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• 1 media/LoL BG.png media/LoL BG.png 2024-10-21T19:31:14-07:00 Legacies of Liberation 74 Legacies of Liberation brings our attention to the parallels between the Haitian Revolution and Jacob Lawrence’s fight against white supremacy in the U.S., as well as the ever-present question of the path forward after liberation. image_header 2024-12-18T07:36:14-08:00

  If these people, who were so much worse off than the people today, could conquer their slavery, we certainly can do the same thing. 

  Jacob Lawrence 

  
  High horizons, cramped gray skies, violence approaching, and chaos ensuing – Flotilla captures the moment when France advanced to crush the revolts by any means necessary. On the other hand, The Burning illustrates the extreme measures Haitian rebels took to prevent the reinstatement of the French plantation system, including burning their own homes to protect their town and preserve the roots of their revolution. Together, these two scenes reflect the oppressive atmosphere revolutionaries had to endure in their fight for freedom. 
  
  On the road to freedom, the French retaliated against the rebels and sent various troops to shut down their revolts. France exerted its control over Haiti through violence, aiming to maintain the oppression of the enslaved to protect its economic and political interests. Yet the Haitian people never wavered in their fight for freedom even at the cost of their homes. The Haitian Revolution was one with many victories and losses on both sides. Lawrence emphasizes that the fight for freedom is always worth the struggle – a powerful story of how sacrifices and victory are intertwined.
  

   

  
   
• 1 media/The Burning.jpg 2024-11-06T13:07:29-08:00 The Burning 16 plain 2024-12-17T13:19:08-08:00
  Left: Henri Christoph, rather than surrendering to LeClerc, sets fire to La Cape. Christoph, one of Toussaint's aides, sent word that the French were in Haitian waters -- that he held them off as long as possible (1937) / Right: The Burning (1997) 

  Rather than surrendering to Napoleon’s troops, revolutionary leaders set their homes ablaze in a defiant act to keep their town of La Cape from being overtaken by their enemies. The Burning showcases the rebellious spirit of the Haitian people and the true actions of resistance taken by revolutionaries to earn their freedom and to withstand the forces working against their cause. Flames sit atop the roofs of the buildings. Surrounding the buildings are blades of grass in various hues of green. The grass is prominent in the foreground, drawing attention to its variety in shade and movement. The grey skies in the background highlight the burning buildings as the main focus of the piece, an emphasis that reflects the power of movement and action, both thematically and visually.