As the march to rebellion and independence came closer, for Black and Colored disappeared.
Saint-Domingue, the Pearl of the Antilles, is a cultural powerhouse. Why were you interested in sharing this fact with readers?Ī: This was an unexpected fact I discovered in my research. Q: Opera on Saint-Domingue has a rich history, and the island was regarded as a cultural and world leader in theater. I’m determined to return our ancestors to us in ways that show their courage, their heart and their humanity.
At times, there felt like roadblocks had been set in my way to prevent this story from coming into existence. “Sister Mother Warrior” was the hardest novel that I have had to write. I also believe in enjoying a good meal and great chocolate to transport me mentally to a place of joy and safety.
Q: Did you cultivate a self-care routine to preserve your emotional well-being while researching and writing the novel?Ī: Ending a writing day with calming hot tea has become a ritual. The islands are a deadlier place because of bugs and diseases like yellow fever prevalent in these tropical climates, accounting for thousands of deaths each year. Nonetheless, the number of enslaved rebellions occurring across the Caribbean led these colonizers to inflict severe punishments in an attempt to control their “chattel.” The accounts are horrifying. Both America and Saint-Domingue abused their slaves, and often resorted to unimaginable ways to maximize pain. It’s hard to measure levels of cruelty and the levels of punishment that lead to death. In Saint-Domingue and most of the West Indie’s colonies, the enslaved lived an average of 30 to 33 years. Q: What was the average life expectancy for an enslaved person in Saint-Domingue versus the United States?Ī: The life expectancy in the United States for the enslaved is reported to be from 40 to 44 years. Enslaved Blacks were at the bottom of the social wrung.
One of the most coercive aspects of the Code Noir, or codified coercion, was the freeing of an enslaved woman and her child if she had a baby by her master. Freedom for the Affranchi came from being born free or being freed by their master through money or the Code Noir. Affranchi were free Coloreds (Creole, people with mixed heritage and light-colored skin) and free Blacks. For people of color, or Blacks, there were other designations. Mobility happened by gaining wealth or marrying into wealth. Petite Blancs were in trade, or they worked for the Grand Blancs. Q: What were the racial classifications for people living on Saint-Domingue in the 18th and 19th centuries? How were individuals able to transcend the established hierarchy and improve their social/civic status?Ī: Whites, the Blancs, had two categories: Grand Blancs who owned land and were wealthy, and Petite Blancs.
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