Bouki Fait Gombo

by Ibrahim Seck

An exploration of slavery and its impact on southern culture, Bouki Fait Gombo is the first book to map the history of Habitation Haydel. Now known as the Whitney Plantation, the Haydel began operating in 1752 as an indigo producer and went on to become one of the most important sugar plantations in Louisiana. This in-depth study traces the route of African slaves to the German Coast of Louisiana, charts the various owners of the Haydel, and discusses the daily life of slaves on the plantation. Although the book does not shy away from depicting the brutalities of slavery, at its heart are the stories of the robust culinary and musical cultures that grew out of slaves' desires to reconnect with their home.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

215 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2014

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting, but hard-core history. I read about this book in the context of a new slavery museum in Louisiana, set up at a former plantation called "Whitney Plantation." "Bouki Fait Gombo" is a history of the slaves on that plantation (and the owners too) (called a "micro-history"), specifically, and more generally a history of slavery in Louisiana, and the slave trade that facilitated it. It's very well written and the footnotes are helpful. There are _lots_ of details, like reproductions of slave auctions that occurred as the owners died, maps, etc. There is lots of detail about the development (of course) of the black side of the family as the white owners and their relatives took black concubines and had lots of children by them. Some of their ancestors are politically involved in Louisiana. Fascinating to see that, despite the Civil War and freedom for slaves, the white side of the family that owned Whitney Plantation still ended up rich - the land, etc., was passed to the white side of the family; and the black side of the family stayed poor for generations.

Stuff I learned, both important - and also weird details:

- "Bouki Fait Gombo" comes from French Creole, and is a shortening of the longer "Bouki fait gombo, lapin mange li", which means, "He-Goat cooks, but rabbit eats it." It comes from African tales which are still told today in the form of Brer Rabbit and Bugs Bunny - the clever rabbit dupes the dumber, bigger beings around him. But here it also is intended to relate to the condition of slavery - the slave always cooks and the master always eats what is cooked. Slaves get no benefit from their labor.

- Manumission (setting free a slave) was a lot harder than I realized. So institutionalized was slavery that once you owned a slave, it was more difficult to get rid of it than I thought. All the slave states had slave codes limiting a master's right to free a slave. Some of it was designed to protect old slaves, sick slaves, baby slaves from being "freed" just to relieve the master of a burden. Lots of slaves in those categories who were "freed" ended up on what would today be called a welfare roll. But, much of the purpose of those rules was based on a perception that freed slaves were a problem - that free blacks created all sorts of difficulties for society.

- In Louisiana, the manumission rules were loosened a bit in I think it was the 1840s and a significant number of slaves were freed. But, believe it or not, after the Fugitive Slave Act in 1950, and as the country headed toward war, Louisiana tightened the rules again and actually TOOK AWAY the freedom of some slaves who had been freed!!!! they were ordered to return to their former masters!!

- There was consensus among white men AND white women that the children of white men and black concubines should be free. Not sure why? And those free children were required to return to their former "masters" (fathers!) when the slave code was changed.

- Sooooo many things come from Africa. The preparation of grits from grain is African (tho using corn to prepare them started in America). Watermelon is African. "Gumbo" is a term for "food". "Greens" used in Southern food came from Africa. Okra came from Africa. "Jambalaya" is based on a word "jamb" meaning "to mix." Rice!! The rice that was grown in South Carolina and Louisiana was grown by slaves specifically selected and imported for their knowledge of rice-growing techniques.

I'm reading too much about this part of our history and need to move on to something else, but I'm kind of obsessed. And the more I read the less I understand. I just can't conceive of that degree of injustice, right here in the US, not so very long ago. And the arguments and justifications are eerily familiar ... but, well, I won't go into that. Let's just say that lots of the attitudes are startlingly similar today.

I do recommend this book for people interested in the history of slavery in the US. I want to go visit Whitney Plantation, which just opened a couple of months ago.

[Joette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very very informative and well researched work, however, it needs further editing to help make it easier to follow/read.

[Carly Plesic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family tree or diagram would have been nice to sort all the different family members and enslaved people.

[Gabriella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this while in New Orleans and thought it was super interesting and there’s a TON of information that I didn’t know but it was also pretty hard to follow at some points