Discovering Denmark Vesey
Statue of Denmark Vesey in Hampton Park - Charleston, S.C.
Our GPS told us we were in the right place, but didn’t see what we were looking for. As we pulled up to Hampton Park, there were lush green lawns as far as the eye could see and gardens of colorful flowers.
It was a cloudy day threatening rain, but I was determined to find the statue of Denmark Vesey. As Curnell and I walked through the park, we saw no directional signs to the monument. As we walked, we asked people we saw along the way if they knew where the monument was. Three people confirmed we were going in the right direction. Soon the bronze monument dedicated to the slave revolt leader was revealed.
We arrived at what I thought was the back of the monument. (I later read the artist who built the structure designed it to have Vesey face the ocean and Africa.) The statue depicted a man with strong cheekbones, a confident stance, and a satchel of carpentry tools.
I learned about Denmark Vesey from a movie, “A House Divided: Denmark Vesey’s Rebellion“ on the streaming network, Tubi. The cast included Yaphet Kotto (Live and Let Die), Cleavon Little (Blazing Saddles), Bernie Casey and Brock Peters, to name a few. Why haven’t I seen this before? I asked my husband if he knew about Vesey and responded with a slow yes and proceeded to tell me what he knew.
For those readers who know about Vesey, thank you for indulging me by reading this post.
Denmark Vesey was a skilled carpenter and free black man who purchased his freedom from slavery in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1822, he with others orchestrated a revolt to have up to 1,000 enslaved blacks escape bondage and kill their owners and any white man they encountered as they boarded a boat to Haiti. The plan failed as information about the event was leaked and Vesey along with over 30 others were arrested, and executed by hanging.
Discovering this history intrigued me as I kept peeling back layers of the failed revolt. I thought of the boldness of planning such an act in the Antebellum South. I tried to picture enslaved blacks living alongside free blacks in Charleston, a city where 60% of captured Africans entered America to be enslaved. I was also captivated by Vesey’s courage and selfless act of fighting for justice for the enslaved blacks living in this city. He was a free man and could have just minded his own business and lived his life. Lastly, as a Methodist, the story was enriched by learning comrades for this uprising were recruited through the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Church, where Vesey attended. This is the same church where Dylann Roof shot nine people during bible study.
Although some have said Vesey was a terrorist, I believe him to be a noble and courageous figure in American History. Stories like Vesey’s rebellion or people who use their privilege of freedom to fight for justice should be remembered. I’m confident there are more stories to discover from our past and some making history now.
Have you stumbled upon a detail in history that made you want to learn more? Are there stories in history you’ve learned about as an adult that you wish you learned as a youth?
Charleston’s rich history is complicated, beautiful, and painful. But as hard as it is to hear and see, I will remain open to learning more about this place I now call home.
Click the links below to learn more.
Denmark Vesey and the History of Charleston's Emanuel AME Church
