Slave Rebellion Reenactment To Take Place
On November 8th - 9th 2019
German Coast Uprising (the 1811 Slave Revolt) was the
largest Slave Revolt in the United States
November 1, 2019
by https://www.slave-revolt.com
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On November 8-9, 2019, hundreds of re-enactors will retrace the path of the largest rebellion of enslaved people in United States history, embodying a story of resistance, freedom and revolutionary action. |
The artwork will involve hundreds of reenactors in period specific clothing marching for two days covering 26 miles. The reenactment, the culmination of a period of organizing and preparation, will take place upriver from New Orleans in the locations where the 1811 revolt occurred—the exurban communities and industry that have replaced the sugar plantations will be its backdrop. The reenactment will be an impressive and startling sight—hundreds of Black re-enactors, many on horses, flags flying, in 19th-century French colonial garments, singing in Creole and English to African drumming.
A key element of slave revolts was the organizing of the uprising by small groups of trusted individuals, clandestinely plotting with others in small cells. Mirroring this structure, SRR will initiate several recruitment and organizing meetings of multiple small groupings of people to prepare the reenacted uprising. Extending the artwork’s performative reenactment of history, the meetings will take the form of conversations about why people choose to participate, about others they might involve, and why this history is important in contemporary society. The self-organization of the slave rebel reenactors is an essential part of the artwork.
There was limited fighting during the 1811 rebellion, so, in contrast to many war reenactments, much of SRR will be a procession, with only occasional skirmishes. The procession will be jarringly out of place as they advance past neighborhoods, strip malls, and oil refineries. This historic anomaly will form a cognitive dissonance for viewers, opening space for people to rethink long held assumptions.
Charles Deslondes, Gilbert, Quamana, Jeesamine, and Marie Rose–some of the leaders of the 1811 uprising–alongside the many enslaved people who were part of the revolt are unsung heroes: their vision, if known about more widely, would inspire many. Their rebellion is a profound “what if?” story. It had a small but real chance of succeeding—what would that have meant for US and world history? Understanding that the past was not predetermined opens the ability for people to dream “what if?” for the future. We hope that this project helps people of all races broaden their vision of what is possible.
SRR builds on Dread Scott’s performance, Dread Scott: Decision (2012) at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Where Dread Scott: Decision looked at American democracy’s foundation in slavery, SRR shifts focus from the roots of America to the strivings of people fighting to be free of those roots. An army from the past, forged of descendants of enslaved Africans, will collide with the present and the reverberations will be felt by audiences and reenactors alike.
The reenactment will conclude in Congo Square, a location instrumental for preserving African culture in America, with a celebration—transforming the violent suppression of the freedom fighters into a celebration of their achievement. Slave Rebellion Reenactment will continue the original rebels’ vision of emancipation that is embodied throughout the performance and will open the possibility for participants and audience members to imagine freedom.
To engage a variety of audiences, the project will have multiple identities: the reenactment itself, a multi-channel video installation of documentation from the event and the recruitment meetings, and documentary photos.
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