Pat Lodge Professor Julie Hicks LBST 1105-H72 October 16, 2012 Harvey B.

Gantt Center Response

At the time of our visit the Harvey B. Gantt Center for Africa-American Arts and Culture was presenting "America I Am: The African American Imprint." The focus of this exhibition was "pivotal moments of African American courage, conviction, and creativity that have shaped the culture and society in which we live today" (taken directly from exhibit flyer). The exhibition was introduced by a short film that gave the viewer a first glimpse at the many different contributions that African Americans have made to build our culture into how it is today. The video was full of energy and emotion that penetrated deep into the viewers heart searching for a personal connection or meaning. The continuous stream of iconic, bold images captured my full attention as the joyful music lightened my mood. While walking out of the video I could not help but be anxious what comes next in the exhibit. The path leading into the first section of the exhibit was lined with numerous images of significant African Americans in US History. In addition the images, a question was proposed over and over down the wall, "What if there were no Stevie Wonder?", for example. This question was asked for every person depicted, forcing the viewer to begin to think of the imprint that these individuals have made on life today. The beginning of the exhibit takes us all the way back in time to before our influence on the African lands and to the primitive arts of the culture. As we continued through and into the

next section the mood instantly shifted. The overbearing presence of the Cape Coast Castle "Doors of No Return" compelled me to stop and acknowledge their trembling former usage. In life of our world today it is hard to imagine such a gate through which there is no going back, no salvation for the disheartened. The following displays contained an assortment of tools used in the capture and detainment of Africans to be taken for slavery. One specific item that enticed me was the coffle chains. Coffle chains were used to keep the slaves moving in line together as they were marched by attaching them to the neck, wrist, or ankle. The thought of being chained to the men in front and back of me with no possible escape is something that I could never imagine. It's as though they were packaged for distribution such as plastic rings holding together a pack of soda cans. Following the section covering the slave trade was their role in our growing country. The objects found in this section showed how truly absurd the use of slavery in America was at the time. In one display I notice multiple different metal badges similar to what I would consider a police or sheriff's badge, but this was not the case at all. These badges were used for the rental of slaves to paying patrons. The slaves were rented for their skill in a specific field and proved to be quite valuable. Thus the use of badges helped the owner prevent the loss of his precious goods. The badges displayed varied in appearance from year to year and were specifically different in order to separate runaways from rented slaves. The fact that slave owners went to such extents to prevent the escape of a slave is astonishing considering that these are still humans no different than you and I. Continuing through the building the eras progressed as the civil war time came and went, followed by the civil rights movement. A specific point illustrated on civil rights movement that moved me was the use of the church. Being a Catholic and strong believer in faith, I found in

ingenious how the leaders used the unity of the church to ban together. They used the power of the church to ultimately reach the dream of fearless leader Martin Luther King, Jr. From this they also created their own style of celebration that has always perplexed me. The AfricanAmerican church is ever full of joy and praise that can be heard far and wide. They do not simply sit and listen to the word of the lord, but stand, dance, and even jump over the rejoice of God. Although this is far different than the traditional Catholic mass, I have such admiration to this style of praise for it is the custom of the culture. The last section of the exhibit was where I found myself spending the most time, since there were so many intriguing items in relation our culture today. From Stevie Wonder's harmonica to Prince's guitar, the walls were filled with creative wonder. As I perused the room looking at the uniforms, costumes, instruments, and belongings of notable African American artists or athletes the message sunk in deep enough that it hit me. If it were not for the actions of those prior and the imprint they left, we would have never been exposed to the greatness of these famous Americans.