CLANDESTINE
JOURNEY African men and women kidnapped, and held captive
in slavery, even after many years, the hope of someday being
free never quenched the burning desires of their hearts. Brave
individuals dared to take a chance and venture into unknown
paths. In this painting I picture two runaway slaves cautiously
peering through the trees, directed by partially sunlight
paths, they set off in hope, anxiety and anticipation for
a new way of life and a brighter future.
Artist:
Connie Turner Medium: Acrylic
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DANCE
OF THE INNOCENTS
Dance of the Innocent depicts a people who lived, created,
interacted and celebrated together.
The ominous
grey storm clouds in the painting suggest the impending storm
of captivity closing in on this civilization. No longer would
they fear the enemy within.
It was the enemy from away that would diminish them and change
forever who they were.
Artist
Lois Larkin Medium Acrylic
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THE
SILENT SALE AT THE LANDING The voyage was rough, we lost half
of the cargo, the black gold as the Portuguese, French and British
called us. So rough was the voyage, but once we landed on the
shores of the New World the voyage became easy. We witnessed
the beating and selling of our men, women and children. The
stench of the voyage still on our bodies they used huge buckets
of water to wash away its intolerable smell. Children crying
for their mothers as they separated us one by one, and we mothers
watching as they took our husbands away to a different area.
We were greeted by some of the others that had taken the voyage
prior to us and they looked on with hatred and despised what
they were a part of, the selling and auctioning of human beings.
Some being sold to the highest bidder, some being sold because
of the age and some being sent off to die because they were
of no value, stud service was not even an option because they
were so broken down.
The master had plantations to plant and harvest and we were
the harvesters and planters and we knew that we would never
see our homeland or loved ones again. We were put in a dark
and dismal place as we became the property of the master. Whips
were used on our backs to keep us in line with whatever the
master wanted from us. We knew not the language or the area,
were could we go, we only knew that the sun rose in the east
and set in the west, and where the ocean was, too wide, too
deep and too long to go back home; what are we to do?
Artist:
Lana E. Talbot (Enyale) Medium: Acrylic
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LANDING
IN NEW CANAAN
The night passage across the Detroit River was delayed because
of the arrival of the bounty hunters, but the flicker of the
lantern continued to call out through the blackness “we
are still here”. As the morning mist lifts, a small
boat carrying its weary passengers is spotted.
This painting depicts a father and daughter landing on Canadian
soil. To them this was Canaan the promise land to freedom.
On
the banks awaits his wife and new friends. A scream of elation,
an awkward restrained laugh so long forgotten, a prayer of
thanks easily spoken are intensified with the long awaited
words of the conductor … you are free … you are
free!
Artist: Dennis K. Smith Medium:
Acrylic
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