more than 20 years after the closing of the trans-atlantic slave trade in 1808
It's crazy to think that the rest of the "world" had already outlawed slavery at this time and that the US was somehow breeding slaves fast enough to sustain the institution
Work at the site will continue, and hopefully a fuller story will be told. Standing there, at the crossroads, 2016 touched 1831, and the cracks in the story began to seal.
Surprised it took so long for anyone to put a shovel in the ground to find Nat Turner
According to historical accounts, Nat Turner’s body was dismembered, his head removed, and his skin used to make keepsakes.
I feel like the bones don't really anymore - what more do we gain from finding his remains? I feel like the legend of Nat Turner dies when that happens as well
July 4th
I think after reading Frederick Douglass' speech on July 4th this means so much more - July 4th was a thorn in the sides of all slaves because the US celebrated independence while slaves were still not free.
In West African cosmology
It is curious to wonder how much West African cosmology Nat actually learned from his mother - anything he learned would have to be second-hand and be put alongside his Bible knowledge
White slaveholders saw Nat’s talents as a way to strengthen the message of “Christian” submission by using a black messenger: hiring him out to preach at neighboring plantations.
Reminds me of a passage from Sexton: whiteness can deputize the black man to seem like they are past a systemic problem when they aren't
Nat’s family and community believed he was a blessed child.
So much to talk about here. Obviously first the credibility of this statement - maybe it was made up after the fact and not true. But if not, does believing you are special make you try to be great? Did Nat believe it?
1740 Negro Act
Wow the spirit of rebellion stretches to far before America was even independent.
pursuit of happiness
ironic because this phrase was originally "property" and then amended to avoid the question of slavery
160
Wow this is a really good use of the techniques that were brought up earlier in the comic. I think that the exchange of panels is super interesting because there is so much room to explore and create.
155
I don't quite understand his point when talking about "balance" - what type of comic does balance lead to? Is it objectively better? More to the point, Nat Turner evokes far more pictures than words - "out of balance"
148
I think this is a rough but interesting way to interpret the history of post-impressionist art and literature. It really opens up good ideas
142
This brings up a question - how is visual medium in written text evaluated in our brains? Does perceiving a word exercise a different part than say a painting?
139
There is so much to be said about how pictures can show so much while words mean nothing - a way to be reading Nat Turner
138
I think the cartoonist is intentionally adding in blank panels to spread out the awkward moments where Tommy can't actually express his feelings in words.