Description
The companion book to a groundbreaking exhibition on African American history and culture, this powerful collection of essays brought to life with 170 color illustrations investigates the intertwined legacies of slavery, freedom, and capitalism. In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World frames the history of slavery in a global context to show how it created systems of oppression that continue to shape the world today. Compelling essays from key historians and scholars trace the contemporary resonances of slavery but also the history of freedom-making, from abolitionism to enslaved and colonized people asserting their humanity to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The history is humanized by art reflecting on liberation, including the gorgeous artwork of Daniel Minter; historic and contemporary artifacts that represent enslavement and resistance; poignant interviews of descendants of formerly colonized and enslaved people sharing their lived experiences. This book posits that current matters of freedom and equality are only made possible by understanding how past injustices have defined the present, making it an essential read for anyone engaged in social justice. Poignant and insightful, In Slavery's Wake examines the long shadow of slavery and looks toward building a freer future beyond it.
Museum Story
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the nation's largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting, and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. Established by an Act of Congress in 2003, it is the culmination of decades of efforts to establish a national museum that promotes and highlights the contributions of African Americans. To date, the Museum has collected close to 37,000 objects.
Details
- Hardcover
- 240 pages, 170 color illustrations
- 10.5" x 8.5"
- Edited by: Paul Gardullo, historian and curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) and director of its Center for the Study of Global Slavery; Johanna Obenda, a curatorial specialist at NMAAHC; and Anthony Bogues, Harmon Family Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University.
