The Old House in French Quarter hosted the 178th anniversary of the abolition of slavery on Thursday, under the theme “Years after Emancipation — The Making of a Country.”
The commemoration opened with the blowing of the conch shell, followed by a presentation from members of the Junior Territorial Council on the sugar cane rollers once used by enslaved people to crush cane near the Old House. Speakers reflected on French Quarter’s history, resilience, and responsibility to preserve ancestral memory.
District Council representative Agnes Alexander said emancipation was not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a people, an identity, and a nation built on courage, unity, and hope.
President Louis Mussington described the Old House as a silent witness to pain, resistance, courage, and survival. He said the community has a duty to pass this history to younger generations, not to reopen wounds, but to teach the truth and build a stronger future.
The ceremony included wreath laying, a minute of silence, cultural presentations, music, readings, and a closing dance performance by folkloric group Grain D’Or.