Beneath The Surface

Professor Mack's presentation is one of the most enlightening presentations thus far in seminar. he really allowed us to feel the emotions that were going on when the remains were discovered in 1991. we have learned about slavery over the years but we never really learned about their lives in the different places they were brought to for New York to be so close and  to know that so many remains were found there is chilling. Professor Mack's lecture made me think about the identities of the people buried at the African burial ground. Those could be my ancestors remains that are buried there. Through out the lecture i couldn't help but wonder what must have been going through the minds of the men and woman that were forced to bury family and friends everyday. one of the many things i found interesting from this lecture was the reluctance of taking slaves from the Caribbean due to rebellion. Another interesting point from the lecture was that even through all the pain and suffering that the Africans endured, they never abandoned their customs. in one of the photos that were taken at the burial ground, one of the women buried was wearing a waist chain at the time of her death. the kind of shells she was wearing was native to Africa. Professor Mack's presentation allowed me to understand the importance of the history after slavery. just because it is believed to be over does not mean that's the case.