How runaway slave advertisements inspired a powerful new musical exploration of American freedom
In short: This performance features Rhiannon Giddens interpreting songs that transform historical runaway slave advertisements into music. By grounding artistic expression in the Freedom on the Move database, the project confronts the complex, often painful reality of American liberty through the stories of those who sought their own liberation.
In 2019, Cornell University launched the Freedom on the Move database, which archives thousands of runaway advertisements placed by enslavers in early American newspapers. These records contain names, physical descriptions, and reward details for over 30,000 individuals who escaped enslavement. These documents serve as a stark, primary record of a brutal system and the persistent human drive to reclaim autonomy.
Composer Shawn Okpebholo and curator Dr. Tsitsi Ella Jaji utilized this archive to create Songs in Flight, a musical work designed to challenge conventional narratives regarding liberty. The project, commissioned by Sparks & Wiry Cries, debuted on January 12, 2023, at The Met Fifth Avenue. By setting these historical accounts to music, the creators aim to humanize the statistics and force a deeper reckoning with the legacy of slavery.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Giddens: At the Purchaser’s Option / Okpebholo: “oh freedom” from Songs in Flight | MetLiveArts
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