Bunce Island Exhibit
The exhibit titled "Bunce Island: A British Slave Castle in Sierra Leone" will be on display at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History from July 29, 2009 to February 28, 2010.
This exhibit was curated by Joseph A. Opala of James Madison University (Virginia)
You will remember Joe Opala as a frequent speaker at FoSL events and a recipient of FoSL's "Distinguished Member" award." FoSL has supported the work and research of Joe Opala since FoSL was founded in 1991, and through FoSL's Bunce Island Committee we have funnelled thousands of dollars to the development of the Bunce Island digital modeling project (James Madison University) which is an impressive educational tool for bringing the history and legacy of Bunce Island to light.
FoSL recognizes Bunce Island as an important intersection between the histories of the United States and Sierra Leone and one which provides direct physical and historical evidence for the family linkages of millions of Americans with their Sierra Leonean ancestors.
If you are in the Chicago area during the exhibit's run, it will be well worth your efforts to take in this impressive exhibit.
Michael Diliberti
Chair, Bunce Island Committee, FoSL
Bunce Island is the British slave castle near Freetown that sent thousands of African captives to slavery in South Carolina and Georgia during the 1700s.
FoSL is sponsoring a traveling exhibit on Bunce Island prepared by Professor Joseph Opala (PCV 74-77) and his students at James Madison University in Virginia. The exhibit -- comprised of display panels and a short video -- contains a great deal of information on Sierra Leone and its historical ties to the United States.
To get the exhibit around the country, we need FoSL members willing to promote it in their own local communities.
If you know someone in your state who works for a college, museum, or library and who might want this exhibit for his (or her) own institution, please draw their attention to the exhibit's website at: http://www.bunce-island.org
And if they are interested, please ask them to contact Joseph Opala directly at: opalajx@jmu.edu
When making your pitch for the exhibit, you can remind people that 2008 is the 200th anniversary of the US Congress's prohibition of the Atlantic slave trade. This exhibit is an excellent way to mark that anniversary.
Bunce Island has been called "the most important historic site in Africa for the United States." A number of RPCV's have been working for years to raise the money needed to preserve this site, and getting this exhibit around the US will greatly assist their efforts.
If we can preserve Bunce Island and make it a regular stop for African Americans coming on heritage tours to Africa, this will highlight Sierra Leone's important historical ties to the US and help boost the country's economy in a variety of ways.
Your help will be much appreciated.
