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Title
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Portrait
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Description
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This piece aims to honor the service of black and Haitian military men. When considering the Haitian Revolution we often tell the stories of men such as Toussaint L'Ouverture, one of too few symbols of black military power. This block places a black military leader at the center of attention, and also aims to connect his story with slavery in Haiti, America, and beyond. In this block, the image of the Haitian militia man appears beside an illustration of a cotton plant. Although slavery in Haiti was fueled by sugarcane, not cotton, an image of a cotton plant is placed here to remind the viewer that slavery is and shall remain a hallmark of American history, and issues of injustice in the military still occur today. When we consider the history of the transatlantic slave trade, we do not often think of its impact on how black people are treated in the military. Erased from history and celebration, black bodies were catalogued as equipment much like weapons and protective wear. While great progress has been made since the abolition of slavery and the integration of the military, we still have a long way to go in our quest for equal treatment of people of color as well as gay and transgender people in the military.
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Date Created
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2017
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PID
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grinnell:25490
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Title
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Side of a Chinese temple
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Description
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Photograph of the side of a temple in China.
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Date Created
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1924
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PID
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grinnell:17402
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Title
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Small Chinese temple
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Description
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Photograph of a structure on the grounds of a Chinese temple.
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Date Created
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1924
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PID
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grinnell:17399
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Title
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Small religious structure in China
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Description
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Photograph of a roadside wooden structure, elaborately carved with a stone tablet in the middle under a roof.
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Date Created
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1924
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PID
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grinnell:17410
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Title
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Small shrines in China
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Description
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Photograph of ten small stone shrines at the base of a mountain.
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Date Created
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1924
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PID
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grinnell:17409
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Title
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Stone outcrop in China
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Description
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Photograph of a rock outcropping in the middle of a forested mountain range in China.
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Date Created
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1924
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PID
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grinnell:17408
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Title
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Temple in China
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Description
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Photograph of a temple and possibly a shrine in China.
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Date Created
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1924
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PID
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grinnell:17393
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Title
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Temple in China
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Description
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Photograph of a temple with a tall stone shrine in front of it.
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Date Created
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1924
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PID
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grinnell:17411
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Title
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The Father of Grinnell
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Description
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Grinnell’s history in relation to slavery often points to the man pictured in this block. J.B. Grinnell was a known advocate of abolition, and founded the very town of Grinnell on anti-slavery principles. He worked with the Underground Railroad to help slaves escape to Canada and served in Iowa’s Congress, even though his views on abolition made him quite unpopular amongst many Midwesterners. In the process of researching the life of J.B. Grinnell, the creator of this block was directed to a letter written by L.F. Parker describing an “incipient mob” driving five fugitive slaves out of the town of Grinnell. This letter encourages us to unpack the many layers of white abolitionist intention, and make distinctions between theory and action. While J.B. Grinnell had clearly intended for his town to be a space to live the tenets of the abolitionist movement, in practice this was not always the case. By showcasing this story, the artist urges viewers to contemplate the many phases and evolutions of freedom and abolition, knowing that good intention has yet to be enough.
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Date Created
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2017
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PID
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grinnell:25487
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Title
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The Fire
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Description
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On August 16th 1791, in the eleventh month of the Haitian Revolution, slaves from the Limbé district set fire to a wealthy French estate. During their subsequent interrogation they revealed the names of rebellion leaders, further advancing the story of the revolution. As the story of the rebellion spread over the island, slaves vowed to burn as many plantations as possible. Fiery acts such as these became more common as the revolution gathered steam, harming humans and animals alike and leaving the once beautiful Haitian landscape black and smoldering. In this block, the artist has used fake flower petals, red marbles, and enlarged images of orange microscopic organisms to create the sensation of heat and flames while also incorporating allusions to nature. The block revolves around an image depicting a burning plantation and a rioting mass of people running with arms raised, a scene from the 1791 revolt. On the left, a figure wearing a crown hangs from a tree, perhaps symbolizing the persecution of the Haitian people at the hands of French colonists.
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Date Created
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2017
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PID
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grinnell:25506