Dismantling White Privilege

The Slave Dwelling Project is coming to you with much-needed improvements in 2018. Board members and volunteers are working diligently behind the scenes to ensure efficiency, fiscal responsibility and, quality programs. These needed improvements in no way lessen our ability and desire to continue to honor the enslaved Ancestors, however, it’s just the opposite.

The Slave Dwelling Project now possess the ability to touch many antebellum historic sites that have the potential of interpreting the history of the enslaved Ancestors. Although we still reach out to sites to conduct that first sleepover, more sites are now reaching out to us. We are also having repeat performances at many sites. Historic sites seeking our service is an indication of our success. That success must be properly managed so that we can ensure that the limited resources that we obtain are utilized efficiently.

The new and improved Slave Dwelling Project went into action at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston, SC on Friday, February 15 and Saturday, February 16, 2018. I conclude that we made the Ancestors proud.

The Sleepover
The core of what we do will always be the sleepover. It was this very simple concept that got the Slave Dwelling Project started in 2010 but, sleeping is easy. In our evolution, we have discovered that the conversation around the campfire prior to the sleepover is now the most powerful part of the gatherings at these historic sites.

This time they showed up like they said they would. In the past, we have been burned too many times by those who made false promises of joining us for a night in a slave cabin. A sign-up system for sleepovers now live on our website.  People signed up for the sleepover at Magnolia but quite surprisingly, only two people who signed up for the sleepover arrived. Because old habits are hard to break and before the new system was in place, I had already made promises to two groups that wanted to attend the sleepover. They showed, totaling twenty-six people all ready to engage in a meaningful conversation.

The two groups were delving deeper into the subject matter of White privilege and wanted to participate in a sleepover.

I got this message from Kynda Luce.
“My high school students at Circular Congregational Church, Charleston are studying “Dismantling White Privilege” this spring. We will definitely come to Magnolia Feb 16th after school. Can we stay overnight with you Joseph McGill?”

I got this message from Jenny Brady Finn of Spring House Community School.
“Hi! I learned about this from Kyndra at Circular Church. We are a school traveling down to Charleston that week with 12 teens, exploring race, racism, and privilege. We would love to stay on the 15th and then stay for a bit on the 16th and then head back to Floyd, VA. We will have 6-8 adults with us as well. Can we sign up? Thanks!”

I could not say no to either of those requests.

So, yes, the conversation about White privilege permeated the conversation around the campfire. The great thing is the dialogue was cordial and non-confrontational. Plantations and slave cabins have that humbling and disarming effect. I can’t say that our conversation around the campfire dismantled White privilege, but every participant went away with a better understanding of the concept. My only regret is that 95% of the participants, benefit from White privilege. A more diverse audience would have been preferred. Despite that, thirty-five was the most people to sleep in the cabins during my eight sleepovers at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.

Inalienable Rights: Living History Through the Eyes of the Enslaved

A generous grant from the South Carolina Humanities Council in 2016 enabled the Slave Dwelling Project to implement Inalienable Rights: Living History Through the Eyes of the Enslaved. Through this program, African American living historians interpret the history and skills of the enslaved Ancestors through demonstrations, lectures, and storytelling while dressed in period outfits. Far beyond the life of the Humanities grant, Inalienable Rights lives, it has a lot of moving parts and must be managed accordingly.

One other new element that we implemented for the Slave Dwelling Project in 2018 is to develop a checklist. This checklist enables us to have more contact with the host sites before the event(s). Previous sleepovers have taught us that this is necessary to establish and document expectations and minimize surprises.

Inalienable Rights: Living History Through the Eyes of the Enslaved occurred with some hiccups but we made it work. We will iron out the kinks as necessary. The massive audience was exposed to this.

10:00 am Slave Dwelling Project, Joseph McGill
10:15 am Transatlantic Slave Trade, Donald West
10:30 am Domestic Slave Trade, Christine Mitchell
11:00 am Gullah Geechee History, Sara Daise
11:15 am “Chronicles of Adam, Dontavius Williams
Noon Slave Dwelling Project, Joseph McGill
12:15 pm Transatlantic Slave Trade, Donald West
12:30 pm Domestic Slave Trade, Christine Mitchell
1:00 pm Gullah Geechee History, Sara Daise
1:15 pm “Chronicles of Adam,” Dontavius Williams
Ongoing Demonstrations
Outdoor Cooking, Jerome Bias & Germaine Jenkins
Blacksmithing, Gilbert Walker
Chair Caning, George Hunter

We encountered the largest crowd that we have had at any of our Inalienable Rights programs at any site to date. In addition to the public-school students, I was equally impressed by the number of home-schoolers who attended.

Good Slave Owners

The day was going by swimmingly, and then I got that question, “There were some good slave owners, right?” She wanted to hear me say those words, but I just could not go there with her. She was proof that there are still those who come to plantations looking for good slave owners. My response is always if you assigned superlatives to the way that owners treated the people they enslaved, they should be bad, worse and worst.

Maybe she was exercising her White privilege when she inquired about good slave owners. This could not be the case because she was clearly Hispanic.

Conclusion

This event proved to me that meticulous planning is a good thing. Detailed planning is not my strong suit. I am thankful for the volunteer board member Prinny Anderson who not only has spent nights in thirty plus slave dwellings but has stepped up to the task of taking care of the details. And thanks to other board members who protect my blind side. A special thank you is also necessary for living historian and our main cook, Jerome Bias, who has accompanied me on more outings than any of the other living historians. On a volunteer basis, Jerome has taken on the task of ensuring that all matters concerning the living historians are proper and in order.

May of 2018 will be 8 years since the first Slave Dwelling Project sleepover at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. I had no idea that I would still be doing this. To continue to do this, evolution is necessary. With limited resources, getting by with help from friends and board members is necessary. Relinquishing authority in your idea comes with its challenges. From that first sleepover at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, that idea became much bigger than me.

To continue to honor the enslaved Ancestors, the Slave Dwelling Project must continue to evolve. If that means relinquishing authority to ensure efficiency, fiscal responsibility and quality programs, so be it. If that means engaging our participants in the subject of Dismantling White Privilege, so be it.

Maggie Huckabee, 16
Circular Congregational Church
Dear Joe,

Thank you for the experience of a lifetime. You may remember me as the girl who randomly stopped you on your journey to the restroom, early in the morning, to inform you of my encounter with a paranormal entity. That experience still has my mind racing of who or what the figure I saw could have been. As I have told the story of the tall man walking amongst me and the strange light dangling meters ahead of me, I am told that this figure could have been a slave, trying to make his way to freedom by following the swaying light. You told me that it could have been the cook because his cabin was just behind the tree line but I promised you it could not have been the cook because as soon as I had flashed my light onto the shadowy figure, it disappeared. I have not been able to rest my mind after my experience spending the night in the slave cabin. I truly appreciate you for your work and for giving me the opportunity to have a better understanding of the living conditions of a slave. Thank you, Joe.

Noah Reed

Nervous isn’t the precise word to describe how I felt. Nevertheless, I find it to be the closest to what I felt prior to sleeping in the slave cabins. In truth there was nothing to be afraid of, so maybe the feeling was closer to a guilt or dread knowing what people are capable of. Especially what people of my skin color had done. The cabins are the result of many generations of a false idea of superiority and ruthless oppression, all because of a single cosmetic, genetic difference. As the end of the night drew closer, I could swear I heard a faint, far-off singing. I asked around and found a few people had heard it as well. Whether it was a late-night choir practice or something of the paranormal type is not what matters. Instead, I found it to be a very fitting tune and occurrence. The more I focused on the singing the farther away it seemed. The tune was beautiful, melodic, and very peaceful; the words indistinguishable from each other. After an engaging talk of race and a hint of politics at the campfire, it was time to sleep. As I settled in on the hard, wooden floor, I realized there was nothing to be afraid of. In the moments before sleep consumed me, I felt peacefulness I was not expecting. My thoughts of guilt, dread, or nervousness were gone entirely. This experience was unique to sleeping in the slave cabins. I have already suggested to a few of my friends about it and perhaps they can have that experience too.

Trinity Purvis-Wooden
17, Circular Congregational Church

Having the chance to visit such a historical location was amazing. Seeing the cabins in person was very different than simply reading about them. We’ve seen plenty of photos and read plenty of descriptions, but they don’t seem to do the real thing any justice. Staying in a place surrounded by walls that had seen the real, human people who used to live there made the experience feel very real. These are the kinds of thing you can only begin to understand once you see them in person. Otherwise, there aren’t really any words for it.

Thank you so much for the chance to see history in person. The best way to learn is to see something that is a true reminder of our past.

Kyndra Luce
Youth Director at Circular Church
Charleston, SC

I’d been following Joe McGill and The Slave Dwelling Project on Facebook for a while before I finally asked if I could spend the night at the slave cabins at Magnolia Plantation. He called me on the phone! I had to collect myself before I could say anything… the answer from Joe, of course, was “yes, you’re welcome to come. There is no cost, but I encourage you to join online.” I joined, and so should you!

Nine teenagers from Circular Church in downtown Charleston spent the night at Magnolia as part of our class on “Dismantling White Privilege.” Last summer the youth toured Civil Rights sites across the South, and this spring we are discussing current issues like class, education, climate change, housing and employment.

Gathering around the campfire with the other campers, we talked in general about race and history, our personal experience, and then this… “Does white privilege equate to white supremacy?” Joe asked the kids. “What’s your role, as a white person?” “What are the consequences?” I thought, and I’m still thinking, about a decent answer to this besides, “We don’t know; we never had to think about it; we’ll try.”

The kids peeled off, ready for bed (in a former slave cabin, which we all agreed was unexpectedly peaceful). Adults talked and listened well into the night.

Spending the night is just “the hook,” as Joe says. It sounds cool and gets people to participate. I cannot overstate that sitting by the campfire in open discussion of racism’s past and present is an unexpected, incredible gift from the members of The Slave Dwelling Project. Thank you, Joe!

Reflections from Springhouse Community School
Sincerely,
Student at SCS
Lotus

My name is Lotus, I’m an 8th grader at Springhouse Community School. Springhouse Community School is a small community based school that is here to prepare adolescence for young adulthood. We value things such as curiosity and wholeness. Every year we go on 2 or 3 week-long field trips we like to call “experience week”. On one of our trips this year we went to Charleston SC to study racism and white privilege.

In Charleston we stayed in a house in Folly Beach and we looked into different places we planned on going. One of the places that we went to was Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. We met up with people who are in the Slave Dwelling Project and had a conversation about racism. This conversation involved topics such as: The 13th Amendment, the history of the cabins, and we talked about privilege. Sleeping in the slave cabins was relatively comfortable. We slept with sleeping bags and with sleeping mats so it was hard to think about the fact that when slaves lived there they did not have insulated sleeping bags to keep out the cold.

I am grateful that I had this opportunity to learn and see the past in a new way. I have to admit that there were times where I did not want to voice my opinions because I thought that maybe it would be racist. I was a little bit scared to sleep in the cabins because I did not know what to expect but it turns out that I had a great time. I just wanted to thank the Slave Dwelling Project for leading this event and our school for taking us.

Billy
7th Grade
When I was in South Carolina I went to the old slave cabins. When we were there a black man named Joe talked about the history of the area we were in. We spent the night in the cabins and sat around a campfire with Joe for two hours.

One of the challenges I had when I was there was sleeping on the floor of the slave cabin. Another challenge I had was getting up early in the morning. I felt like I was in a cabin from the movie, The Help. I thought the cabins could use some beds. At the beginning of our visit there I thought the cabins we were going to stay in would be similar to the ones from the movie Friday the 13th. I thought they did look like they needed a fixer-upper. I thought we were going to be haunted by ghosts.

If there were ghosts, they would be related to the slaves. It would have been a very hard life. It would have been like living in a prison. I thought there would be an armory or something because I thought the Confederates would use ammunition to control the slaves. For the slaves it must have really been like living in Friday the 13th all the time.

Julian
12th grade
My experience in the slave cabin went unexpectedly well. At the beginning of the night when we were all around the campfire I was starting to get a little anxious about sleeping in the cabins but when the time came it was a totally different experience than what I was expecting it to be. I was scared of being almost out in the open in slave cabins. Someone could easily break in and steal my belongings but as the night progressed I learned that was not the case.

The cabins were small but comfortable and even though there was no electricity it was surprisingly warm and did not have any small insects on the walls or floor like I was imagining. I pictured the worst imaginable place to live due to the nature of the cabins creation but they were quite the opposite. It felt calm, almost a somber feel inside the cabins, and not dark and angry. I had a great night sleep and would do it all over again if I ever get the chance to.

Skyler
8th Grade
At first I was uncomfortable with talking about race and racism with the people that my race enslaved and hurt for hundreds of years. I was afraid that I would say something offensive or something that would show my ignorance. I wanted to wrap my head around what it felt like to be a slave and what it feels like to be a black person in modern day America. Now I know that it’s impossible to fully understand and even comprehend what it’s like to be either. When I showed up at this plantation, I was just joking around with my friends, trying to stop the anxiousness and even fear that I was feeling in preparation for this conversation. I live in Floyd, Virginia, a small town with only 3.1% of the population being black, and 95% being white, so I barely interact with people who aren’t white, In the public schools here white people yell offensive and repulsive names (you can guess what they are) in the hallways. After the conversation I felt like a new human. I had learned to appreciate and recognize the struggle. The conversation gave me hope, it inspired me to learn more and fight for the others around me.

Ollie
8th Grade
Before I went to and slept in the slave cabins I was afraid of hearing the history of the place because it was sad and real. Once I got out of that mindset I was able to get interested and educated. In past history classes we talked facts only and only talked about the past and made racism seem not relevant, but in this we had talked about things we can do in day to day life. Coming into the Slave Dwelling Project, I thought I knew all I needed to know, but going to this made me think otherwise and made me curious. This trip had me doing further research and watching movies they suggested and thinking of things I never had before. I am so thankful my school stopped there and I got to learn what I did.

Sarah Merfeld
Springhouse Staff

The Powerful Leaders and Storytellers of the Slave Dwelling Project
I am a teacher at Springhouse Community School and I was a chaperone for our school’s recent visit to the Magnolia Plantation with the Slave Dwelling Project. We spent a good part of the evening talking by a campfire with the Slave Dwelling Project staff members before sleeping in the old slave cabins. This opportunity to speak openly and from the heart was both humbling and inspiring for me.

I feel humbled by the generosity and warmth of the Slave Dwelling Project team. Team members shared their stories and insights with passion and bravery while asking us good, hard questions about our study around race, racism and white privilege. When I asked fumbling questions about white privilege and exposed my ignorance about racism in our country, they did not judge me. They held our questions and shame with great love. It is humbling to witness the grace and dedication these folks have in striving towards equality in our country.

The leaders challenged us to take action against racism in our community. Through sharing personal stories of subtle and not-so-subtle modern racism, statistics on racism within the prison system, and reminding us of all the ways our country does not take ownership over our dark past, the Slave Dwelling Project helped us see that it is our responsibility to take the steps to both recognize the presence of racism today as well as take action to promote equality.

As a white woman, I was intimidated by this bold offer to spend the night sleeping in slave cabins. It is hard to take a risk and dive deeper into the truth of our collective past. I am grateful to the Slave Dwelling Project for providing us with this experience and treating us with love and acceptance – even in our ignorance. I urge all those interested in participating to do so. These folks have a lot to offer and both students and staff were inspired by these powerful men and women.

Jack
11th grade
My name is Jack, and I am a student from Springhouse Community School in Floyd, VA. Springhouse Community School is a project-based school, and every year we do something called an experience week. An experience week is when we go somewhere for four days and learn from the community there about a topic that we are studying in class. This semester we did an experience week trip to Charleston, SC to learn about race, racism, and white privilege.

I would say that the main reason that I was there was just to learn and listen to what others had to say about the topic of racism and white privilege. When sitting around the campfire with the people of the Slave Dwelling Project I listened to what everyone had to say about their opinion. It was interesting to hear what the founder of the Slave Dwelling Project had to say about Confederate Statues and how they should not be removed.

Sleeping in the slave cabin felt like camping to me in which it was nice and I slept really well that night. I did not feel weird sleeping in a place where slaves slept when I am a white person. In fact it felt completely normal to me to sleep on the floor as our ancestors probably were doing the same a long time ago. I really did not care that much about the fact that I was sleeping in a slave cabin, because are not we all the same species?

Anna Grace
10th Grade

The Slave Dwelling project was pretty amazing; seeing all of the work the members of the Slave Dwelling Project put into such a beautiful place and for such a great cause as well as an experience. Since it was late and the end of a long informative day I didn’t really get too much from our conversation with the group of other students, members of the project, and other people there just to share the experience. I did however still feel the passion and enrichment of the history of their ancestors and relatives. It was moving to hear them preach about how it was and has been dealing with such a difficult path of history leading to current issues with racism and hatred. I appreciate their willingness to share their thoughts and the sufferings that they have been through, as well as the accomplishments they have achieved. It’s such a hard subject to talk about especially to people who do not share their past heritage and I’m just so thankful to have been able to hear them speak. What they are doing is courageous, so thank you to the Slave Dwelling Project for giving others such an history filled, educating experience.

Gabby
12th Grade
The slave dwelling project is unique in giving an honest, onsite education for those interested in learning beyond history books. It brings people back to their roots and explores the uncomfortable past that some choose to sweep under the rug. The project creates the perfect environment for questions and important conversation.

Ben
8th Grade

My experience in the slave cabins was great. The conversation around the campfire was really interesting and long. I really enjoyed them asking us questions about the class we are doing with Jenny. I also really enjoyed how everyone was open minded and had support for one another. Sleeping in the cabins was pretty good. I was comfortable, warm, and slept pretty well. The experience at the Slave Dwelling Project was like no other and I will never forget that night.

Jenny Finn
Springhouse Community School Dean of Students and Co-Founder

We had the opportunity to spend the night with Joe McGill and The Slave Dwelling Project this month and I was very grateful that we made time in our school trip schedule to do this. Being with Joe, and the other members of The Slave Dwelling Project team, was in and of itself a gift. Their presence, kindness, honesty, and commitment are inspiring. I appreciated Joe’s skill and dedication to shining the light on this part of our history that often gets overlooked. As a white person, it is uncomfortable to face the history of our nation, but discomfort should not sway us from doing the difficult work that needs to be done. The Slave Dwelling Project gave us the opportunity to confront the history of slavery in a very real way. Having conversations around the campfire with students, adults, and The Slave Dwelling Project team was very powerful. Questions like, “What will you do with your privilege?” were asked and responded to courageously. Staying in the cabin was difficult. I did not sleep a wink. I felt the pain and horror of the past in those rooms and felt like it was my responsibility to be present to that pain. Thank you Joe and The Slave Dwelling Project for giving us the opportunity to get honest, to grow, and hopefully contribute to a more just and compassionate world.

Eric
11th Grade

My experience in the Slave Dwelling project was interesting. We all sat around a campfire and Joe McGill was telling us about the Slave Dwelling Project, and some history of the place we were in. Some time before that we all introduced each other in a cool way, going around in order. Sadly I didn’t get to hear all of it, but I had my fun. Sleeping in the dwelling was not the most pleasant experience I had. When it was morning we were eating breakfast and after that we had to go, I was happy and a little sad trying to imagine the living conditions the slaves had been through, and I thought “ The slaves experience was much worse than mine.”

Leah
11th Grade
At Springhouse Community School we have a class on Race, Racism, and White Privilege. As a part of this class we went on a trip to Charleston, South Carolina. Thursday night of the trip we slept in slave cabins at The Magnolia Plantation. Before sleeping in the cabins we spent several hours sitting by a campfire talking about racism.

This conversation was extremely powerful to me. I was one of three students who stayed for the entire conversation. We were up till close to one in the morning. Having the chance to discuss white privilege and racism with a group of African Americans was breathtaking for me. We were able to have an open conversation and hear everyone’s side of their experiences.

As soon as I got home from the school trip I sat down with one of my best friends, who is African American. I told him about the conversation we had that night, and then we were able to have an open conversation about it. This experience has sparked something inside of me and now is the time for us to openly talk about racism. I will continue to ask questions and have these intense conversations. It is the only way to change our culture.