On July 29th 3 enlightened elders came to the library to share their knowledge and answer questions from the community.

The event was moderated by the library’s own, Paul Bermanzohn, MD.

Pierre Leroy spoke about the Haitian Revolution where the Haitian slaves and Indigenous people of Hispaniola  fought back Napoleon’s army to form the first black republic on 1/1/1804.

Pierre and Terry Leroy founded The Haitian People’s Support Project where all proceeds go to help the people of Haiti.

Dr. A.J. Williams-Myers spoke about the Nat Turner Slave Rebellion. The African’s that were taken from their homes and brought to America as slaves fought back and resisted from the start of this horrific practice. Nat Turner led a rebellion in 1831.

“If they’re oppressed, we will join together, shall we say, to undo what has happened to us, cause were all human beings” — Dr. Williams-Myers.

Dr. Airy Dixon spoke about the Seminole Wars among many other topics. There were 3 wars that made up the Seminole Wars over the periods of 1816-1819, 1835-1842, & 1855-1858.

“The purpose of this panel is to show the linkages of what happens when people are taken away from their homelands” — Dr. Dixon.

See the full, unedited event, in 2 parts:

Recommended readings:

• American Negro Slave Revolts by Herbert Aptheker

• Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion by Peter H. Wood

• Journal – Native South, founding editor  Robbie Ethridge

• Slavery in Indian Country: The Changing Face of Captivity in Early America by Christina Snyder

• Journey to the West: The Alabama and Coushatta Indians (The Civilization of the American Indian Series) by Sheri M. Shuck-Hall

• Mapping the Mississippian Shatter Zone: The Colonial Indian Slave Trade and Regional Instability in the American South edited by Robbie Ethridge and Sheri M. Shuck-Hall