In an illuminating conversation at the Bodleian libraries, renowned baritone Peter Brathwaite shared his journey of rediscovering the forgotten voices of black and enslaved people, including his own ancestors, as part of the We Are Our History Conversations racial equality event series. Brathwaite’s talk, themed ‘Black Lives in the Archives,’ delved into the depths of the Bodleian’s archives to unveil the silent narratives of black lives buried in historical documents.
Previously, Brathwaite captivated audiences with his photographic exhibition, Rediscovering Black Portraiture, where he recreated 50 paintings, breathing life into black subjects who were often overlooked in the originals. During the pandemic, he reinterpreted portraits daily, ranging from President Obama to ancient kings, queens, saints, servants, slaves, and a Black Madonna.
“I wanted to hear what they were saying. They had been imagined through the white gaze, and I wanted to look at them through the eyes of the sitter,” Brathwaite expressed about his creative process.
Driven by a passion to uncover his ancestors’ stories, Brathwaite embarked on months of scholarly exploration in Barbados and the UK, scouring archives that seldom documented the perspective of black and enslaved individuals. Despite the challenges, he successfully unearthed the lives of his enslaved ancestors and delved into his complex heritage.
Descended from both white enslaving plantation owners and enslaved black people, Brathwaite’s research led him to his four times great grandfather, Addo Brathwaite, believed to have originated from Ghana. The Bodleian letters revealed glimpses of Addo’s life, from being a field slave to becoming a respected free person of color, along with his wife Margaret.
“They were seen as having leadership qualities. Setting a good example… It was hugely challenging stuff,” Brathwaite shared, emphasizing the importance of reading against the grain to discover the real stories behind the historical records.
Beyond the challenges, Brathwaite discovered hints of his ancestors’ West African culture, such as Margaret establishing a family festival similar to Yam festivals in West Africa. The couple also founded a family village in Barbados for their extended family.
While acknowledging the painstaking work of archival research, Brathwaite emphasized its significance, stating, “It’s really important for people to hear this. If you move away from the data, you can find the people behind the numbers.”
Reflecting on the emotional impact of discovering his ancestors’ names in the archives, Brathwaite described it as “an encounter with the archives.” However, he cautioned that navigating historic papers required care due to the “visceral violence” and challenging terminology.
Jasdeep Singh, Project Manager for the Bodleian’s We Are Our History initiative, highlighted the project’s commitment to revealing hidden stories in the archives and making them more accessible. The initiative aims to address imbalances in collections, shedding light on silenced voices in colonial-era documents.
Brathwaite remarked, “Not everyone can find their family history. You feel in the dark and grasp at little clues. So much is lost. There is an overwhelming silence. It is deafening.”
The Bodleian’s We Are Our History project draws inspiration from James Baldwin’s quote: “History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history.”
