A Promise Fulfilled

                        Oh yea, a Proud Slave Ancestry

I am no longer ashamed of what they were (slaves) but proud of

what they became.

There is a deeply-rooted saying, “Promises are made to be broken.”

A promise is a verbal declaration. Such an oath, really is enduring

when you make a vow to someone you dearly love.  After breaking

a promise to a love one, is there redemption? Can you resolve,

repair, or mend the broken pieces of a dissolved promise?

The story of my third great grandmother Mariah, born a slave,

witnessed a slave massacre, fought the KKK and owned acre of

land, known as “The Lands of Mariah Johnson,” have been passed

down from generation to generation. 

I was in an auspicious position of knowing the oral history of my

family. My family’s history, at times, especially when I was a

child, seemed to be a fantastic story. Although, I knew that my

mother and aunt spoke earnestly, I could not capture their moments

of reminisces. I could not grasp the historical context of living

within a time where color, class and gender were synonymous with

servitude, slavery and inequality. Therefore, I lived in their moment

and listened. I listened to their thoughts and memories. While, in

that precious moment of time, I learned that I am, all that I am,

because of their sacrifice.

Years before my dear mother passed away, she said to me, “Please
research our family tree.” My mother knew that I had a genuine
appreciation for family history. “I will Mother, not now, I’ll do it
later,” I answered. My mother spoke as though we were of royal blood. I had to admit, but only to myself, that I was a little ashamed of being a descendant of slaves and I was scared. I was afraid of confronting my fears and reservations about the indignation of slavery.

In 2005, after my mother’s death, I was immersed in grief. For a

couple of months, I cried myself to sleep. Then late one night, I

remembered my mother’s words, “Follow the trail of the land, the

land speaks.” The next day, I struggled through the pain of anguish,

wiped my tears, buried my regrets and decided to research my

family tree.

A couple of years into the research, I gained a new perspective, I became proud of my slave ancestry. Yes, Mariah, her mother Chloe was, and her grandmother, Tisby were all born into slavery. 

However, the most powerful testament to humanity is the ability to love and share love and respect in the face of social restrictions and racial barriers. Mariah’s master’s children and grandchildren loved Mariah and her family, as she loved them too. The beauty of this friendship is that it broke the traditions of the slave master relationship as a human bond between master and slave was formed.

After the Civil War, the journey of Mariah’s departure to transcend

from human property to a human being was met with opposition as

she and her family channeled through the violent Reconstruction

Era. However, she succeeded despite the hardships of the Jim Crow

laws as she gained the respect of an affluent White community.

Mariah was a servant in the house of Confederate President

Jefferson Davis. After Mariah told Davis about the slave massacre 
Davis regretted owning slaves and the ideology of slavery. 

Mariah’s inspiration to bring about social change extended long after her death. Mariah’s grandson, Professor Elliott Von Joseph Beal and the Queen of Gospel music, Mahalia Jackson (his cousin) and their friend the unforgettable slain Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., changed the course of history.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Mariah’s descendants, after a

turbulent and long travel, historically landed as human beings with

equal rights.

After 7 years of research, in 2012, I fulfilled my promise to my mother. I wrote, “Human Property Hanging in the Family Tree Yields a Harvest.” At times, I am still haunted by not fulfilling my promise. I have learned that ‘time’ moves on, even when we stand still, time waits for no one. If you make a promise, please keep it, a broken promise is heartbreaking. I have learned not to be afraid of the unknown, because with sound research, answers to questions can alleviate fear.

I plan on re-writing this book, presently it is genealogy, nonfiction book, however I have decided to re-write this book into a powerful American family saga.


Book Information

http://www.amazon.com/Property-Hanging-Family-Harvest-

ebook/dp/B00727LLKC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=digital-

text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329162632&sr=1-1-spell

In the above picture, the older man is Ben Williams (Mariah's brother in-law). During the Civil War, Ben Williams was the body servant (body-guard) for Confederate President Jefferson.