Freedom in Congo Square

I was absorbed by this African American history picture book depicting an area in Louisiana where slaves and free blacks gathered for rest, music and dance. The meeting area dating back to 1817 eventually became known as Congo Square. During slavery the law indicated that Sundays were a day of rest for all. Most states required white supervision of slave assemblies, but on Sundays it was time for everyone to take a rest and live out some modicum of freedom. Thinking about “white supervision” is dreadful when I consider these aspects of our United States history, but in yearning for freedom I must speak this history aloud. Today, Congo Square is part of Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans, Louisiana. A 2017 Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor book, this is a book written with poetic flow and the 2017 Charlotte Zolotow Award winner.