Negritude, Americanization and human rights in Gorée, Senegal: The Maison de Esclaves 1966–2019

Abstract

Abstract Based on historical research, and in situ observations, this article examines the history of the Maison des Esclaves as an example of Moyn's argument that interest in human rights arose as a response to the failures of previous idealistic movements, especially nationalism and socialism, and, by the 1970s, the feeling that decolonization had failed. Originating as an expression of Negritude idealism and cultural nationalism, with the Senegalese state's loss of interest in the Maison, the state's larger failure to promote the interests of its inhabitants and ongoing American ties with Senegal's universities and cultural institutions, the Maison shifted its perspective on the slave trade to a human rights approach. This change linked the museum to a supportive international network. But, today, as the Maison's new, human rights-oriented exhibits are still in preparation, they are already being overshadowed by the new Musée des Civilisations Noires, a monumental expression of Negritude and nationalism, supported by the Chinese government. This latest development points to challenges that human rights regimes and museums worldwide may be facing in the coming years.