Mondays, there were hogs to stop,
mules to train, and logs to chop.

Slavery was no ways fair
Six more days to Congo Square.

As slaves in New Orleans, Louisiana, relentlessly toiled in an unjust system, they all counted down the days until Sunday, when at least for half a day they were briefly able to congregate in Congo Square. Here they were free to set up an open market, sing, dance, and play music. They were free to forget their cares, their struggles, and their oppression. This poetic, little-known story expresses a human's capacity to find hope and joy in difficult circumstances and demonstrates how Congo Square was indeed freedom's heart.

From the dust jacket