The Tomb of the Unknown Slave

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Dedicated in 2004, the Tomb of the Unknown Slave is a memorial located on the side of the St. Augustine Church in New Orleans, Louisiana. This shrine honors African Americans from the Tremé neighborhood who have passed away from various circumstances. St. Augustine Church is the oldest African American parish in the United States, founded in 1841. The Shrine honors African Americans who have passed away from various causes in the Tremé neighborhood.

Images

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The Tomb of the Unknown Slave is a memorial of “grave crosses, chains, and shackles dedicated to the enslaved people who died in the New Orleans neighborhood of Tremé. Along with enslaved African Americans in New Orleans the memorial also honors those who were unearthed during construction projects, died of yellow fever, and all of those who were part of the slave trade. There is a bronze plague located on the church wall behind the shrine.

The memorial is located on the side of St. Augustine Church, which was established in 1841 and is the oldest African American parish in the United States. The church founded by free African Americans with additional pews in the church being made available for people who were enslaved. Some of the famous parishioners of St. Augustine were Civil Rights activists Homer Plessy and A.P Tureaud, Jazz musician Sidney Bechet, and Mardi Gras Indian Chief Tootie Montana.

The tomb is metaphorical, and there are no remains interned beneath the shrine. The memorial stands as a legacy of oppression and was created in 2004 with a donation from the Bernard and Anne Spitzer Travel Fellowship.

Sources

Lawrence, Christina. St. Augustine Catholic Church, New Orleans Historical. Accessed July 1st 2020. https://neworleanshistorical.org/items/show/551.

B, Rachel. New Orleans, Louisiana: Sculpture: "Tomb of the Unknown Slave", Roadside America. March 27th 2012. Accessed July 1st 2020. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/32979.

Miller, Richard. Tomb of the Unknown Slave, The Historical Marker Database. August 29th 2010. Accessed July 1st 2020. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=35067.

Grundhauser, Eric. Tomb of the Unknown Slave, Atlas Obscura. Accessed July 1st 2020. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tomb-of-the-unknown-slave.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tomb-of-the-unknown-slave

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=35067