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CNN Live At Daybreak
Remembering African-Americans at Colonial Williamsburg
Aired July 04, 2001 - 08:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In Colonial Williamsburg, slaves accounted for about half of the population, yet it would be another 87 years before they were created equal as called for in the Declaration of Independence.
Now, on this birthday celebration, Jeanne Meserve is in Colonial Williamsburg for us -- good morning Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
As Americans, we tend to glorify, simplify and sanitize our past. Take, for instance, that most famous line from the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal".
Of course, in 1776, that did not apply to half the population of this town, the half that was black.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EDWIN COOK (ph), ACTOR: It seemed as though, people around here be born slaves. And it seemed as though if they be born a slave, it seemed like they going to die a slave around here.
MESERVE (voice-over): Robert Evans (ph) was a free black who bought his wife Nan (ph) in hopes he could persuade the Governor's Council to set her free.
COOK: When Moses was down there in Egypt land and God told Moses to go down and tell Pharaoh to let his people go, Moses was fearful just like I am.
ROSALYN JARMIN (ph), ACTRESS: Now, there you go with that Moses' story again.
COOK: We got to have faith to hold onto something.
MESERVE: As a 21st Century African-American, reenactor Edwin Cook (ph) knows prejudice and discrimination, but researching and playing Robert has given him a new perspective.
COOK: There are people who face much more in one day in 1774 than what most of us face in our entire lives. MESERVE: The pain is so great that even at a distance of more than 200 years, playing the slave Nan can occasionally reduce Rosalyn Jarmin (ph) to tears.
JARMIN: It must have been just day by day trying to make it through, trying to get through this next moment, this next few seconds. If you can make it just past this one bad thing.
MESERVE: Though the cruelest realities of slave life are softened and sometimes leavened with humor, black audiences can find the reenactments difficult.
JARMIN: Sometimes they just can't even look at you, because it's almost like it's too much for them to face all at once. And you almost kind of see their eyes kind of shut down. They start looking away.
MESERVE: White audiences also feel pain and anger and sometimes guilt, the hope that looking at yesterday will promote racial understanding and healing today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: And joining me now is Harvey Bakari. He is the manager of program development here at Colonial, Williamsburg.
Thanks for joining us.
HARVEY BAKARI, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, COLONIAL, WILLIAMSBURG: You're welcome.
MESERVE: First, African Virginians made a significant contribution to building this town, didn't they?
BAKARI: Yes, there were many enslaved people, men, women and children, particularly many of the men who were skilled craftsmen. They were blacksmiths and carpenters. And so many of the items you would see here in the city, as well as many of the buildings, were constructed by enslaved people.
And then, obviously, they contributed to the agricultural industry here, working with tobacco and grains -- and then domestic house slaves working in the houses here as well.
MESERVE: Did they play a part in the revolution?
BAKARI: They played a big part in the revolution, because Virginia was the place where the governor of Virginia issued a proclamation offering freedom to all slaves who would run to the British. Large numbers of blacks -- men, women and children ran to Norfolk to join the British, which then forced the hand of General Washington, who did not want any blacks -- or free blacks or slaves to fight for the Continental Army.
So about 1778, free blacks and slaves were fighting for the Continental Army and Navy as well. So that's a very important part of American history, because it's a big contribution to the founding of our nation.
MESERVE: Despite these things that you've mentioned, there was no representation of black life here at Colonial Williamsburg until 1979. Why not?
BAKARI: Well, the focus at the beginning of the restoration of Colonial, Williamsburg dealt primarily with the founding fathers and the contribution of the founding fathers and decorative arts. As the program began to evolve, eventually we started to look into the stories of the common man.
MESERVE: And how has that affected attendance here? Do you find that, since you've represented the other half here, that African- American attendance here has increased?
BAKARI: African-American attendance, yes, has increased. I think that by showing the other half of the population, it's very important, because if you do not, then what you do is you say to the African-American consumer or visitor that: Your story doesn't matter.
But by including the story, it says: Your story matters.
And that draws people here.
MESERVE: Harvey Bakari, thanks so much for joining us here today.
BAKARI: You're welcome.
MESERVE: And one of Williamsburg's attractions here are the craftsmen. They use authentic tools and techniques to manufacture various items. At the foundry here, for instance, they make candlesticks. It takes them a week to turn out one pair.
Next hour, we're going to take a closer look at the craftsmen of Colonial, Williamsburg -- back to Atlanta.
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Jeanne Meserve -- a very complete report today as we look back in history.
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