No question: my Virginia town's 'slave block' should be removed from our sight
Mia Mullane
In Fredericksburg, Virginia, there sits a pre-civil war slave auction block. Its upsetting to black and white residents and it should be in a museum
Saturday 9 September 2017 08.00 EDT
As hurricanes ravage large parts of the US, another kind of tempest continues in my hometown of Fredericksburg, Virginia, over whether to move a pre-civil war slave auction block from a prominent historic district corner to be housed at the local museum.
I signed the petition to remove the now infamous slave auction block and was surprised to see the local political controversy elevated to the world stage in last weeks article, penned by fellow Fredericksburg native David Caprara. To put it frankly, I believe Caprara buried the lede.
The crux of this issue is that tourists perform mock slave auctions atop this block, or otherwise disrespect it by sitting on it, standing on it, and taking smiling pictures of their family with it. Its upsetting to black and white residents alike. In the words of Chuck Frye Jr, Fredericksburgs only black city councilman and a strong proponent of the auction blocks removal: If it werent there, this wouldnt be happening. Its that simple.
One solution might be to cordon off the block to visitors while providing more contextual signage the current sign says nothing of the slave families who were brutally ripped apart there. However, its the blocks location mock auctions or not that many find distressing. Several friends have told me theyd like to feel free to take their families out for pizza, or just go for a walk to the corner coffee shop, without being confronted with a visual reminder of the atrocities committed against their ancestors. At a recent city council meeting, Faith Childress said she has friends who avoid William Street altogether.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/09/fredericksburg-virginia-slave-block-city-museum
Girard442
(6,083 posts)On one hand, tucking it away out of sight and out of mind in a remote place seems like handing the "slavery wasn't so bad" crowd an undeserved victory. On the other hand, mock auctions? Are you f***ing kidding me?! What's next? A picnic at Jeffrey Dahmer's grave site? Reenacting a child rape in your local Catholic cathedral? Enjoying grape Kool-Aid at a Jim Jones memorial?
hlthe2b
(102,343 posts)laughing and being about as irreverent as you can be throughout the self-guided tour.
I don't know how to explain such people.
hurple
(1,306 posts)sould come down. After all, they're celebrating traitors and raising them to honor.
However, that does not mean we should erase slavery from the past. Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And, hiding the past away will mean less people will learn from it. The block, slave quarters on plantations, all of that should remain (IMO) and should be fully contextualized and explained in detail with plaques and documentation on-site. The horror should be explicit!
And, of course, this is all just my opinion.
Nitram
(22,853 posts)Germany's horrific past. We need to be reminded of our own past. Provide context and rules to prevent abuse, but keep it in sight and in mind.