As the Cajun sun rose over New Orleans, we were still asleep; but did manage to leave our “fine” accommodations to head for Oak Alley Plantation. This mansion was used in the movie Gone With The Wind and is one of the most opulent plantations around. Dad had been there before and had quite an experience, so we figured to give it a go and see what kind of interesting experience and conversations we might encounter.
The plantation derives its name from 28, three hundred year old oak trees that had been planted to form a corridor or alley way of massive oaks leading up to the house. The mansion and grounds are quite magnificent and recall an era of high society and sophisticated living by the elite of the south during the antebellum years (early-mid 1800’s).
Throughout the tour of the mansion, it was interesting to note that amid the descriptions of the lives the people who lived here, there was little to no reference regarding the lives and conditions of the 113 slaves to who built the mansion and toiled in its 1000 acres of sugar cane fields. When pressed on this by dad and I, the tour guide became noticeably uncomfortable about the issue and deflected some of the questions with comments like, “the slaves on this plantation were well cared for and received several water breaks when working in the fields. Because they were considered property, they were well cared for, like you would a tractor.” (this is my recollection of his comments, but the tractor comment is verbatim) Another tour guide we talked to, in trying to get a better answer, said they don’t like to talk about the slaves because it isn’t “politically correct.” But how can ignoring the issue be a better approach?
As dad and I drove out of Oak Alley, both of us were surprised at how the issue of slavery and its relationship to the Civil War is suppressed and hasn’t really been dealt with. Many folks haven’t reached the point where they can talk openly and honestly about the horrors and oppression of one race of people denigrating another. Instead, at Oak Alley, it was all about the grandeur and good-ol-days when the southern society was elevated to a place of prominence on the beaten backs and broken bodies of God’s children, who just happened to be black.
To get another dimension of this issue, we headed to Jackson, Mississippi and a two day visit with a Christian civil rights leader…John Perkins.
The plantation derives its name from 28, three hundred year old oak trees that had been planted to form a corridor or alley way of massive oaks leading up to the house. The mansion and grounds are quite magnificent and recall an era of high society and sophisticated living by the elite of the south during the antebellum years (early-mid 1800’s).
Throughout the tour of the mansion, it was interesting to note that amid the descriptions of the lives the people who lived here, there was little to no reference regarding the lives and conditions of the 113 slaves to who built the mansion and toiled in its 1000 acres of sugar cane fields. When pressed on this by dad and I, the tour guide became noticeably uncomfortable about the issue and deflected some of the questions with comments like, “the slaves on this plantation were well cared for and received several water breaks when working in the fields. Because they were considered property, they were well cared for, like you would a tractor.” (this is my recollection of his comments, but the tractor comment is verbatim) Another tour guide we talked to, in trying to get a better answer, said they don’t like to talk about the slaves because it isn’t “politically correct.” But how can ignoring the issue be a better approach?
As dad and I drove out of Oak Alley, both of us were surprised at how the issue of slavery and its relationship to the Civil War is suppressed and hasn’t really been dealt with. Many folks haven’t reached the point where they can talk openly and honestly about the horrors and oppression of one race of people denigrating another. Instead, at Oak Alley, it was all about the grandeur and good-ol-days when the southern society was elevated to a place of prominence on the beaten backs and broken bodies of God’s children, who just happened to be black.
To get another dimension of this issue, we headed to Jackson, Mississippi and a two day visit with a Christian civil rights leader…John Perkins.
In my previous trip to Oak Alley 10 years ago, when on the tour I asked about the lives of the slaves...the tour guide said that they don't talk about the slaves. And it was obvious that they and possibly much of our society has and continues to stuff the issue of slavery and how a group of people because of color were subjected to cruelty and inhumane dealings. There is still work to do in this. And it is more a matter of the heart, than legislation, quotas, etc. And John Perkins has been walking this way for over 50 years. And was our next stop in seeing America and the Kingdom of God at work in side America.
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