At around 1:30pm, I stepped off the subway stairs, leading me to a bright and vibrant Manhattan intersection. The sunlight offered a stark contrast to the dark, artificially lit subway platforms. Screeching, discordant sounds of the subway was replaced by a multitude of indistinguishable voices from people around me. People crowded together in what looked like a market to my left. To my right, a gargantuan building commanded my attention with its decorated pillars and imposing stance which seemed to mitigate the people on the ground. Different colored cars rushed along the lanes, halting only for red lights. I opened Google Maps to direct me to the museum.

The entrance to the museum lacked the grandness that I was expecting. However, upon seeing the security guards, I realized that I had underestimated the gravity of the museum. After a somewhat stringent security check, I entered the museum. While the rest of my classmates were sitting in on a bench or talking to one another, I looked around. At first, I saw a couple of people standing in a circle, looking at a box situated in the center of the circle. I thought that perhaps they were discussing some intimate matter only known to members of that group. Upon closer observation, I noticed that these people could not move! In fact, they were wax figures! I learned that the box in the middle was a coffin, containing the ashes of the Africans who had passed away. The wax figures circumscribing the box was intended to show the bond that existed between Africans who were discriminated against in American history. This is further corroborated by a picture showing that Africans congregated to honor the dead despite laws that prevent Africans from gathering.

The museum atmosphere was surprisingly quiet and largely destitute of people. Instead of the large, brightly lit museum setting that I was expecting, I was puzzled to see a small museum. However, as I walked around the museum, I noticed that it was much easier to concentrate on the artifacts and information presented to us rather than if many people were present in the museum. The museum was lit by small spot lights which only seemed to illuminate the artifact rather than the immediate surroundings, suggesting the intent to draw attention to the artifacts themselves. Though the museum did not present any opportunities to touch any of the artifacts, a few touchscreen monitors were present to introduce information of slavery.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of my visit to the museum was a document which outlined the rules for “regulating Negros and Slaves in the Night time.” Although reading the entire document took up ample time, it showed a concrete example of how society viewed Africans at that time period. The law essentially reflected the fear of many in the society that slaves would run rampantly or attempt to prematurely escape their enslavement, saying that slaves are required to be plainly visible when walking “above an hour after sun-fet.” Punishment for disobeying the law however was purveyed to both the slave owner, who had to pay a fine, and the slave, who had to endure physical punishment. I not only learned that Africans were both feared and treated as inferior but also how imperative it was for me to address some of my biases against people of other races, sexes, and religion. Another setup offered the claim that “constitutional freedom was not true freedom,” meaning that Africans who were awarded freedom in the eyes of the law were still plagued by socio-economic burdens. For instance, freed Africans had to pay the Dutch India Company in crops and livestock and babies of freed Africans were born into slavery. Analysis of such laws and how they interact with many of the socio-economic factors can offer insight into the realities of that time. Not only does the law document reveal many of the fears of society concerning slavery but also demonstrates that many other burdens were placed on Africans.

The museum also features the diversity of African culture despite subjugation under slavery. A handmade coffin featuring decorative pictures appeared to show two women heading toward a tree. Although the symbolic value of such figures are largely speculative, it not only shows the reverence that Africans paid to the dead but also shows the skilled artistry of the African culture. After reading an informational plate, I leaned that the captives had their own, distinct religion and culture, meaning that many of the Africans were taken from many different places simply for exploitative purposes. Remembering back to what I learned in World History, Africa was unique in that many different tribes and societies existed in such a large continent. Each tribe had its own language, customs and culture that set it apart from another tribe. However, because such tribes had desirable resources such as gold and lacked the necessary manpower to defend themselves they were imperialized by the world powers at that time period. Because history took such a turn, the “music [and] bronze work” in Benin, the “basket making” in Mali and the “goldsmithing” in Ghana was sacrificed for the benefit of the imperialists, leading to stereotypes and misconceptions in American society.

Toward the end of the trip, I went to the gift shop located in the inconspicuous corner of the museum. The shop mainly contained books on famous African American figures such as Booker T. Washington. As I was prepared to leave the museum, I was told of a burial ground behind the museum. The burial ground was neatly maintained, with luscious green grass growing over the tombs. A chill ran down my body as I realized that I was standing on top of perhaps hundreds of Africans who had been mistreated and subjugated in the colonial days. However, I was comforted to see a marble, circular pathway containing symbols of many different religions, intending to show that Africans who came to America were part of many different religions. Toward the end of the field trip, I began to reflect, thinking of the ways people mistreat each other for materialistic gain. I learned the necessity of understanding the biases that I have toward
other people and the importance of mitigating such bias to avoid dehumanizing other individuals.