Dread Scott Launches Kickstarter to Reenact 1811 Slave Rebellion

SAIC alum Dread Scott (BFA 1989), best known for his provocative works like What Is the Proper Way to Display a US Flag?, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a reenactment of the 1811 Louisiana slave rebellion. Scott is collaborating with New Orleans-based arts organization, Antenna, to orchestrate more than 500 people to march the 26-mile route that the slaves took along the Mississippi River. Speaking about the project to W magazine, Scott said  “this project is not about slavery and it’s not about oppression, it’s about people who’ve shaken off oppression and are trying to emancipate themselves the only way they can, and that’s by ending slavery.”

The Kickstarter campaign aims to raise more than $40,000 for the event which, according to the project’s website, will “culminate in a celebration featuring a public commemoration of the enslaved rebels who sacrificed their lives and a community celebration of Black cultural expressions of freedom through music and performance.” Read the write-ups about Scott's project on Artforum and W magazine.