Dr. Pettway will present his recent book, Cuban Literature in the Age of Black Insurrection: Manzano, Plácido, and Afro-Latino Religion, which argues that Black Cuban colonial authors subverted the symbols of Catholicism to create portrayals of African-insipred spirituality. Such literature had aesthetic and political consequences. In 1844, Spanish authorities executed Gabrial de la Conceptión Valdés (Plácido) as the alleged ringleader of “the conspiracy… to exterminate… the white population.” The authorities claimed that Plácido had administered “horrendous oaths” to fellow blacks to ensure unity among them. Pettway will analyze the loyalty oath as a sacred speech act devised to consecrate the Black body for revolution.
Please join us! These events will be on Zoom, and registration is necessary. To register, please contact Dr. Sarah Moody, stmoody@ua.edu.
