The African Burial Ground National Monument is a site that I had been meaning to visit for some time. I have felt a strong connection with Africa for as long as I can remember. In a sense, we all come from Africa; it is the cradle of humankind.
The site contains the remains of more than 400 enslaved Africans buried during the 17th and 18th centuries and is a portion of a much larger burial ground. Historians estimate there may have been 15,000-20,000 burials there.
The remains were discovered during construction in 1991. Only after legal and public pressure, the landowners halted construction and consented to the monument, designed to honor the homeland the dead.
The day before Thanksgiving, I decided to visit the site. I brought along my cross for Baron Samedi and a small bit of rum to honor the dead. I got a big surprise when I arrived….though in hindsight, it should not have been a surprise at all!
The site is adorned with Vodou veves and African sigils, such as Nsibidi. A map of Africa is engraved in the ground, interspersed with brief descriptions of some of the remains.
One of the most striking features is the "entrance" to the map of Africa- it is a black stone pyramid built to honor ancestors.
I sang for Papa Legba and asked him to open the gate.
In front of the veves for the Baron and Mama Brigitte, I said the prayer of our House and sang the song of Baron.
I honored the Africans for their truly epic struggle and thanked them for the foundations of culture and spirituality that they had given to humanity. I felt in the moment that they were just as much a part of me as my own deceased ancestors.
It was a beautiful, intense experience- one I look forward to repeating. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the pictures! One funny moment: while I was there, a man came to take pictures. He stopped by the veves and tried to pronounce the names. When he was at Papa Legba's, I told him how to pronounce Papa's name.
"Lee-bah?" he attempted.
"Legba!"
He asked me if I knew he these "people" were. I smiled and told him that they were my friends!
Light and Love,
Khouzhan Menfó
www.spellmaker.com
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