Transcript
[chorus] follow the light
The New York Harbor has a powerful association with Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is larger than life sending a blend of inspiring messages that resonate from vintage photography to contemporary cinema. Although her strongest associations can be best summed up in the words of Emma Lazarus’ poem The New Colossus – “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The Statue of Liberty was intended to celebrate the freeing of enslaved Africans in the United States of America after the North won the Civil War. She was conceived by French citizens that were inspired by the beginning of a new republic that lived up to its promise to offer freedom to all. The Statue of Liberty now serves as a reminder of racist eugenic practices that took place in 19th Century New York on Ellis Island, which is a short ferry from the Statue. European families were separated based on their place of origin. It is often overlooked that this statue that welcomes the tired, rich, and poor – was made to celebrate Black freedom.
At Lady Liberty’s feet are broken chains, symbolizing an end to slavery. The book in her left arm includes the date of the Declaration of Independence. The torch she holds represents a light to the world, a metaphor of freedom. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated October 28th, 1886, over a century after the American Revolution.
As we walk along the water, think about the British ships leaving New York City on November 25th 1783. The American Revolutionary War had reached its dramatic conclusion. The 13 Colonies were now the independent United States of America. General George Washington will lead the Continental Army toward the southern tip of Lower Manhattan in celebration of their freedom. Aboard those British ships will be 3,000 Black Loyalists that were formerly enslaved Africans who joined the Royal Forces for the promise of freedom. The Continental Army was also integrated with enslaved and free Africans but unlike the British, did not keep their promise of freedom. General Washington was incensed that the British were taking the formerly enslaved to Canada and for a time, this was a bitter loss for the southern colonies.
The effort to end slavery in New York State and the United States will be a protracted bloody battle fought in every arena of American life. With the invention of the cotton gin and slippery morals around liberty, the new grand experiment in self-governance was at odds about slavery in the future of the republic. During this battle, Black people will find refuge on these rivers as stevedores and oystermen. As the battle for the abolition of slavery grew, the people of New York City and Brooklyn participated in the Underground Railroad to harbor those who liberated themselves. It was often the river bodies in the southern states that provided guidance out of bondage. New York State abolished slavery in 1827 but was far from ready to let go of this evil practice. The money being made from cotton generated lots of money on Wall Street, making slavery less of a regional enterprise and more of the glue to a global one, connecting the North with South and British interests. There were slave catchers roaming the streets before and after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 making what was a free state only free-ish. The last slave ship to leave the New York Harbor was in 1861. In 1863, New York City was engulfed in a race riot known as Draft Riots, targeting Black people for nearly a week. Although eye witnesses reported over a hundred Black people killed the week of July 13th 1863, the official count is 11. Black bodies found dead floating in the water after the riots did not make the official tally.
[chorus] follow the light
Over the centuries of human trafficking from the 1400s to the late 1800s, the movement of ships have impacted the ocean. Sharks are known to have adjusted their patterns to follow slave ships. This slave trade remains the greatest forced migration in human history. Rebellion and new laws gradually ended the Transatlantic slave trade but the rivers where these ships arrived with human cargo continue to tell the whole story, from the dark nights of yesterday to the bright lights of today. For a moment, let’s bring our attention out to sea and think about the importance of light to the Transatlantic Trade.
The earth and moon have a gravitational contract that creates tides, setting bodies of water in motion. Navigators all over the planet have developed different tools to cross large bodies of water but they are all based on cues in nature. When at sea, the moon is both an important light and a force to consider. The earth’s gravity pulls the moon and the moon’s gravity pulls on the earth, affecting the earth’s waters that impact our water patterns. These waves and wind will make all the difference in arriving at your destination. There is also a big map in the sky filled with stars. Constellations such as the Big Dipper have helped seafaring people find the North Star for centuries. These stars illustrate our relationships above and below.
When looking at the dance of glitter and ghosts on the surface of a river in day and night, think about how the moon and stars were used to capture and transport souls in the Colonial era. Imagine that such an intelligent world based on balance and communication can also observe. How are we seen? Let the torch of liberty remind us to look for new understandings. Our world is in constant conversation through forces we experience but cannot see, like both sides of the wind causing ripples on the water, the pull of the moon on the waters, or the magnetic pull within water holding it together as it seeks other water. The sun, moon, stars, and rivers can teach us more than how to harm each one another. They teach us to work together – above and below.
[chorus] follow the light
Click here to view transcript translations.
Haga clic aquí para ver las traducciones de las transcripciones.
单击此处查看成绩单翻译
Нажмите здесь, чтобы просмотреть перевод стенограммы.
Klike la a pou w wè tradiksyon transkripsyon yo.