Harper's Weekly July 4, 1863 article
Have you seen this slave's
picture?
Do you know his name?
His name is Gordon
Historically speaking after Black American's fought
in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, Black American's have died, fought, were bitten by dogs, clubbed by police, lynched,
hosed with fire hoses, walked and sang, to receive almost every democratic right currently enjoyed by Black American's and
several other ethnic American's.
A
large majority of early Black Americans was enslaved then forced into giving America almost three hundred years of free labor
towards the building of America. No other ethnic group gave America these many years of slave, free, labor. Slave holding
states kept up bondage fables throughout slavery and many years after slavery. A major falsehood was slaves were happy being
held captived. Two of the most hideous things about being enslaved were always left out of the happy slave stores, how
slavery broke down the bond of the early African American families, which left many black women head of the slave's household.
The fact slave's were usually treated like livestock was never part of the happy slave stories told by numerous individuals.
Most slaves were not happy they were despondent! This is demonstrated by scares some slave's carried with them for life. Gordon's
scares are a visual testimony freedom was worth the scars on cnes back. Gordon's picture is well-known, his story is not.
Gordon's story puts a "human" face on the sheer brutality of slavery. The stories written and spoken by slaves who
ran for freedom then enjoyed the fruits of freedom tell how many slaves felt. Stories told by slaves who were returned to
bondage after an unsuccessful undertaking is further testimony slaves wanted to be free! History tells us black people
fought for the freedom of America from the British when a lot of blacks were being held captived, futher testimony black people
believed in freedom for all.
An important right that
came with freedom, which is still powerful, the right to learn to read. Books were kept slaves. Slave owners knew reading
means knowledge and knowledge means power! Harsh punishment's were placed on slaves if they were caught trying to learn to
read. To teach a slave to read was against the law in most states. There were slaves who lost their site and their lives trying
to educate themselves.
America must heal from slavery
and the Jim Crow eras if America is to continue forward. Two ways America can futher the process is for those writing America's
history, for learning purposes, begin writing the complete story in history books. Historian's speaking about America's history
must make certain they are truthful and complete when speaking to their audiences. These actions may start up a dialog which
America urgently needs in order to heal from the residue of slavery and other past ugliness.
After slavery some freed slaves was expected to continue doing manual labor on the plantations.
There were slave holders who promised land, indenture servitude, with their former slaves, most times the former slave holder's
promise was not kept. A lot of slaves did not want to stay on the land instead the free men and women had other dreams, one
of them was attending school. One of first school's black children attended was in Mississippi. Domestic courses for girls
and agricultural skills for boys along with reading, writing, and arithmetic (math) was a part of the school's curriculum.
Founded in the early 1900's Piney Woods School started with one student under a tree and the founder a black man Laurence
C. Jones. Piney Woods is still located in Piney Woods, Mississippi. Do you want to know more about Laurence C. Jones read
his autobiography, "Piney Woods" and Its Story? Piney Woods is now a charter school and is the largest of the four
oldest existing black charter schools in America.
Above
is just a tidbit of seldom known history. Collecting Black Americana is one way a person can learn a more inclusive history
about Black American's achievements and struggles in America. There are Black Americana museum's throughout America where
people can visit and view accumulations of some of these artifacts. A visit to these museums allows visitors to learn seldom
known Black American's contributions to America. African American museums can help visitors understand America would not be
what it is today without these contributions by Black American's. The derogatory and humiliating artifacts illustrate the
falsehoods and concepts of Black American's example: "Black people are lazy." Black American museums can plant a
"pride seed" which can cultivate into the love of one self as an African American. Knowledge of ones ancestor's
may sow a seed of appreciation for their forefathers and foremothers. After one learns to appreciate the strength required
to survive these difficult times in America, the negative images may give visitors what they need to survive thorny times
in their lives.
