MEET THE FAMILY,
ALIVE & DEAD
THE BELOVED ANCESTOR
TOUSSAINT, 50s
Toussaint Louverture. Born as a slave in Saint-Domingue and then later a freed man. With the privilege of educated parents, Toussaint experienced the world with curiosity during his upbringing, eventually becoming the steward at his plantation before being legally freed in 1776. During the initial slave revolts, he helped his slave master escape. He believes in the racial hierarchy, despite the contradictions of his own identity.
While he tries to see both sides of the slave trade, he is happy with his position and doesn’t plan on stirring up any trouble. He opposes Vodou and any African folklore that has made its way through those who traversed the Middle Passage. The dissonance he holds between his enslaved counterparts and himself is fueled by his adamant fervency in Catholicism and the buy-in of seeing racial divides as a virtue.
Toussaint’s arc from arrogance to renowned leader:
During the slave revolts in 1791, after the Bois-Caïman ceremony, Toussaint was initially hesitant, unsure which side to take. He knows, however, that the rebels will eventually kill him if he continues to help the white enslavers. Throughout the season, we see him develop trust with Tino, Victoria, and other characters through his insight into military tactics, eventually leading guerrilla warfare groups that Gabrielle and Roseline participate in.