Field of Angels By: Micki Evans
In October of 2015, I experienced my first plantation tour. Having traveled to the south for the past 30 years, I had never wanted to visit a plantation. Plantations seemed an odd venue for tours that celebrated the heyday of the old south, the ultimate symbol of white privilege. I wondered how individuals could celebrate weddings, anniversaries and retirement parties in places that harbored the pain of those who had been enslaved.
However, the Whitney Plantation piqued my interest. My daughter was a senior at Loyola New Orleans. An article in the LOYNO caught my eye; the story was about Alumnus John Cummings, M.B.A./J.D “…who invested time and money to create the Whitney Plantation, America’s first….museum of slavery, which takes a hard and honest look at the real story of plantation life. (Dyer, Angelique” “Unflinching Honesty”, LOYNO, Summer, 2015.)
John Cummings chose to tell a different story by sharing the narratives of past slaves - adults and children - who lived and labored on the former sugarcane plantation. Whitney Plantation is a memorial to all those who were enslaved.
Upon my first steps on the grounds, I was in awe of the power of this place. There are black granite memorial walls that share the stories and names of over 350 slaves. The Field of Angels records the names of at least 2000 slave children who died before their second birthday. In the middle of the Field of Angels, a statue of a black angel holding a baby memorializes their journey to heaven.
After that first visit, and for many months, I was haunted by what I saw and experienced. Having just launched PBL Path, I was intrigued with the idea of creating a partnership with the Whitney Plantation and nearby schools. I spoke to my colleague and friend, Charity Parsons from Baton Rouge about creating a collaborative partnership. We believe that Place Based Learning provides a pathway for students to uncover the origins of systemic racism through understanding the historical implications of slavery that occurred literally, in their backyard. Understanding the historical perspective and the root causes of racism, we believe that young adults can impact their community, their world and the lives of others.
There was a sense of urgency to get the project off the ground after the Alton Sterling shooting, the subsequent protests in Baton Rouge and the killing of four police officers during the summer of 2016. Charity began making contacts with schools and teachers to see who would like to be involved in the pilot project. To date, PBL Path is working with Park Elementary in East Baton Rouge Parish, and Dr. Lisa Delpit and Southern University teacher candidates, who will be implementing projects in a variety of middle schools throughout Baton Rouge.
When we met with Dr. Ibrahima Seck, a Senegalese historian and the Director of Research for the Whitney Plantation, both Charity and I felt we were in the presence of greatness. Dr. Seck is an unassuming man with a huge heart and a passion for telling the true story of slavery in Louisiana. After our meeting we had a plan in place and our collaborative partnership was launched. Dr. Seck left us with these words, “Education is reparation. This is how we amend these prejudices.”
Charity has been conducting workshops with Park Elementary teachers and teacher candidates from Southern University on our design principles of Placed Based Learning. Saturday, December 3rd will be the first expedition to the Whitney Plantation to uncover project ideas. Possibilities include:
The Whitney Plantation provides a powerful learning environment for local students to explore first-hand the history of slavery in the US and, specifically, within Louisiana. This understanding builds historical context and sheds light on the impact of systemic racism across many institutions today. Through the exploration of story, students will discover the narratives of those enslaved while creating a counter narrative that gives them ownership of their future. Stay tuned for more stories about this collaborative partnership; project ideas and student work in the coming months.
In October of 2015, I experienced my first plantation tour. Having traveled to the south for the past 30 years, I had never wanted to visit a plantation. Plantations seemed an odd venue for tours that celebrated the heyday of the old south, the ultimate symbol of white privilege. I wondered how individuals could celebrate weddings, anniversaries and retirement parties in places that harbored the pain of those who had been enslaved.
However, the Whitney Plantation piqued my interest. My daughter was a senior at Loyola New Orleans. An article in the LOYNO caught my eye; the story was about Alumnus John Cummings, M.B.A./J.D “…who invested time and money to create the Whitney Plantation, America’s first….museum of slavery, which takes a hard and honest look at the real story of plantation life. (Dyer, Angelique” “Unflinching Honesty”, LOYNO, Summer, 2015.)
John Cummings chose to tell a different story by sharing the narratives of past slaves - adults and children - who lived and labored on the former sugarcane plantation. Whitney Plantation is a memorial to all those who were enslaved.
Upon my first steps on the grounds, I was in awe of the power of this place. There are black granite memorial walls that share the stories and names of over 350 slaves. The Field of Angels records the names of at least 2000 slave children who died before their second birthday. In the middle of the Field of Angels, a statue of a black angel holding a baby memorializes their journey to heaven.
After that first visit, and for many months, I was haunted by what I saw and experienced. Having just launched PBL Path, I was intrigued with the idea of creating a partnership with the Whitney Plantation and nearby schools. I spoke to my colleague and friend, Charity Parsons from Baton Rouge about creating a collaborative partnership. We believe that Place Based Learning provides a pathway for students to uncover the origins of systemic racism through understanding the historical implications of slavery that occurred literally, in their backyard. Understanding the historical perspective and the root causes of racism, we believe that young adults can impact their community, their world and the lives of others.
There was a sense of urgency to get the project off the ground after the Alton Sterling shooting, the subsequent protests in Baton Rouge and the killing of four police officers during the summer of 2016. Charity began making contacts with schools and teachers to see who would like to be involved in the pilot project. To date, PBL Path is working with Park Elementary in East Baton Rouge Parish, and Dr. Lisa Delpit and Southern University teacher candidates, who will be implementing projects in a variety of middle schools throughout Baton Rouge.
When we met with Dr. Ibrahima Seck, a Senegalese historian and the Director of Research for the Whitney Plantation, both Charity and I felt we were in the presence of greatness. Dr. Seck is an unassuming man with a huge heart and a passion for telling the true story of slavery in Louisiana. After our meeting we had a plan in place and our collaborative partnership was launched. Dr. Seck left us with these words, “Education is reparation. This is how we amend these prejudices.”
Charity has been conducting workshops with Park Elementary teachers and teacher candidates from Southern University on our design principles of Placed Based Learning. Saturday, December 3rd will be the first expedition to the Whitney Plantation to uncover project ideas. Possibilities include:
- Oral histories
- Case studies
- Community events
- Children’s literature/teaching tools
- Public art/expression
- Creating partnerships with public institutions
- Impacting policy
- Museum installation/interpretive signage
- Awareness campaign
- Community policing projects
The Whitney Plantation provides a powerful learning environment for local students to explore first-hand the history of slavery in the US and, specifically, within Louisiana. This understanding builds historical context and sheds light on the impact of systemic racism across many institutions today. Through the exploration of story, students will discover the narratives of those enslaved while creating a counter narrative that gives them ownership of their future. Stay tuned for more stories about this collaborative partnership; project ideas and student work in the coming months.
 Wall of Honor |  |