Things They Carried: An African Philosophy on War, Surviving Enslavement and Citizenship

St. Paul’s Church | 21 Centre Street | Concord, NH “‘If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.’ – Sun Tzu. African societies have deep-rooted traditions of military strategy and guerrilla warfare, which were often used to defend against invaders or internal conflict. Enslaved Africans carried these traditions with them, applying their knowledge of strategy, resistance, and rebellion to resist oppression. This conversation will explore how African philosophies of war and cosmology helped enslaved Africans endure and cope with the trauma of enslavement. Panelists will discuss how these spiritual and communal frameworks fostered resilience, resistance, and hope, empowering the enslaved to recognize their internal strength and resist dehumanization. This program is brought to you in partnership with St. Paul’s Church. Department: Africana Studies, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA Director of the Center for Black History at the Newport Historical Society and an Adjunct Lecturer at the Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University.