Christian Kowalski
One common thread that weaves through slave narratives across history is the sense of voicelessness. Men, women and children lose all sense of autonomy; they are the property of white men who view them as inferior. What also connects all these narratives of colonialism and apartheid is confinement. A central element of African/African American Literature, the idea of confinement is based on systematic oppression in all of its forms. It limits and hinders blacks. Sometimes this is translated in a literal sense; in the cases of Letters from a Birmingham Jail and James Matthews’ poetry. In other cases, confinement can be seen from a thematic perspectives; they all these stories of Apartheid can be connected through the issue of confinement. These works evoke a sense of longing for something beyond the confines of a cell, whether it be a Nina Simone record or freedom.
James Matthews highlights the isolation and longing experienced in his prison poems. The aesthetic is brief and muted; only short bursts of thought can be traced. The short lines suggest interrupted thought; each moment preciously curated. MLK possessed similar angst and longing in his letters. His art acted as a form of resistance against the forces that allowed central city for the trade that help bridge the gap between oceans. It was a pivotal region for the continued growth of the developing world.
What stood out from that experience was the voiceover from a slave woman in the ship exhibit. In a haunting whisper, she narrated the experience of being in captivity. “Remember me” she repeated throughout signifying her everlasting fight to hold onto her identity. That’s what all the narratives have in common: they all represent the fight for identity. In the face of oppression, memory is all slaves and captives have to latch onto. Memory functions as a form of resistance within the framework of the confinement narratives. Matthews has Nina Simone to reflect on while the slaves hold on to the moments they had with their families. What confinement does is utterly break those of the connections humans require to function. Without them one’s humanity and dignity their entire being is shattered. They become enslaved to the institutions that confines them.
The speaker at Slave Lodge was equally important to the experience. What stands out from her presentation is the role of keeper she possesses. Her role is to keep the memories of the slaves alive. In the museum you could see a wall of names who haven’t been claimed by families. Preserving the legacies of those confined is important they rarely have the means to do so. Fortunately, the likes of Matthew and MLK were able to sustain their legacy through the content they produced.
It is important to recognize the thematic elements that connect so many Apartheid narratives. Confinement has reach from the earliest history of the Western Cape to post-Apartheid South Africa. What’s necessary is that we remember those who paved the way for families and those who benefitted from the years of toils from those confined. Throughout this experience we have come into contact with individuals who are piecing together remnants of their past lives and making sense of the violence brought on by Apartheid. Every prison we visited was built to confine and control. Some prisons succeeded in this task breaking down men and women to their baser elements. By confining men and women one is dehumanizing them; stripping them of all dignity. This was seen at Robben Island with the arduous labor and small spaces. James Matthews also shared this experience and barely held on due to the steadfastness of his heart and his longing for freedom.
Finally, Constitution Hill reflected the darker sides of humanity by holding absolute control over prisoners. Built like a well-oiled machine, each subset of the prison had a different function and ran off the suffering of its prisoners. Actually entering the solitary cells in the prison was traumatizing; the silence and stark white walls were terrifying. To be surrounded by such an environment; confined to see the same white walls for 23 hours a day is one of the most frightening things I’ve experienced on this trip.
Confinement remains a central element to racial experiences for blacks in the US and South Africa. Today, the US holds the highest incarceration; mostly consisting of black men convicted for petty crimes. These men are confined to prisons systems where people profit off of their sentences. It’s an issue that continues to challenge; how does one approach the experience of confinement? What would draw people to entirely isolate individuals from the entire world? No matter how one poses those questions, it’s important to recognize one thing: that this is a historical trend. We must be aware of the tools of oppression used by these institutions. By doing so, we find ways to honor the lives of those confined and help find closure for those affected.
