20 Comments
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Fox and Rob Rich's avatar

What a powerful essay. Thank you for sharing.

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Calvin Duncan's avatar

Thank you for reading.

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Sarah's avatar

❤️❤️❤️ awesome

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Donald Arbuthnot's avatar

I love everything you said and can identify with those truths as well. Thanks for sharing.

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Calvin Duncan's avatar

Thanks Donald. I think we all had times when we felt powerless and a good friend helped us stay connected to who we are.

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Debbie lisbey's avatar

More like this, please.

You are a good writer, almost made me cry.

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Calvin Duncan's avatar

Thank you, Debbie.

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Minivan's avatar

Loved what you wrote about the postcards. Good reminder to send postcards to some of my friends in prison. Thanks, buddy.

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Calvin Duncan's avatar

I know your friends will be very grateful. God bless.

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Norris Henderson's avatar

You are becoming a very good story teller. Can't wait till the book is released.

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Calvin Duncan's avatar

Thanks for all your support.

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Rose Vines's avatar

Article 19: We cannot too strongly recommend that all citizens be less lenient toward them [the enslaved], and punish them accordingly on every occasion.

Article 17: Any individual who buys from a negro any foodstuff or object...without written and detailed permission from his master shall be placed in the stocks for the first offense, and, in the case of a second, sent to the galleys for life.

Many things stood out for me in the Captive State exhibition, but the thing that really got to me were the laws and regulations that urged people to be as cruel as possible in their dealings with enslaved people and anyone who dared interact with them.

Love the postcards, Calvin, and that you kept them throughout your imprisonment!

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Calvin Duncan's avatar

Thank you for sharing this, Rose. The point you make here shows how we got that mindset that being cruel to people you think deserve it is okay. The real question we should be asking is: what does being cruel as a people do to us?

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Donald Arbuthnot's avatar

I am very proud of you and all your accomplishments thus far. Your rise to greatness has only begun, Calvin. Which make me prouder to have cross your path in this life. I am getting it out now

than later that I fully believe in you, your work, passion, and mission in this life we share. RISE BROTHER!

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Louisiana Ward's avatar

Teacher. You brought back some good and bad memories. Our lockerbox helped us maintain a sense of privacy, and at the same time it allowed our privacy to be violated. I still have items from my locker box-legal papers, pictures, etc. . . so I know how you feel about them and how sentimental they are to you. Can't wait for what's next.

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Calvin Duncan's avatar

Thanks, Jack. You're right, we had to take the good with the bad.

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Constance S Orians's avatar

You are an impactful story teller. It is a gift and you have been blessed with it. You change our world one story at a time. Never stop.

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Calvin Duncan's avatar

Thank you, Connie. I appreciate all your support.

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Lauren W's avatar

Wow, your friend sending you the two postcards of New Orleans when he got out brought me to tears — along with your description of those sights being just a mile away but you felt as though you were forgetting what they looked like. Thank you for you sharing, Calvin.

I really wish I could have been in New Orleans while the Captive State exhibit was on but will absolutely look it up to read more about it. Your question in the comments - what does being cruel as a people do to us - and the continued explicit allowance of this in America - is something that is sitting with me at all times. You are a light, Calvin!

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Calvin Duncan's avatar

Thank you for sharing this, it means a lot to me. I believe Captive State will be coming out as a book, so I'll share more about that here when the time is right as well.

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