Rewriting the story of Emancipation
Thursday, July 31, 2014
by Fernelle Neptune, GIS
Local historian Winston Phulgence says the significance of the process of emancipation is lost when viewed as a single event unrelated to the perspective of the enslaved.

In observance of Emancipation Day, Aug. 1, the Cultural Development Foundation engaged the public in a stimulating panel discussion, on the topic, “Emancipation: Myth or Reality.”

The panel discussion provided the participants with the opportunity to share their views and perspectives on emancipation.

According to historian, Winston Phulgence, observing emancipation as an event rather than a process, causes many to underestimate the magnitude of the experience.

“Considering emancipation itself, when we look at it as an event, we immediately start to stumble because it wasn’t an event, but a process. The difficulty we have is that we think that the signing of a document resulted in emancipation. Emancipation with a capital “E” is what was given to us and so, we forget the people who were actually involved in the emancipation process.”

Mr. Phulgence said it is important to remember the brave men and women who fought for freedom.

“The problem is we do not talk about the people who were enslaved. Who were emancipated, how, and from what? If we start looking at it from the perspective of the people who emancipated, then we have a good basis for understanding. What strikes me is the fact that the people who were emancipated are never spoken of. That is because of who wrote the story of emancipation.”

The discussion also examined the impact of emancipation, from a social and racial aspect.