The "S-word"

Slavery. The feared "s-word" that people don't want to talk about. It never occurred to me until today how much people do not know about slavery, including myself on some aspects. Of course I know all about the civil rights movement, Jim Crowe laws, and segregation. I was born and raised in a city where the most prominent Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The Civil Rights Movement is discussed frequently, but I feel we as Americans lack discussion on the topic of slavery. Today it was amazing to find out how much I did know about slavery and how much I didn't know. We walked the ground of the Whitney Plantation in awe of the original slave quarters and plantation house as we followed the stories told by our tour guide. We learned about the tragedies, horrors, and outright despicable acts of slavery in America and specifically in Louisiana. It's incredible to know how many objects in our modern day life are a direct relation to slavery that we as Americans are blind to. One example is that of the symbol "fleur de lis". This symbol is seen all over New Orleans in many forms. Most poplar place is the symbol of the New Orleans Saints football teams. Although being a huge symbols for New Orleans football, Mardi Gras celebrations and many other things, it also has a dark side. In slave times, if a slave was disobedient to the master they were branded with the symbol directly on their skin. When slaves from Louisiana were traded, they had to carry this branded symbol around on them as a sign to future slave owners. I had no idea this small symbol played a role in slavery. The Whitney Plantation has a mission to preserve artifacts and stories from slavery so that history is not lost or forgotten. America has to wake up and accept the fact that slavery happened. Some people want to bury the events of slavery by not talking about it, leaving it out of textbooks and ignoring it as a whole. But we have to look slavery in the face and acknowledge it, only then can we prevent an act of terror such as slavery from happening in this nation again. I am beyond thankful to the Whitney Plantation for their continued efforts in telling the story of the enslavement of Africans in the United States for nearly 300 years. 

By: LaBreshia Taylor