Since May 15, when the news broke of a fire which burned Nottoway Plantation, the largest antebellum plantation in the South, to the ground, Black folks have been sharing their excitement all across social media. For people whose ancestors endured slavery, it’s not hard to wonder why they would rejoice in the news of the destruction of a symbol of that painful time.
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Although Nottoway was a sugar plantation built and operated by slaves in 1859, unless they are students of history, the couples who have their weddings and the families who stay at the resort would have no idea, as the property doesn’t make mention of that time its marketing materials.
Here are some of the best memes from Black people who are not sorry about the Nottoway Plantation fire we found online.
“Ashes to Ashes, Plantation to Dust”
With the help of AI, this meme imagines the cookout Black folks would have as the plantation burns in the background.
“To the smoke signals sent to the heavens. To the ancestors who never had the chance to say, ‘Burn it all down.’ This one was for them,” they tagged the post.
Sinister Grin
You can’t help but have this look on your face
“me as soon as I heard abt the nottoway plantation being on fire,” they wrote.
White Noise
News of a fire is never good. But the sound of the burning building was like white noise for this person, who is probably dreaming of her ancestors tonight.
“That lil cozy shoulder shrug got me screaming,” the post is captioned.
Pour Something Out for The Ancestors
As the plantation burned in the background, this clip shows Dr. Mia Crawford taking a little time to our something out for the ancestors who weren’t here to see it.
“This divergence in response underscores a broader societal deficit in empathy and emotional intelligence, particularly in understanding the historical and psychological burden that plantations represent for Black Americans,” she said.
Happy Harriet
This meme shows a delighted depiction of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass smiling from ear to ear as the plantation burns in the background.
“Nottoway to...Not Today”
We still don’t have information on what started the fire at Nottoway, but this person believes it must have been a person who walked away from the scene like a badass Angela Bassett in “Waiting to Exhale.”
Sorry, Not Sorry
This hilarious meme shows a delighted religious leader and Black nationalist Louis Farrakhan, imagining how he must have reacted to the news of the fire at Nottoway.
“Me, thinking of all the racists that had summer weddings planned at Nottaway plantation that are fuqued now,” they captioned the post.
Pass The Potato Salad
You have to believe this is the expression that every Black person has on their face while people cry about the loss of a slave plantation.
Something to Dance About
While this person depicted people dancing in front of the burning plantation, their message about the meaning was very serious.
“Ya see, nobody wants to spoil some brides big day with the ugly truth, that close to the place where she stands to take her wedding vows, a slave was whipped, chained, and or raped. Just ruins a perfect day. So they buried that past and the people who suffered on that property for profits. It’s the equivalent of holding weddings at Auschwitz,” they captioned the post.
Liking Every Post
This meme maker has clearly spent a lot of time scrolling and wants everyone to know how much they’re enjoying it all. “Me liking every post about The Nottoway Plantation fire,” they tagged their post.
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