The role of arts in remembering history

By Francois Leblanc – Contributor

The Zong massacre, which involved the killing of more than 130 slaves on a British ship, created a domino effect in British slave and abolitionist history. Prof. Michelle Faubert from the University of Manitoba discussed this event during a virtual guest lecture at Bishop’s. Faubert, who specializes in the living art of theatre, joined Bishop’s Prof. Shoshannah Bryn Jones Square’s Eighteenth-Century Literary Journeys class on Jan. 25.

The Zong massacre, named after the British ship where it occurred, began when the ship misnavigated and ran low on water. The crew of the Zong threw overboard more than 130 slaves. Zong’s owners demanded compensation as the slaves were insured as property. While the incident was taken to court, it wasn’t for the violation of human rights, but for insurance purposes. 

Prof. Faubert explained that a freedman living in Britain at that time, named Olaudah Equiano, brought the massacre to the public’s attention. He informed activist Granville Sharp of the event, who then drew newspapers’ and politicians’ attention to the case. Since Equiano was Christian and spoke English, he was not part of the “other”, Faubert pointed out. The Zong killings became a referenced case for the abolitionist cause.

When talking of Equiano’s role in the affair, Prof. Faubert said, “It wasn’t an immediate success, but [Equiano] caused some waves . . . His sassiness caused people to take note”, she said. “A couple of decades ago, the average British [person] knew nothing about slavery. They didn’t want to talk about it. It was an embarrassing silence, as Jane Austen said, when she brought it up in conversations through written letters.”

Faubert aims to acknowledge this dark part of British history via the arts, especially the art of live-action play. She intends to make a play about the Zong massacre and wants to showcase the domino effect it had in the real world. People from all parts of British society had listened and considered the reality of slavery without living it. 

Prof. Faubert’s play could have a direct impact on the audience as they see the horrors of what occurred and should never be repeated.

Faubert said that she had gained access to this information through digitized authentic records. Her presentation in Prof. Jones Square’s class created a window that lets the average person see the horrors of slavery. 

History is essential. The Americas as we know them today were built on stolen land, by people who had been ripped apart from their land. The Atlantic slave trade is undoubtedly one of the most shameful and dark periods of human history. History not only brings context to the world we live in, but it also tells us about where we come from and where we can go in the near future.