Commemoration of the Abolition of Slavery in French Guiana: Tribute and Exhibitions in Maripasoula
Until July 5th, the town of Maripasoula has announced a series of events to commemorate the memories of the slave trade, slavery, and their abolition: exhibitions, conferences, film screenings. The whole event is organized by the association “Chercheurs d’autres” and supported by the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery.
The themes of resistance and the fight for freedom are at the heart of the commemoration week organized by Chercheurs d’autres in Maripasoula. The association announces a demonstration on June 10th, the day of the abolition of slavery in French Guiana, as well as exhibitions.
“It is important to show that there were other forms of maroonage in different places, like the one in Haiti that led to abolition. It is a way to make connections… Linking different stories of maroonage is interesting.” – David CROCHET, director of the association Chercheurs d’autres.
The exhibitions will be on display until July 5th. There are two exhibitions:
– Artworks by students from the Gran Man Difou college. These are tembé art pieces. They were accompanied by the artist Banti Cazal during school workshops to create them. The artworks can be admired at the premises of the association Chercheurs d’autres.
– The photo exhibition “Nan Domen Envizib La” by Jean Mars Aspe will be displayed at the Haitian restaurant “Chez Junior”. It addresses the issue of maroonage and the practice of Haitian voodoo, specifically the Bois-Caïman ceremony, considered the starting point of the Haitian Revolution in 1791.
This program is the winner of the citizenship call for projects from the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery. The organization has received a grant to carry it out.
Next year, the association aims to create connections between students from Maripasoula and those from Occitanie to exchange ideas on slavery and maroonage. “Chercheurs d’autres” also hopes to work with the National Education system and the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery in the future.