NEW ORLEANS--Denease Sorapuru and Michael Henderson came to Destrehan Plantation on Saturday afternoon for an event commemorating an 1811 slave revolt. Both described themselves as of Creole descent and related to slaveowners affected by the revolt.
"This is part of a collective effort of trying to piece together my history," Henderson said. "For such a long time (Louisianians) haven't discussed this, maybe out of fear. But I say I want to talk about this without judgment, to try to understand it from both sides."
Saturday was the kickoff event for a yearlong commemoration by Destrehan Plantation, the New Orleans African American Museum and Tulane University of the 200th anniversary of the largest slave revolt on United States soil.
The plantation opened an exhibit featuring art and sculptures by artist Lorraine Gendron, and about 80 people came to see the opening and to listen to Louisiana State University Ph.D. student Nathan Buman speak about the revolt.
"I've lived out here all my life, and I had never learned about this while I was in school. This story has to be told," said Sorapuru, who said she learned she was related to Francois Trepagnier, one of two slaveowners killed during the revolt.
According to historians, Charles Deslondes, the son of an enslaved black woman and her white owner, and an army of more than 200 slaves rose up in revolt on Jan. 8, 1811, in St. John the Baptist Parish, about 30 miles west of New Orleans. The revolt had been planned for years through secret meetings, historian Daniel Rasmussen said.
Ten other people helped Deslondes lead the revolt. The group of 200 men spoke different languages, came from different parts of the world and lived on different plantations.
The revolt was inspired by the successful revolt by the enslaved population of Haiti, who conquered the island nation and abolished slavery there in 1791, Rasmussen said.
According to Rasmussen, the planters and American officials in the area downplayed the 1811 revolt at the time, causing historians largely to ignore it. But court records and the ledgers of some planters show that the slave army came very close to conquering New Orleans and establishing a black republic, he said.
"Ever since 2000, I've been fascinated by this history," said Mary Mitchell, a St. John Parish resident. "It was the first time I had ever heard that this revolt had happened. I was angry because I love history so much, and I should have learned about this."
Mitchell said she plans to attend all the events this year pertaining to the revolt.
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Sunday, January 9th 2011 at 2:00PM
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