Acts of Resistance: Slave Rebellions in the United States

Acts of resistance against injustice in the African American community have taken various forms over time. An extreme example of this resistance during the antebellum era was the slave rebellion. This presentation will examine the legacy of the more than 100 currently documented slave rebellions, from the 1712 Wall Street Rebellion, to the Stono Rebellion, the unsuccessful Denmark Vesey Rebellion, John Brown's attempted revolution to free the slaves, and that of Nat Turner's, and continue through the non-violent Civil Rights era and the Black Power movement. This talk will explore the historical through-lines of black resistance despite the differences in time and place.

We will examine how this spirit of rebellion still manifests itself today in the #BlackLivesMatter movement of hashtag activism. And we will ask the question: what have been the effects of these acts of rebellion on both the African American community and the legal system?