Submitted by Yardbroom
Sometime ago on Barbados Underground I wrote that perhaps a garden in Bridgetown in memory of our slave ancestors – who were kept in the Cage – would be a good idea. Although a garden has not been mentioned. I am delighted that Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy will erect a plaque to remind us of our brothers and sisters of the slave trade.
Well done to all concerned.
31 responses so far ↓
John // August 28, 2008 at 6:43 PM
I am thinking the plaque could be put over the site of the burial ground in Fontabelle where N.E. Wilson’s house used to be.
I suspect it was a slave burial ground.
St. Michael had the most slaves in the 1817 census and I suspect most lived in or close to Bridgetown.
The Government of Barbados has concretised the site pretty well and built a building with a bow like a ship.
Think it is to do with small business development.
Access to see the plaque should thus be pretty easy with a parking lot already in place.
David // August 28, 2008 at 7:03 PM
Just wondering if this government is sending mixed signals through the actions of different Ministers. We have Minister Sealy representing the memory of past slaves. Then we have Minister Blackette, Minister of Culture making the statement that Whites and Blacks arrived on the same ship.
The scout // August 28, 2008 at 7:07 PM
It is time the DLP government stop canvassing and get down to doing the people’s business. Too much gripping, we were all told that things wouldn’t be easy, you Mr P.M advocated that you were expecting a dry treasury. Do what you have to do.One thing, if you’re going to have investigations/ enquiries, where lots of tax payers money is spent, please don’t lose the document afterwards. Thanks Mr Sealy for the first positive move that is acredited to your ministry.
Anonymous // August 29, 2008 at 12:52 AM
I do not understand the concept of the cage.
Is it going to be another tourist attraction?If it is going to be another tourist attraction I have serious problems with that.
Slavery was horrible,wicked and extremely painful for us blacks.It was a terrible time in our history and it should never be trivialize and reduce to a spectacle for tourist.We are going to recreate a cage to show tourist how our fore parents were locked up in a cage like cattle ready for the slaughter.That is demeaning to the struggle,pain & the suffering our unfortunate fore parents endured.
The white world is making a mockery of us blacks and the black clowns we have as leaders are subscribing to the foolishness.A couple years ago a group of stupid ass white people and equally stupid ass blacks came to Barbados staging a re-enactment of slaves with neck braces or locks walking.A couple months ago we had another spectacle of a replica of the ship “Amistad” showing us how the blacks slaves were caged together in small confine areas on that ship.Those things are insulting to us the descendants of unfortunate black African slaves.
Do we have any race pride?
Slavery should never be marketed as a product for economic & financial fortunes.It should be highlighted as a reminder to our people this is what your fore parents went through for 400 years at the hands of white people and we should never allow it to happen again.The Jews celebrate the Holocaust as a reminder this is what your parents and grand parents went through and never allow it to happen again.The Jews do not have it as a spectacle for tourist to come and visit and to get economic & financial benefits from it.The Jews have pride in who they are and will never allow anyone to make mockery of their history.We blacks are the opposite.
This cage idea should be challenge by all right thinking, progressive and race pride blacks Barbadians.It is an insult to the memory of our slave ancestors who suffer immensely at the hands of wicked,racist white slave owners.David Comissiong,Trevor Prescod and members of the Pan African Movements of Barbados I want to hear your voices on this matter.It is of fundamental importance to the integrity of black African people in Africa,Barbados & the Diaspora.
Richard Sealy & Steve Blackett are two pea brain ministers.In recent times some of the most foolishness have come out of the mouths of those two idiots.
Steve Blackett is in class of his own.When he can make that ridiculous statement that the blacks & whites share the same common experience of the voyage from Africa,it demonstrated to us the fools we have as ministers.
God help Barbados.This is shaping up to be worst government Barbados ever had in its post independence period.This government is hopeless.
Negroman // August 29, 2008 at 12:53 AM
The above comments are Negroman views
Negroman // August 29, 2008 at 12:54 AM
I do not understand the concept of the cage.
Is it going to be another tourist attraction?If it is going to be another tourist attraction I have serious problems with that.
Slavery was horrible,wicked and extremely painful for us blacks.It was a terrible time in our history and it should never be trivialize and reduce to a spectacle for tourist.We are going to recreate a cage to show tourist how our fore parents were locked up in a cage like cattle ready for the slaughter.That is demeaning to the struggle,pain & the suffering our unfortunate fore parents endured.
The white world is making a mockery of us blacks and the black clowns we have as leaders are subscribing to the foolishness.A couple years ago a group of stupid ass white people and equally stupid ass blacks came to Barbados staging a re-enactment of slaves with neck braces or locks walking.A couple months ago we had another spectacle of a replica of the ship “Amistad” showing us how the blacks slaves were caged together in small confine areas on that ship.Those things are insulting to us the descendants of unfortunate black African slaves.
Do we have any race pride?
Slavery should never be marketed as a product for economic & financial fortunes.It should be highlighted as a reminder to our people this is what your fore parents went through for 400 years at the hands of white people and we should never allow it to happen again.The Jews celebrate the Holocaust as a reminder this is what your parents and grand parents went through and never allow it to happen again.The Jews do not have it as a spectacle for tourist to come and visit and to get economic & financial benefits from it.The Jews have pride in who they are and will never allow anyone to make mockery of their history.We blacks are the opposite.
This cage idea should be challenge by all right thinking, progressive and race pride blacks Barbadians.It is an insult to the memory of our slave ancestors who suffer immensely at the hands of wicked,racist white slave owners.David Comissiong,Trevor Prescod and members of the Pan African Movements of Barbados I want to hear your voices on this matter.It is of fundamental importance to the integrity of black African people in Africa,Barbados & the Diaspora.
Richard Sealy & Steve Blackett are two pea brain ministers.In recent times some of the most foolishness have come out of the mouths of those two idiots.
Steve Blackett is in class of his own.When he can make that ridiculous statement that the blacks & whites share the same common experience of the voyage from Africa,it demonstrated to us the fools we have as ministers.
God help Barbados.This is shaping up to be worst government Barbados ever had in its post independence period.This government is hopeless.
Barbados // August 29, 2008 at 1:30 AM
Richard Sealy & Steve Blackett are two pea brain ministers.In recent times some of the most foolishness have come out of the mouths of those two idiots.
Steve Blackett is in class of his own.When he can make that ridiculous statement that the blacks & whites share the same common experience of the voyage from Africa,it demonstrated to us the fools we have as ministers.
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The gospel truth brother.
JC // August 29, 2008 at 11:11 AM
I was one who went to see the AMISTAD; but not for none of the reasons that Negroman mentioned.
I wanted to see how my ancestors came to this country. When seeing the boat I imagined how they must have smelt, looked and felt;
I understand your point Negro man, but for me when I saw how small that BLASTED boat was, I was glad that I had visited because as long as I have breath in my body I will never forget who I am or where we as a people have come from. (Our journey has just begun in seeking the truth)
Equity // August 29, 2008 at 1:25 PM
Is Mark Williams right? Is the cage memorial in the wrong place?
J // August 30, 2008 at 3:55 PM
Dear Negorman:
I don’t think that the plaque that has been put up to mark the cage is intended as a “tourist attraction” It is not about the tourists. It is about us. It is a memorial.
It is as though I put up a headstone on my mother’s grave as a mark of respect and as a way of reminding my grandchildren where their grandmother is buried. Tourists may come to the churchyard and look at it of course, but it is not primarily for the tourists.
The newly installed emorial is about remembering out history. ALL of our history, the good parts and the badparts. I took the time as I was passing that way yesterday to stop by the plaque and to read the inscription. You should do so too. It is very well done. The Museum I believe is taking the lead on this and I believe that they have done very good research. There are plans to install other memorials.
Peace Brother
John // August 30, 2008 at 4:05 PM
J // August 30, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Dear Negorman:
It is as though I put up a headstone on my mother’s grave as a mark of respect and as a way of reminding my grandchildren where their grandmother is buried. Tourists may come to the churchyard and look at it of course, but it is not primarily for the tourists.
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That’s why the ideal place is down Fontabelle at the old NE wilson site where I believe many slaves were buried.
Government has obliterated any trace and asphalted over the site so a plaque to remind us of what was there before the asphalt and concrete would be worthwhile.
It is only during construction when the bones of our ancestors were being carted off in the debris to be dumped on a site that somebody happened to notice.
I think the story goes that a lady who had asked for the fill complained about the number of bones that were coming in the debris.
David // August 30, 2008 at 4:11 PM
@John
Certainly begs the question what are our Historians doing to plot areas of national significance.
Take this opportunity to respond to the Blackett critique that our national embodies ALL events which would have occurred in the past. To deny it is to falsely represent our past.
Yardbroom // August 30, 2008 at 4:50 PM
Historical evidence would suggest that there was more than one cage in Bridgetown, however, it is true that the main cage was in Broad Street.
The plaque represents “all” the people who were caged in Bridgetown and serves a wider purpose. It helps us to understand who we are, and gives an emotional connection to a place beyond our shores. It also testifies that some slaves paid a harsh penalty for their efforts to escape…yet they tried.
It is not about a particular political party or representative/s of a party. It is for “all” of us black and white to reflect, so that the wrongs of the past – and there were many – cannot be repeated. It is true the same form cannot be repeated, but there are other forms and we should be alert to them.
We have paid a heavy price for what we have.
David // August 30, 2008 at 10:00 PM
Mark Williams who is not a Historian is adamant that the plaque’s rightful place is on the Barbados Public Workers Credit Union building on the top of Broad Street. According to him this is the location where the slaves were kept in “The Cage”.
Why can’t we hear our Historians speaking out on this issue. These are the ready made opportunities to inform the nation.
John // August 30, 2008 at 10:45 PM
David
This plaque I suspect is just an attempt at a fashion statement. I don’t mean to be harsh, I think it is a good idea.
Let me demonstrate with a story.
I once went to a lecture at the Central Bank on the archaeology of the eastern coast of Africa given by an expert in the field, an African, all the way from Africa, on vacation in one of the islands. The organisers took the opportunity to organise the lecture and fly him in.
The lecture was as far as I can remember organised to be in Black Civilisation week or maybe it was the Emancipation lecture, I cannot remember exactly.
I felt completely under dressed and out of place as many people were wearing “traditional” african dress, ladies in head ties and flowing gowns and many gents were attired in such a way as to give the ladies competition.
The expert was late because he had to be transported from the airport to the lecture and the plane was late. No big problem.
Well, he arrived, ….. wearing a blue short sleeve Hawaii shirt and a white long pants.
He gave a wonderful talk, illustrated with slides of some of the ruins that were to be found and which showed the impact of the moslem faith brought from across the sea in Saudi Arabia.
During the talk, he introduced his wife who was white, and child/children to the audience. It was quite a lecture.
When I watched the simplicity with which he dressed, acted and talked and heard the knowledge which came from his mouth I appreciated for the first time that much of the talk and show that many Bajans portray is fake and not based on any real understanding and thought.
In many cases, not all, it is a fashion statement.
John // August 30, 2008 at 10:49 PM
I raised the issue of the burial ground to be a little different and difficult and to demonstrate that sometimes the GOB (as do we) acts without thinking through these basic things.
With regard to the burial ground at Fontabelle, my recollection is that Dr. Karl Watson did get the opportunity to investigate for a short time.
I suspect he complained.
…. but there was a multi million dollar project going on and ….. well , you know the rest. The money had to get spent.
Expediency!!
With regard to the Cage,
Years ago on a visit to the Archives or Public Library, I forget which, I recorded some names of runaway slaves who had been caught. Notice to their owners appeared in a newspaper of the day.
I’ll try and find it as I suspect they were probably being held at The Cage.
There were runaways, not many.
When you go through the registration of slaves that owners had to make from 1817, you find sometimes a slave who is mentioned as absent.
I suspect he/she ran away.
John // August 30, 2008 at 11:26 PM
David // August 30, 2008 at 4:11 pm
@John
Take this opportunity to respond to the Blackett critique that our national embodies ALL events which would have occurred in the past. To deny it is to falsely represent our past.
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I have to be honest and admit that I stopped trying to examine what Politicians say a long time ago.
I saw all sorts of experts raised hell over his statements but I have to honest and admit I really paid the whole set of them no mind.
I do think that Barbados is an absolutely special story about the triumph of ordinary people over extraordinary differences and anybody who would seek to belittle that triumph or any of the differences needs to go back to school or make an effort to read and think of what could have happened.
Barbados should have exploded generations ago.
Before sugar, the major peoples were English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish. These should have killed one another in this confined space, …. but they didn’t.
They were doing it in Britain, why not here. The English hated the Irish and vice versa, …… and the Scots and Welsh, ….. and then the French always threatened mayhem.
With the swing to sugar, Africans were brought here in large numbers and came, like those people here already, from many tribes.
Each tribe probably had its own language and its own animosities towards the other.
I suspect just like the rest of people here, many slaves hated one another based on tribe. Read Ligon of 1649!!
They were transported against their will and under harsh conditions.
At one time nobody was even close to compatible in Barbados and there should have been a bloodbath.
No army or police could control such a situation in such a confined space.
That we are here today at all says something about the compromises, the understandings the accommodations, the sharing etc. that needed to happen to peacefully coexist and actually build a country.
I think it speaks also to a love and respect for Barbados from very early on. How else could the hate have been overcome?
So, to the statement
“our nation(al) embodies ALL events which would have occurred in the past. To deny it is to falsely represent our past.”
I say I agree!!
Negroman // August 31, 2008 at 2:12 AM
J & John what is so memorial about the place we were locked up.I do not share your view that plaque could be likened to a headstone placed at the grave of a loved one.There is nothing good about slavery.Nothing at all at all.Therefore no event in slavery should ever be celebrated or anything about it preserved.It is ridiculous.Do the Jews find anything worthwhile in the holocaust to celebrate?NO Why should we blacks find certain aspects of slavery to celebrate and honour.We are a lost race.We must liberate ourselves from the mental shackles the white race has us in.This brainwashed stupid education system we inherited from our wicked slave masters and their value system have many of us blacks, the descendants of black slaves thinking and behaving like the the disease mind white people.The Willie Lynch theory is still with in many of us today.That is why we could have stupid Richard Sealy,the fool Steve Blackette and the rest of nonsensical politicians from both sides thinking and behaving the same way.J & John you 2 are pure house n—-rs if both of you are black.
Stupid ass Richard Sealy and foolish ass Steve Blackette made the point that it is a tourist attraction.Read the Friday Nation & Thursday Advocate.
The plague is an insult to all of us blacks .
We must emancipate ourselves and stop thinking like the detestable,wicked & unscrupulous white race
J // August 31, 2008 at 8:31 AM
But Negroman:
The plaque is NOT about CELEBRATION. It is about REMEMBERING.
And yes there are indeed Holocaust memorials and museums all over Eurpoe and a big one in Washington, D.C. and yes tourists do go there to learn, and young Jews go there to learn, and old ones to remember.
The Jews DO remember that painful time, and they are right. We would do well to take an example from them.
For too long we Bajans both black and white have tried to pretend that slavery did not exist. But it did exist, and we all of us must remember.
The plaque is EXACTLY like a memorial on a grave. Those people who died during slavery were our foreparents. The white master’s at the time did not give them the dignity of individual graves, because they did not think that they were worthy of being remembered.
Take note that the white master’s had grave stones erected to their parents, but none to the enslaved people. It was felt then that the enslaved people were unworthy. Now we know better and we must make an effort to remember, and to ensure that our children and grandchildren remember.
I hope that you will think about this again and that you will let me know that yes you agree that our foreparents should be remembered.
As I am sure that you will remember your parents when they die.
J // August 31, 2008 at 8:39 AM
If Steve Blacket and Richard Sealy said that the memorial is a tourist attraction then their understanding of our history is wrong. I believe that we need to teach much more and much better history in schools. I believe that all students should be required to learn history un to 5th form at least. And all of us have a responsibility to ourselves to cntinue learing our history long after we are our of school. In fact learning our history shold be a life long project.
I agree with you that slavery should not be celebrated. But it should be remembered. Different thing altogether.
John // August 31, 2008 at 10:10 AM
I think slaves were buried in individual graves from what I have seen of the results of the archaeological dig at the slave burial ground at Newton.
That is not to say the graves were not reused, as they are now.
Until the final years of the 18th century and early 19th century, there would have been very few slaves who had become members of the Anglican Church through baptism.
To the “christians” of the day, they would have been viewed as “heathens”.
No doubt the “christians” would also have been viewed as “heathens” to the slaves, but the dominant religion was “christianity” and the dominant church, Anglican.
“All” slaves converted to christianity and becames members of the Churches after emancipation.
I believe that is why there are graveyards like the one at Newton, all over the country, all unmarked and unremembered and that in them our ancestors are buried.
I have not come across anything that I can point to that would speak to the policy of the church where burials of slaves who were not members were concerned so I may be wrong.
From some stories I hear, construction projects have encountered them and it is hushed up so the project can proceed quickly.
I believe for example that Sandy Lane is built over one.
I have also heard of graves being disturbed when the Hilton was being built in the 60’s.
I suspect they were probably those of soldiers as the stories relate to the attraction of the gold in the teeth of the skulls to the workers who unearthed them.
This makes me doubt that the bones were those of slaves.
These stories and the obvious lust for money from “development” make me a bit cynical about any words coming out of politicians mouths about remembering our past.
Not only slaves were buried on plantations, but their owners were too. For example the Holder family grave at Holders Hill was buldozed to make way for construction.
It is the total lack of respect Barbadians have for the dead that comes out in these practices, consistent with how easily we forget unnatural deaths and don’t press for inquests into their causes.
Yardbroom // August 31, 2008 at 10:41 AM
As a young boy I recall what is now called Pebbles beach was “Graves End” beach. Particularly where the Hilton Hotel is now located. The beach near the Hilton’s site was not used a lot because of the rifle range there…one had to be very careful when the red flag was being flown as shooting was in progress, and bathing was then dangerous. There were grave stones there -hence the name Graves End beach – a short distance back from the beach near a low wall. As I remember there was reference made on the stones to English Regiments.
David // August 31, 2008 at 10:49 AM
@John
Have you read Peter Laurie’s column in the Sunday Sun today? Makes for interesting reading in the context of this discussion. On another note are they not any slave journals/logs which might record the slave practices and customs of the day. Certainly within the Anglican Church such logs must be available? Are you saying that there has been no attempt by the government, UWI and other vested parties to identify old burial grounds?
ru4real // August 31, 2008 at 10:51 AM
I agree with you that slavery should not be celebrated. But it should be remembered. Different thing altogether.
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Well said
Slaves suffered greatly and their memory must not be erased.
The plaque will also serve as a reminder to all people of the horrors of slavery.
The Devil // August 31, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Any update on that situation with the destruction of the tombstones at the Moravian cemetery in St Thomas? This was believed to be the burial place of the first slave to be converted to Christianity.
John // August 31, 2008 at 7:04 PM
The Devil // August 31, 2008 at 11:13 am
Any update on that situation with the destruction of the tombstones at the Moravian cemetery in St Thomas? This was believed to be the burial place of the first slave to be converted to Christianity.
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Can’t be the first slave converted to Christianity.
The SPG at Codrington were active from 1710. I think the first slave baptism from this estate was in 1732, some time before the Moravians even came to Barbados.
I have seen free negro and free coloured baptisms dating from the 1600’s, not many but some. Not sure about slaves but definitely free negro and free coloured.
Most people think it was only the Moravians and Methodists that converted slaves to christianity but I think that is false and just an attempt by some misguided souls to pull down the anglican church.
What I think they really mean to say is that the anglican church could have done more from earlier.
John // August 31, 2008 at 7:22 PM
David // August 31, 2008 at 10:49 am
@John
Have you read Peter Laurie’s column in the Sunday Sun today? Makes for interesting reading in the context of this discussion. On another note are they not any slave journals/logs which might record the slave practices and customs of the day. Certainly within the Anglican Church such logs must be available? Are you saying that there has been no attempt by the government, UWI and other vested parties to identify old burial grounds?
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My feeling is that the information exists but has been forgotten. I keep hearing stories that suggest it is convenient to forget them as they get in the path of progress.
Take cholera for example. More than 20,000 Barbadians died over a three month period.
Not many people I know can speak to the location of the cholera burial grounds. Growing up I heard one was in St. Lawrence Gap under the Dover playing field. I heard about others.
I can’t remember seeing any located on the various versions of past Physical Development Plans. I guess the procedure is that if you unearth bones you call the police but if you don’t see them, you keep digging.
There are fields on plantations which are called Cholera which suggests Barbadians are buried there.
I found two fields at Codrington or Bath called “Negrobury” suggesting a link to the days of slavery.
These things would be within the knowledge of people from the area but we have become estranged from our land and no longer have a clue how it worked. Sometimes it is convenient to forget.
David // August 31, 2008 at 7:30 PM
@John
Thanks for the history lesson, no wonder as a nation we have become confused regarding our culture. We don’t even have the desire to connect with our past so how can we feel confident in our culture?
Negroman // September 1, 2008 at 9:49 PM
J, I cannot agree that the plaque is in remembrance of our fore parents.I do not support the view that placing a plague at a place where the slaves were held as cattle waiting to be auctioned is a memorial.
I consider BUSSA Statue a memorial because it symbolizes freedom.J, tell me what is the significant of placing a plaque at the site of the cage.I still believe it is insulting to our ancestors and it is wrong.
The negativity of the cage and what it symbolizes should have been taking into consideration when this idea was conceptualized.It cannot be likened to a grave where loved ones are buried.There is no negativity at the grave only cherished memories of the dearly departed.I cannot see the connection of plaque at the cage and a headstone at the grave of a loved one.
My father has gone to the great beyond and yes I remember him and if my mother had to die before me I will remember her also.
Headstones will place at both graves to remember the lives of those who gave me life.
John // September 2, 2008 at 1:58 PM
Negroman // September 1, 2008 at 9:49 pm
My father has gone to the great beyond and yes I remember him and if my mother had to die before me I will remember her also.
Headstones will place at both graves to remember the lives of those who gave me life.
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.. butNegroman, the mentality of our society today is such that a generation or two after you have gone, chances are that these graves will be desecrated and no one will complain.
The show will go on irregardless of how you feel today, just like what happens today.
ru4real // September 4, 2008 at 12:24 AM
@Negroman
Some of the concentration camps of europe remain today as a memorial to the people who died there.
People go there to reflect and mourn them also so that this does not happen again.
In the same way a plaque on the site of where so many suffered is to honour their suffering by remembrance.