THIS "CONTRABAND FARMER" IS SYMBOLIC OF OUR CONNECTION TO THE LAND THAT IS, NOW, ALMOST LOST INCIDENT TO WAVES OF MIGRATION FROM THE SOUTH DUE TO TERRORISM, PEONAGE, AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST TOO MANY OF US AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WHEN WE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE CONSTITUTIONALLY FREE AND EQUAL TO WHITE PEOPLE. FORTUNATELY, UNTIL THE DEATH OF BOOKER T. WASHINGTON IN 1915, OUR PEOPLE, THROUGH IT ALL, WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE 1/3 OF THE FARM LAND IN THE SOUTH, STARTING FROM NOTHING, MY GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT-GRANDPARENTS AMONG THEM. BUT, THE ALLURE OF THE NORTH AND ITS FALSE PROMISES OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVED TO BE TOO MUCH FOR MY PARENTS' GENERATION; MANY OF THEM LEFT THEIR FAMILY LAND, "DOWN SOUTH," FOR GOOD, EN ROUTE TO PLACES LIKE DETROIT, CHICAGO, HARLEM, CLEVELAND, PHILLY, PITTSBURGH, LOS ANGELES, ST. LOUIS, OMAHA, KC. I DO NOT CONDEMN THEIR DEPARTURES. THEY DID WHAT THEY FELT WAS BEST FOR ME AND MY GENERATION, AND I AM GRATEFUL! BUT, OUR ROOTS ARE IN THE SOUTH, OVERWHELMINGLY. THOSE ROOTS MUST BE AERATED, TREATED, "DUNGED"--TO QUOTE THE BIBLE--AND WATERED IF OUR TREE IS TO CONTINUE TO BEAR GOOD FRUIT IN THE FUTURE. AMEN!
Friday, September 27, 2013
CONTRABAND FARMER
THIS "CONTRABAND FARMER" IS SYMBOLIC OF OUR CONNECTION TO THE LAND THAT IS, NOW, ALMOST LOST INCIDENT TO WAVES OF MIGRATION FROM THE SOUTH DUE TO TERRORISM, PEONAGE, AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST TOO MANY OF US AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WHEN WE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE CONSTITUTIONALLY FREE AND EQUAL TO WHITE PEOPLE. FORTUNATELY, UNTIL THE DEATH OF BOOKER T. WASHINGTON IN 1915, OUR PEOPLE, THROUGH IT ALL, WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE 1/3 OF THE FARM LAND IN THE SOUTH, STARTING FROM NOTHING, MY GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT-GRANDPARENTS AMONG THEM. BUT, THE ALLURE OF THE NORTH AND ITS FALSE PROMISES OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVED TO BE TOO MUCH FOR MY PARENTS' GENERATION; MANY OF THEM LEFT THEIR FAMILY LAND, "DOWN SOUTH," FOR GOOD, EN ROUTE TO PLACES LIKE DETROIT, CHICAGO, HARLEM, CLEVELAND, PHILLY, PITTSBURGH, LOS ANGELES, ST. LOUIS, OMAHA, KC. I DO NOT CONDEMN THEIR DEPARTURES. THEY DID WHAT THEY FELT WAS BEST FOR ME AND MY GENERATION, AND I AM GRATEFUL! BUT, OUR ROOTS ARE IN THE SOUTH, OVERWHELMINGLY. THOSE ROOTS MUST BE AERATED, TREATED, "DUNGED"--TO QUOTE THE BIBLE--AND WATERED IF OUR TREE IS TO CONTINUE TO BEAR GOOD FRUIT IN THE FUTURE. AMEN!