Plantation Visit

One of the most powerful and profound experiences I have had was my recent trip to New Orleans when I visited the Whitney Plantation (https://whitneyplantation.com/). The Whitney Plantation is a museum and a memorial artwork of restored buildings and hundreds of first-person slave narratives. As stated on their website, “visitors to Whitney will gain a unique perspective on the lives of Louisiana's enslaved people.”

The plantation was started in 1752 by German immigrants Haydel and his wife; their descendants owned it until 1867. The museum, comprising main portions of the 2,000-acre plantation property, opened its doors to the public for the first time in December 2014. It was founded by John Cummings, a trial attorney from New Orleans who has spent more than $8 million of his own fortune on this long-term project, and worked on it for nearly 15 years.

We had the opportunity to meet Mr. Cummings during our visit. Mr. Cummings was very welcoming and genuine man--a scholar and a gentleman…and quite humorous. He strongly encourages visitors to take photos, read books and ask lots of questions. You will not leave without a greater sense of who you are, your strength of mind, body and spirit. How else could we (our ancestors) have survived slavery?

I would love to take a group of young people (from Minnesota) to this historic and life-changing, life-affirming memorial.

The Whitney is located near Wallace, Louisiana, about an hour’s drive from New Orleans.

The etiquette of visiting a historic site (museum; memorial; gallery):

? Keep an open mind

? If asked not to touch, do not touch. Touching may compromise the preservation of the artwork and artifacts.

? Do not complain - You might be a bit uncomfortable; if you visit a plantation in the Southern states during the summer time, it’s likely to be hot and uncomfortable. Think about our ancestors who had to endure more than an hour and a-half tour.

? Respect others views, opinions and perspectives.

? Afterwards, take time to reflect and even discuss your feelings; it’s a lot to take in.