1873 Tote Bag

1873, or the year when slavery in former Dutch colonies in the Caribbean unofficially ended. 1863 is the official date, but since enslaved people in Suriname had to work an extra 10 years(!), 1873 is the date used. 

Design inspired by Elizabeth Catlett's Homage to the Panthers (1970) and Malcolm X Speaks for Us (1969). This illustration features Curaçao's freedom fighter Tula, and Suriname's Ma Pansa, an enslaved woman who carried rice in her braided hair for survival when she fled. The flowers are Dama d'anochi, or Lady of the Night. These flowers only bloom for one night in the year and are native to Curaçao.