Beaded and sequined flags, called “drapo,” are an important component of Vodoun, a religion that was established on the island of Haiti beginning in the 1500s. Hundreds of thousands of West and Central Africans were enslaved and brought to labor on Haitian sugarcane plantations. There, conversion to Catholicism was forced on the slaves, so they developed their own faith system under these extremely brutal conditions. Now through May 15, the Birmingham Museum of Art presents Haitian Flags from the Cargo Collection. The shimmering banners are symbols of the faith that helped Haitians survive their oppression. Flags in the exhibition are part of the museum’s Robert Cargo Folk Art Collection. http://www.artsbma.org/curators-choice-5-reasons-to-see-haitian-flags/
