Slave with Lacerated Back

Scourged_back_by_McPherson_&_Oliver,_1863,_retouched.jpg

Title

Slave with Lacerated Back

Catalog Entry

My mini exhibition theme is Black Lives Matter which is why I chose the Artifact Glass Plate Lantern with Slave with Lacerated Back. This artifact is just one of the many examples of how poorly African Americans were treated and this continues into today. Museums around the world are filled with stolen artifacts that should be placed back in the original hands of the owners. All around the world millions of people fight for a change due to racism towards people of color every single day. Discrimination against people of color began a long time ago. Prejudiced people decided that certain people are inferior due to the color skin they were born with, even though you cannot change this. The idea of inferiority has affected many people and still continues to affect people today. Sadly, in today's society, people of color are still forced to be fearful when it comes to the racist beliefs of many people and this will not change unless everyone works together to make a change.

The artifact I chose, ‘Glass Plate Lantern Slide with Slave with Lacerated Back’, is extremely important when it comes to the anti slavery movement which activists lead. In the article, ‘The Top 36 Must See Items at the African American Museum’ by Philip Kennicott and Peggy McGlone, readers are able to see the abuse of an escaped slave named Gordon in the 1860’s who had to endure a whipping. Gordon, who was on the run so that he could escape slavery, had entered Baton Rouge after running from his master in Mississippi, which is when the picture was taken. Gordon had to endure this mistreatment and torture simply due to his skin color. This picture was used when it came to the antislavery act because it showed just how brutal the punishment was for African American. In the article detailing Gordon’s experience, McGlone and Kennicott retell the story by explaining that, “This image, of an escaped slave named Gordon, who made it to safety behind Union lines in 1863, was one of the most provocative photographs of the century, further angering anti slavery activists and encouraging African Americans to enlist in the Union cause” (Kennicott, McGlone). This is important to the mini exhibition because people are still fighting today, even though it is not the anti slavery movement. This also pushed African Americans to enlist in the Union cause which is extremely important because this picture was what was one of the many breaking points in pushing people to fight for what is right. This helped free African Americans remember just how terrible the treatment was of enslaved African Americans, therefore, they wanted to enlist. The current movement is the Black Lives Matter movement which is led to help draw attention to the racism and discrimination which still continues to occur in todays society. In the 1860’s there was the anti slavery movement but even though people fought to abolish slavery, the world still struggles everyday to avoid racism and discrimination which is why the Black Lives Matter movement is so important.

In an article by Avery Kleinman, titled ‘Museums Are Filled With Stolen African art. Is it time to return it?’, Kleinman explains just how important it is that artifacts were stolen and placed into museums and that the world has made progress in returning these items. When explaining the progress that was made towards returning these artifacts, Kleinman states, “Now, many more are pushing for the return of African artifacts that were stolen during colonization, including those housed in American Museums” (Kleinman). After these extremely important artifacts were stolen from the original owners, the museums possessed them and continue to have them till this day. The fact that these artifacts were stolen are completely ignored by the people who come to see these artifacts day in and day out. In the same article by Kleinman, ‘Museums Are Filled With Stolen African art. Is it time to return it?’, the author goes on to show another artifact that was stolen from the African country of Benin. When explaining the stolen artifact, Kleinman states that, “Plaques that form part of the Benin Bronzes are displayed at The British Museum in London. The Bronzes were stolen from the African country of Benin by British troops in 1897” (Kleinman). It is extremely concerning that people are allowed to come to this museum and view art that was unrightfully stolen from the owners. Day in and day out people come to view the beautiful plaques from the country of Benin but yet no one cares to question the oppression that occurred towards the people who these artifacts came from. The terrible treatment of African Americans throughout the centuries still occurs and the theft of these artifacts is proof. The correct thing to do would be to return the artifacts that were stolen but this will not happen because of the mistreatment and discrimination that still occurs in todays society.

This artifact was so important during its time period because it pushed people to raise questions about the torture that occurred when it came to African Americans. When people look at the slashes on Gordons back they are forced to think about the mistreatment that continues to happen to African Americans even in the current day. Even though the mistreatment in this day in age may not be physical, people still are pushed to think about how the racism and discrimination that occurred in 1860 still continues in 2021, even though it is a different form.

Bibliography

Kleinman, Avery. “Museums Are Filled With Stolen African Art, Is It Time To Return it?” The 1A, 2020, https://the1a.org/segments/art-repatriation-museums/. Accessed 12 September 2020.

McGlone, Peggy and Kennicott, Philip. The Top 36 Must-See Items at the African American Museum. The Washington Post, 2016. The Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/lifestyle/national-museum-of-african-american-history-and-culture/must-see-exhibit-items/.

Artifact Owner

Public domain

Catalog Entry Author(s)

Madison Craig, Student, Fitchburg State University

ALFA Mentor

Bill Ayadi

Photographer(s)

Mathew Brady

Citation

“Slave with Lacerated Back,” Cultural Heritage through Image, accessed March 29, 2024, https://culturalheritagethroughimage.omeka.net/items/show/171.

Output Formats