Freedom in July 1850-1900
Freedom came draped in white and red. In 1863, St. Eustatius marked the end of slavery not with silence but with songs, flowers, and resistance led by women. But was emancipation truly liberation? This episode dives into memory, movement, and what freedom meant—when justice never arrived.
Host: Fi de Wit
Guests: Governor Lady Alida Francis, Dr. Jacqueline Allain, Mrs. Gay Soutekouw Dr. Zahidi, Mr. Raimie Richardson
In this powerful episode, Freedom in July, we explore the meaning of emancipation in St. Eustatius. Through oral history, music, ritual, and memory, we uncover how freedom was celebrated, mourned, and redefined by women who shaped a new world from the ashes of bondage. From red ribbons and flamboyant flowers to the rise of education and migration, this episode traces the legacy of resistance and quiet revolutions. With voices like Governor Lady Alida Francis and Mr. Richardson, we remember how the enslaved reclaimed dignity—not through reparations, but through presence. What does it mean to be free when freedom came with nothing but a proclamation?
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Produced by Simpler Media
