"There’s Fire Down Yonder" (Let the M—— Burn)

The fire that destroyed Nottoway Plantation wasn’t just an ending—it was a remix, a reckoning, and a refusal to keep lying.

Nottoway Plantation. Thursday, May 15, 2025. White Castle, Louisiana. Photo by Michael Johnson.

It burned. Not suddenly, but as if summoned. Shango’s thunderclap, Baldwin’s promise of fire next time, Malcolm’s spark, Sanchez’s call to catch it, and hip hop’s “let it burn”—all roaring through the smoke. This wasn’t just the end of a house. It was stored e…