Inheriting slavery: making sense of a difficult heritage

Abstract

In 1807, the British parliament decreed the abolition of the slave trade; since then, the places connected with the slave trade have physically ‘inherited’ its material traces and have become emotionally charged with historical memory. This article looks at the material inheritance of slavery and the challenges of its interpretation in historical sites, through the use of sound. Specifically, the article focuses on the Clifton National Heritage Park, an old slave plantation in Nassau (New Providence Island, Bahamas), and its interpretation via soundscapes. We will argue that the inheritance of slavery, as cultural trauma and collective memory, is ‘a form of remembrance’ that impact on identity formation: this can be interpreted, re-appropriated and attributed new meanings, for the benefits of both local and non-local communities.