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Virtual Workshops

Meeting #1: Contested Narratives, Activism, and Social Justice, 19 January 2023 (Moderator: Daniel Domingues)

1) This first topic considers actions and experiences of the local stakeholders involved in the Contested Narratives of each region.

  • What are the conflicting ways of understanding the histories and legacies of slavery and
    resistance to slavery in the different societies? What are their origins and how have they changed over time?
  • What role does marronage play in shaping those narratives? To what degree is that role shaped by a history of engagement with plantation regimes and to what degree is it shaped by more recent legal developments?
  • What role does race play in shaping those narratives?
  • What role do these conflicting narratives play in current political or social struggles?

2) This topic considers how Activism and Social Justice play a role in the narratives about slavery and its legacies for social justice.

  • How do activists in different societies use the history and legacy of slavery to fight for social justice? How effective are they as tools?
  • To what degree do activists try to influence the narratives surrounding sites of
    memorialization? What forms of activism do they use or find most effective?
  • Are there serious disagreements within descendant communities about the meaning of
    slavery and its relevance to current struggles?
  • What role do race and gender play in shaping different forms of activism?
  • How do activists envision victory in the struggle over telling the history of slavery?

Meeting #2: Land Disputes and Reparations, 9 February 2023 (Moderator: James Sidbury)

1) Are there disputes involving the ownership, use, or control of land that is either set aside to commemorate the era of Atlantic slavery, or that involves claims contested by different parties?

  • To what extent do these disputes involve conflicts between different bases for the disputants’ claims (e.g. a claim that rests of legal title v. a claim that rests on rights of occupancy v. a claim that rests on reparative justice)?
  • How are different places balancing (and how do you think they should balance) the desire to protect traditional rights, the desire to commemorate the past by honoring victims of Atlantic slavery, and the demands of the state and/or commercial forces in regulating access to and uses of historically-significant land? To what degree are the problems that arise out of striking that balance similar or different in the U.S., Ghana, Jamaica and Brazil?

2) What is the current state of debate about reparative action in the U.S., Ghana, Brazil and Jamaica?

  • Where would you like to see discussions of reparations go?
  • Are there ways to memorialize and present the history of Atlantic slavery to help move discussions over reparations in a positive direction?
  • Do discussions focus primarily on the international, national, local or private level? Should they be re-focused?

Meeting #3: Public History, Archaeology, and Memory, 9 March 2023 (Moderator: Molly Morgan)

1) Please be ready to offer a brief description of the archaeological sites and/or museum exhibits where people go in your region to learn about the history of slavery.
  • What sorts of materials are used to teach visitors about the past?  
  • If archaeological materials are used, please describe how they are used and their impact.  Do visitors learn about the process of archaeological research as a way to engage with difficult histories? 
2) Please also be prepared to consider how historical tourists experience these spaces when they visit your region.  
  • How does the experience of being in historic spaces facilitate particular types of remembering?  Do you think that the sensory experiences of historic sites are important to how visitors learn about the past?   
  • Do these visitors come to your sites already shaped by the social memory of slavery from their past experiences?  What acts of selective remembering or knowledge building have shaped these memories?  Are the expectations of these visitors reinforced, challenged, or expanded through learning at your sites?
3) Lastly, as we are able to compare various public history examples and different approaches to designing museum exhibits and involving archaeology in cultural heritage, perhaps we can offer some reflections on the current successes and challenges to cultural heritage and public history on slavery in each region.

This is a larger question I ask us to think about, perhaps for discussion when we come together in Salvador, Brazil.

Is it possible to think globally about how Trans-Atlantic Slavery and the African Diaspora are remembered?  How can we, from our various backgrounds and home societies, participate together in acts of remembering?  Can we shape how this past will be remembered in the future and are there goals we should aim toward in this work we do together?