The Antigua Sugar Mills project is an ongoing collaborative effort designed to research, map, historicize, and capture the narratives of the Antigua Sugar Plantations and Mills. Initially, the project arose out of a 2016 course in the Caribbean led by Griot founder Carmen Gillespie and students. The group endeavored to learn about the history of the island of Antigua. The project has since been dedicated to investigating and depicting the stories of the land and lives of the colonized, colonizers, and enslaved peoples of Antigua.
The researchers work in collaboration with independent historian Agnes Meeker, who has spent decades collecting the histories of the sugar mills in Antigua. With her invaluable insights and archives of the sugar mills and plantations on the island, the project can electronically record general information about each mill, its ownership chronology, specifics about the enslaved peoples who worked there, and the current status of each area. Digitization of these histories broadens access for scholars and people interested in learning about Antiguan and Caribbean narratives.
Looking forward, the Griot Sugar Mills Project will be continually updated as more information and narratives are acquired. Additionally, the annual summer abroad trip to the Caribbean and Antigua will help add to the repository of narrative histories and the current status of the mills. The interns and researchers at the Griot Institute are also considering expanding the project, potentially creating a digital collection of Antiguan literature, art, and music. This addition could also include an investigation into the material influence of the island’s living history on the present community and culture. Be sure to check the blog and the Sugar Mills Project website periodically for more updates!
