I think it’s the columns that make many of those plantation homes look the same. And I wonder how many people taking that tour notice the minimal mention of slaves. There have to be plenty of other cranky tour-takers like me who do, ha.

Deonne

It’s interesting that something so ingrained in history (slavery) can be so easily swept under the rug. But even if it isn’t talked about much on the tour at least it something that can’t be visually ignored, even if it’s pretty-ed up. Good for you for asking critical questions!

I agree. I love the U.S. and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, but it’s difficult to witness these kinds of glaring omissions. All any of us can do going forward is be aware, be vocal, and strive for integrity. We owe it to each other and our country.

Deonne

The book sounds interesting, thanks for mentioning it. I totally agree about the slave quarters looking so nice – I’m sure they weren’t nice when they were lived in all those years ago. And I agree about asking hard questions. I was joking about “becoming that person” – it’s pretty obvious I can’t help it, ha, and it’s so important that we all speak up when it feels like history is being rewritten.

Deonne

Management at the plantations may discourage talk about the awful history of slavery, but they can’t stop the ghosts from speaking out.

I recently met an author, Attica Locke, whose new book, The Cutting Season, was inspired by the spirits and restless memories she felt when she visited a plantation between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. She was disturbed by the way the current owners had turned the place into “an eerie tourist attraction, complete with full-dress reenactments and carefully restored slave quarters.”

It’s upsetting to look at the slave quarters in the photo in your post because I know they were carefully photographed to put them in their best light. They don’t even begin to reveal the horrendous lives that many slaves lived.

I’m happy to know that you are THAT person on the tours who asks the hard questions that need to be asked. Of course they are uncomfortable because the times you ask about are painful and need to be remembered.

Exactly. If you go to history/people/African-Americans the site talks very gently about the slaves. It made me mad because there are a ton of public monuments and museums that deal quite frankly with atrocities in U.S. history – I’ve seen this mostly with those committed against Native Americans – so it’s not like there isn’t a precedent for presenting the past in a real, balanced way.

Deonne

Great clip! My experience was similar, but without the yelling. My tour guide was calmly diversionary.

Deonne

http://video.adultswim.com/family-guy/check-with-poland.html