Neg Mawon Emancipation Monument (Roseau, Dominica)

Photograph of Neg Mawon Emancipation Monument in Roseau, Dominica. Image of the statue: a shirtless self-emancipated man ('neg mawon'), with broken shackles and chains around his wrists and neck, holds a conch shell to his lips.

Dublin Core

Title

Neg Mawon Emancipation Monument (Roseau, Dominica)

Subject

Subject (Topic)
Dominica--Roseau
Enslaved persons--Emancipation--Dominica
Freedoom
Maroons--Dominica
Public art
Public sculpture
Slavery--Dominica
Slavery--England
Transatlantic slave trade

Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture

Description

Standing resolutely forward, the muscular figure of a shirtless self-emancipated man ('neg mawon'), with broken shackles and chains around his wrists and neck, holds a conch shell to his lips. The bronze figure, located in the center of a traffic circle, celebrates the self-emancipated (maroon) societies that engaged in a sustained struggle against slavery and French colonialism. The work was unveiled during Dominica’s 2013 Emancipation Celebrations.

Creator

Zamora, Franklyn

Source

Photograph: Ariane Colenbrander, Flickr

Date

August 1, 2013

Contributor

Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica; Ministry of Culture; National Cultural Council.

Rights

Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Government Headquarters, Kennedy Avenue, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica.

Format

JPEG

Language

English

Type

Visual Arts-Sculpture

Coverage

Turkey Lane and Victoria Street, Roseau, Dominica

Has Part

Plaque next to monument:
This monument is a symbol of freedom and emancipation. It is a tribute to all the enslaved Africans who suffered and were executed in the history of Dominica. It honours the Maroons who risked their lives to fight for the emancipation of all. It pays homage to those who were sold and executed at the Old Roseau Market and who were held at the Barracoon Building in Roseau before being sold and sent to the plantations. This monument salutes the memory of our African ancestors and the immense contribution of their skills to our early infrastructure and the development of agriculture in Dominica through the shedding of their blood, sweat and tears. It celebrates the powerful and lasting influence which our which our African ancestors had on Dominica's present day culture, especially in our forms of music, language, costumes and cuisine. This memorial is a reminder to all Dominicans that we should continue to sustain our African heritage and its many cultural expressions.

Extent

84 in. (213.36 cm)

Medium

Bronze

Bibliographic Citation

Dominica News Online. "Emancipation Statue Unveiled." August 2, 2013. Accessed February 15, 2025. https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/culture/emancipation-statue-unveiled/.

Government Information Service. "Emancipation Monument Officially Unveiled." Government of the Commonwealth Dominica. August 6, 2013. Accessed February 15, 2025. https://news.gov.dm/news/news-items/emancipation-monument-officially-unveiled.

Rights Holder

Renée Ater

Still Image Item Type Metadata

Original Format

Sculpture

Physical Dimensions

84 in. (213.36 cm)

Collection

Citation

Zamora, Franklyn, “Neg Mawon Emancipation Monument (Roseau, Dominica),” Contemporary Monuments to the Slave Past, accessed October 1, 2026, https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1167.

Geolocation