on the same ground that previously enslaved people tilled, looking out at the waters which I might have been tempted were a better offer of freedom. 

By: Mackenzie Hickson