Friday, June 28, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Racism is an Old and Outdated Ideology Get over it Find your Life
Looking into your past may help you to understand your future
Racism is an Old and Outdated Ideology
Get over it
Find your life
While researching my family tree, I realized that my
ancestors lived in a society engulfed in violence, fueled by racism and any incident
could ignite this social fire. I knew then, that I had to understand historical
violence. In 2005, I returned to college and received my Bachelor in Human Services,
focus: Violence Prevention and Intervention. With my specialized degree, I have
acquired a profound understanding of individual, community and historical
violence. Violence is a multifaceted social issue. However, racially motivated
violence has a traceable origin. The origins of violence is afflicted and
delivered within the confines of race, gender and class.
During a gloomy period in America’s history, People
of Color, from West Africa and the West Indies, were kidnapped from their
homeland, shipped to America and forced into slavery. The institution of
slavery was a physical laborious task for slaves that produced wealthy
planters; additionally slavery was an indoctrination of a belief system that
labeled slaves as sub-human.
Racial categorization was used as a tool to
dehumanize, ostracize, and disgrace, members of the so deemed sub-human race.
This conceptual device of classifying human beings into sub-human inferiors was
formulated politically to justify the institution of slavery. The crime of
declaring People of Color as inferior sub-humans became an accepted belief
system. Adopted slave laws, stated that slaves were the human property of their
slave owners. The philosophy of People of Color deemed as human property,
culminated into the desensitization and dehumanization that escalated into
unspeakable atrocities.
For the duration of the Antebellum Era, the Civil
War, and into the Reconstruction period and through the Roaring Twenties, until
her death on August 25, 1925, Mariah suffered through the brutally of southern
violence. People of Color, were branded with negative derogatory labels, like
nigger and darky. Mariah knew that she could not change the cognitive behavior
of society. However, she provided her family with a therapeutic and a spiritual
framework, simply, she bestowed upon them self-esteem and self-worth. She was
determined that her family would not live under the umbrella of slavery.
Although, Mariah lived in this social order, where
she was confronted with barriers of race, class and gender, she refused to
wear, or accept the labels of the inferior Negro. 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, a human bond between master and slave was formed as she gained
the respect of an affluent White community.
As the matriarch of her family, Mariah, was
unwavering as she attempted to sail through the iniquitous institution of
inequality. She defended her property against the Ku Klux Klan. She had seen
the lynching of several people within her family circle. Despite the violence,
she told her children to believe in God, get an education and to grasp the
ideal that they were American citizens. She remained steadfast in the hope of
attaining the American dream.
Where is the America that Mariah dreamed of? It is
2013, and we are continually confronted by cases of inequity. Racism is an old
and outdated philosophy that was used to justify slavery. It is time for all
human beings to embrace our unique differences; we have to become a culturally
competent society. We are diverse by language, culture, ethnicity and other
entities however, we share one common bond we are all human beings.
For the most part, People of Color are socially
powerless, economically deprived and often times they are the victims of being
socially victimized by stereotypes. Since, race is the first identifying characteristic;
People of Color are confined in a systematic definition of racial identity.
Historically, People of Color were deemed as inferior sub-humans and were
tagged with negative caricatures and nonconstructive stereotypes which unconsciously
define how minorities are viewed and treated within a racially conscious society.
In order for society to change, we first must
recognize that inequities and disparities continued to exist. We can contribute
to humanity by simply confronting racism. This is what I would say to a racist,
“Get over it and find your life.” People who are fulfilled and busy with their
life do not have time to participate in negativity or hold on to a violent
belief system, such as slavery.
Monday, June 10, 2013
My Mission is my Project
My Mission is my Project
In 2005, my mother passed away and of course, I was broken. And as I attempted, to gather the scattered pieces of my mind, body and soul, I realized that I had not fulfilled my mother's wishes. This realization, only added to my grief, for I had promised my mother that I would research the stories of my third great grandmother, Mariah.
Mariah was born a slave, witnessed a brutal slave massacre, however, she used her "voice" to fight for equality. So, for the next seven years, researching the stories of Mariah became my mission.
We, my co-researcher and I, have proven all of Mariah's stories. Now, we have made a documentary/trailer entitled "Human Property The Story of Mariah" based on my book entitled "Human Property Hanging in the Family Tree, Yields a Harvest."
I have placed the video on Kickstarter, with the hope of funding this project. Here is my mission and if you believe in my mission then please donate a dollar, pass it on, like it on YouTube.
Thank you for your support.
Ann Lee
Kickstarter
YouTube
http://www.buzzfeed.com/annlee/human-property-the-story-of-mariah-5v0z
Friday, August 10, 2012
Should we continue to discuss and research slavery?
Should we continue to
discuss and research slavery?
This question has been
a source of controversy. While, some people, both Blacks’ and Whites’ say that
we should not talk about or research slavery, others believe that in order to
conduct sound research, and especially in researching the African American
family that
researching slavery is a necessary tool.
Genealogy is the study
of tracing the lineage and history of families. In order to obtain information about
particular family/families, Genealogist use oral history and historical
records. Genealogy preserves our history, links our past and connects our
future. This connective bond between the past and the future gives family
members a sense of belonging, and a sense of discovery. The key to our future
is unlocking our past. Research is like digging for a buried treasure, finding
gold and becoming rich with knowledge.
Kimberly Powell says in
her article entitled, “Grow your Family Tree in Salt Lake City,” that, “Genealogy
is the fastest growing hobby in North America.” Powell says, “60% of
Americans,” are researching their family tree (http://genealogy.about.com/library/weekly/aa011502a.htm).
Powell reports that the Family Search Websites receives over 6 million hits a
day. Powell says that an average of 24,000 people a day, from all over the
world visit the Family Research Library in Utah. (http://genealogy.about.com/library/weekly/aa011502a.htm)
Ancestry.com, with over one million subscriptions, is the largest
online community for genealogy research.
Since, most African
Americans are descendants of African slaves, (enslaved in North America) and
they were deemed as human property, researching African American genealogy is
tedious and sometimes it can be a very frustrating task. Human property/slaves
and freedmen were not included in the United States Federal Census and in other
recorded documents. The vast majority of African Americans’
ancestry cannot be traced past the 1870 United States Federal Census. This
roadblock known as the “brick wall,” occurred because of the institution of slavery,
subsequently, African Americans existed in a political/social context in which
their lineage was not important.
The remnants of the
lost history of a scattered people, torn from their homeland of Africa, can
only be found and recovered by researching, sharing and discussing slavery. If
we bury, this precious treasure, the African American family tree dies at the
root, and we further dismiss and alienate African American genealogy.
Let’s not lay to rest, the
history of slavery in America, but let’s get over the feelings of racism and
prejudice. We can heal and then mend the broken pieces of the family structure
and reunite in brotherhood.
It was emotionally disheartening,
when I discovered my family in 1843 and 1848, slave bills of sale. However, the
joy of finding them was incredible and from that record, I was able to trace my
family tree back to 1785. It was refreshing to learn that, while some applauded
the dogma of slavery, others took the center stage and protested. I discovered
that my ancestors were owned by a family of Quakers and some of them were
granted their freedom. The
Quakers known as “Friends” began to preach against slavery. As a result, the
anti-slavery movement began which led to the covert operations of the
Underground Railroad.
It is imperative in African American genealogy that
we re-visit slavery in America.I also believed that history, no matter how ugly,
should not be buried. Within the darkness there is always light, the story of
humanity is revealed during the dark days.
Ann Lee, author of Human Property Hanging in the Family Tree Yields a Harvest.
Twitter Ann Lee @alee4272
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Oh yea a Proud Slave Ancestry
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 3rd great grandmother
Mariah, born a slave, survived the horrors of slavery, fought the KKK and owned
acre of land, known as “The Lands of Mariah Johnson,” have been passed down. As
tradition would dictate, I passed the stories down to my children.
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
indignity 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, my 3rd great
grandmother, Mariah was a slave, as her mother Chloe was, and her grandmother,
Tisby was 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. Mariah believed that Jefferson 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.
Book Information
Published date 01/27/2012. ISBN: 978-1-62030-045-9.
The book contains 207 pages, 50,000 words, 7 photographs with 4 photographs
with courtesy/permission. This work contains 11 pages of Bibliography.
Available in 6x9 perfect bound.
The book is available at The Book Patch http://www.thebookpatch.com/BookStoreDetails.aspx?BookID=5382
The book will be available on Amazon.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)