Intro
Identity is Key to Understanding
Lunch Break
Before Slavery Brings to MindBefore Slavery Intro from Before Slavery on Vimeo.
Lunchbreak from Before Slavery on Vimeo.
B4Slavery Brings2Mind from Before Slavery on Vimeo.
Let me tell you a story
Taking you back
Before Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
Individual Countries
A peaceful lifeThe Before Slavery Exhibit explores the story of where African Americans came from; what was their cultural heritage before coming to America and what their foundational past was.
The study goes back to the tribes that people were taken from and follows their history across migrations, wars and conversions. The Before Slavery Exhibit digs deep to give us unprecedented access to the ancient history of African Americans spanning thousands of years
This interactive and engaging exhibit is exciting, informative, stirring and like no other exhibit you have ever seen. It is an experience you will want to treasure for a lifetime!
It is coming to a museum near you - starting with the Apex Museum in 2016.
This Exhibit gathers into a central place, the artifacts, materials, etc. that tell the story of the African American people BEFORE SLAVERY. You will see clear and direct connections between the African Diaspora in America today and their ancient fore-fathers and mothers.
The Before Slavery Project is comprised of a team of professionals with a commitment to presenting this unprecedented information to the world. The facts have always been researchable; but they were not readily available and they were scattered. The world at large is eager to know the rich history and legacy of the people who were sold in the Transatlantic slave trade.
Our esteemed Advisors include (among others):
Tens of thousands of hours have been donated by our dedicated team of 35 volunteers; each with their own specific area of expertise and skill that they bring to the success of this project. We are forever grateful for the unyielding commitment of all our volunteers, professional consultants, advisors and professors of academia including Dr. L. Henry Whelchel (ITC), U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young, Dr. DeShea Simon (Hampton Univ.), Connie Potter (National Archives), Dan Moore, Sr. (Apex Museum), and many others.
Below is an interactive map that lets you chart where African Americans were from before the trans-Atlantic slave trade. This map charts a few of the locations that were first targeted. It tells a little about the cultures of those people, where they were captured and where many of them were taken. Slave traders brought people to locations all over the world which you can see during the exhibition experience. This map shows a few different colonies in North America where people were taken.
The United States of America is made up of people from many nations. Most of these groups know their foundational past. Americans, who immigrated here, know what country their ancestors hail from; what foods they ate; what songs they sang; what religion they espoused; what games they played; what rites of passage they passed down through their generations; how they performed wedding ceremonies and welcomed new generations; what traits run in their families, etc. This sense of continuity and stability is a healthy connectedness that can be passed down from generation to generation. This exhibit will help to make the same true for African Americans; who are not known by a country but instead defined by a continent comprising 54 distinctly different countries and even more tribal affiliations. Americans from all walks of life celebrate one another's original cultures. This presentation will help expand the awareness of the American cultural landscape.
Your GIFTS are GREATLY APPRECIATED and are tax deductible as specified in Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.
