Students, teachers re-create slaves' Middle Passage

The North Jersey Herald and News ^ | 02.28.03

[Coleus]

Students, teachers re-create slaves' Middle Passage

Friday, February 28, 2003 By NICOLA M. WHITE SPECIAL TO THE RECORD

It is said that if the Atlantic Ocean were drained, its floor would be littered with the bones of those who died in the Middle Passage, the notorious journey millions of African slaves endured on the way to America.

On Thursday morning, Lincoln Middle School students and teachers brought this history to life with the school's annual Black History Month performance. An amalgamation of song, dance, and poetry, the program was titled "In the Belly," an apt name for a dark, often brutal voyage.

"The voyage from Africa to America was synonymous with pain," said one of the performers.

For four centuries, millions of Africans huddled in the cramped bellies of ships and crossed the ocean to the New World. It is estimated that one-third of the captured slaves perished along the way. Students and teachers at Lincoln Middle School wanted to make sure that people would not forget about this chapter in history.

The production opened with a slow, somber procession of slaves laying dolls on a set of two bookshelves. The shelves represented the living quarters of the slave ship passengers - claustrophobic, dirty, scary to think about.

The story opened up to portray the daily lives of the folks who spent harrowing days at sea, set to music that represented a broad array of black history, from traditional West African drumming pieces to Southern spirituals to the Billie Holiday classic "Strange Fruit," a powerful anti-lynching song.

It was not a feel-good production or one that lent itself to laughter. But the organizers and performers said they hoped the audience would come away with a strong sense of the stark reality of the Middle Passage.

"I learned what our ancestors did and how it makes us stronger," said eighth-grader Jazmin Cooper. "It gives us more strength and greater power for ourselves."

Fellow performer Daisy Johnson said simply, "I learned how they survived for us."

Toward the end of the program, the audience joined hands and repeated together, "We, the ancestors of the Middle Passage, represent the triumph over slavery." 6347637

[Coleus]

This sounds to me like a little bit of revisionist history. Let's face it, a slave was a large investment in those days and the last thing the owner wanted was a dead slave. I know people died during the long route by sea; however, I think this is stretching the truth a bit by saying the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean is lined with bones. Where is the evidence that One-third died? So, what did really happen in this Middle Passage?

I remember a Representative from NY, Major Owens, D-11, who stated that the sharks still travel the same routes as the slave ships since they were used to eating the slaves thrown overboard. I'm surprised this nut is still a congressman.

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/?dir=&dir=congressorg&ID=415

[Coleus]

http://www.passaic-city.k12.nj.us/num4.htm

http://www.passaic-city.k12.nj.us/num4snap.htm

Our student population directly reflects the vibrant cultural diversity that exists in our city. It is our hope that our students will grow in the tolerance, acceptance, and appreciation of other cultures, and ultimately, celebrate the differences.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Of course he is still a congressman... the only person that still plays that clip is Limbaugh, and the liberal press would not air this dirty laundry in public!

[Question_Assumptions]

I'd strongly recommend they read Keith Richberg's Out of America. That black man's reaction, upon visiting one of the embarkation points for slaves being sent to America, was interesting. He felt guilty, after spending some time in Africa, for being thankful that someone had dragged his ancestors onto that boat and gotten his ancestors out of Africa.

I'm not saying that slavery was a good thing but these kids, who sometimes believe that all of their ancestors were kings and queens in Africa, could really use some perspective and the benefits of being Americans.

[Texas_Jarhead]

In their next lesson I imagine they will recreate Gettysburg...

[Alberta's Child]

Someone once pointed out that because slaves were "property" and the ships' crews were "employees" who had to be paid, the mortality rate of the crew members was actually higher than that of the slaves on those voyages.

[RLK]

Let's face it, a slave was a large investment in those days and the last thing the owner wanted was a dead slave.

-----------------------------

A healthy young slave would be worth $1,200 at auction. For that amount of money one could buy a decent farm in those days.

[Jeff Chandler]

A slave's value, if converted into today's dollars, would be over $100,000.

[Jeff Chandler]

The point seems to be to keep people feeling agrieved.

[Coleus]

Did you see the movie "Gods and Generals" it's pretty good.
http://godsandgenerals.com

[Coleus]

ping

[fourdeuce82d]

"...a slave was a large investment in those days and the last thing the owner wanted was a dead slave."

I agree, but on the other hand, they didn't really know how to keep people healthy during long voyages- no knowledge of hygiene, vitamins, etc.. IIRC some slavers were "tight packers" and others were "loose packers." Given that other variables- i.e. realative health of the slaves, length of voyage, whether or not some slaves had communicable diseases etc. were at play, with varying results, it's not unreasonable to imagine some captains packed 'em to the gunwales, and hoped for the best.

Having said that, and acknowleding that it was a beastly enterprise, let us not forget, pace our Nation of Islam brothers, that moslem traders led caravans across the desert, with similar results. Seems to me OPEC owes some reperations as well.

[tsomer]

For four centuries, millions of Africans huddled in the cramped bellies of ships, and crossed the ocean to the New World.

Four centuries? As for the ship bellies, how do they think the Europeans got here?

[The KG9 Kid]

"...As for the ship bellies, how do they think the Europeans got here?"

Europeans didn't come over like that.

[speedy]

I guess playing the part of ship's captain in this recreation would have been a prized role.

[Coleus]

I think these students should be more concerned with the way abortion, Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, Title X, eugenics and the DemonRat party has decimated (over 10 Million) the Black Race in the USA rather than with revisionist history. If you noticed during this Black History Month, many of the people portrayed made their greatness before FDR, Civil Right, and Affirmative action, many were Republicans who attained their greatest achievements and/or were educated during republican administrations.

Black History Now Required in NJ Schools
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/741563/posts

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin are not included in the revised version of the New Jersey Department of Education history standards - a move some critics view as political correctness at its worst.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/618766/posts

The Negro Project
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/612636/posts

Saving Black Babies
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/820820/posts

[firewalk]

Thanks for the ping & bttt

[Conservative til I die]

This sounds to me like a little bit of revisionist history. Let's face it, a slave was a large investment in those days and the last thing the owner wanted was a dead slave. I know people died during the long route by sea; however, I think this is stretching the truth a bit by saying the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean is lined with bones. Where is the evidence that One-third died? So, what did really happen in this Middle Passage?

Actually, I've heard that when slavery became illegal in most countries, that slavetraders would dump slaves overboard when other ships appeared on the horizon, who might cause trouble for these traders.

C'mon, let's take another tact than trying not to put a negative spin on the slave trade. Let's take issue with the fact that black people just keep beating a dead horse by talking about slavery over and over again. Let's not go the route of educating people as to what a valuable investment a black person was.

[Conservative til I die]

I'm not saying that slavery was a good thing but these kids, who sometimes believe that all of their ancestors were kings and queens in Africa, could really use some perspective and the benefits of being Americans.

Good point. Unfortunately, racial identity politics has reached almost a cultic level, like those Rastafarians and Nation of Islam people who think the black man was God.

[Conservative til I die]

Four centuries? As for the ship bellies, how do they think the Europeans got here?

I don't seem to recall European immigrants being shackled and chained. Let's try another tact shall we?