Ian WhiteThe First Federal Slave Memorial Debuts in Philadelphia
December 21st 2010 20:44
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It was a historic day in Philadelphia back on December 15th 2010. The $11.2 million project, known officially as "President's House: Freedom and Slavery in Making a New Nation," opened its doors on 6th and market street, next to the Liberty Bell. The exhibit is the first federal commemoration of slavery in American history. Originally the plan was to pay homage to George Washington by displaying the 1st White House as a tribute to him. However thanks to the tireless work of ATAC it was revealed that George Washington had his 316 man, woman, and child slaves dispersed in different parts of PA, 9 of them working in that very same house about to be used as another pat on the back of the 1st president. A harsh truth reportedly covered up since 1973. Now the President's House will serve as a very important social and educational landmark in Philadelphia, allowing more people to be made aware of just how much of the city was built on the backs of stolen Africans. Some opponents of the move were clearly flustered by the revelation of one of America's favorite presidents as a slave holder, but hurt feelings are a necessary casualty of truth.
The open-air site, pays homage to the nine slaves owned by Washington. They were: Austin, 32, Christopher Sheels, 16, Giles, 32, Hercules, 36, Joe Richardson, 26, Moll, 51, Oney Judge, 17, Paris, 16 and Richmond, 14. Hercules was Washington's chef and Oney Judge was the maid to Martha Washington and her grandchildren. Both escaped enslavement.
Mayor Nutter, never one for missing a photo opt, decided to waxed poetic at the ceremony:
"Today, America is a brilliant shining star in a constellation of nations, a revolutionary force in support of individual liberties," Mayor Nutter said to the more than 700 people attending yesterday's ceremony.
"Yet at the time of our nation's founding, many of our great leaders held people in slavery and captivity while the Declaration of Independence soared with the assertion that all men are created equal, [and] President George Washington operated his residences with the labor of enslaved people of African descent."
The eight-year project was funded by the city, the federal government and the Delaware River Port Authority, but will now be managed by Independence National Historical Park. There is still some debate about how the slavery aspect will be presented as the federal influence objects to overtly graphic depictions of the rape, beatings, and castrations that occurred during slavery.
ATAC, which stands for Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, was praised for their superhuman effort in making the project happen. Particularly founding member Michael Coard who was moved by the event.
"I'm known by many as the angriest black man in America," he said. "However today, I am not angry. Not at all. Instead I'm happy. Very happy. That's because history is being made today."
He addressed the naysayers "who complain that slavery is too prominent and too conspicuous in this project. It is so prominent and so conspicuous because slavery totally permeated the President's House."
This is a giant step forward toward healing the still palpable racial divide and addressing the African American's who sorely lack knowledge of their own history, as well as the white's who must relearn their own.
The open-air site, pays homage to the nine slaves owned by Washington. They were: Austin, 32, Christopher Sheels, 16, Giles, 32, Hercules, 36, Joe Richardson, 26, Moll, 51, Oney Judge, 17, Paris, 16 and Richmond, 14. Hercules was Washington's chef and Oney Judge was the maid to Martha Washington and her grandchildren. Both escaped enslavement.
Mayor Nutter, never one for missing a photo opt, decided to waxed poetic at the ceremony:
"Today, America is a brilliant shining star in a constellation of nations, a revolutionary force in support of individual liberties," Mayor Nutter said to the more than 700 people attending yesterday's ceremony.
"Yet at the time of our nation's founding, many of our great leaders held people in slavery and captivity while the Declaration of Independence soared with the assertion that all men are created equal, [and] President George Washington operated his residences with the labor of enslaved people of African descent."
The eight-year project was funded by the city, the federal government and the Delaware River Port Authority, but will now be managed by Independence National Historical Park. There is still some debate about how the slavery aspect will be presented as the federal influence objects to overtly graphic depictions of the rape, beatings, and castrations that occurred during slavery.
ATAC, which stands for Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, was praised for their superhuman effort in making the project happen. Particularly founding member Michael Coard who was moved by the event.
"I'm known by many as the angriest black man in America," he said. "However today, I am not angry. Not at all. Instead I'm happy. Very happy. That's because history is being made today."
He addressed the naysayers "who complain that slavery is too prominent and too conspicuous in this project. It is so prominent and so conspicuous because slavery totally permeated the President's House."
This is a giant step forward toward healing the still palpable racial divide and addressing the African American's who sorely lack knowledge of their own history, as well as the white's who must relearn their own.
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