Our Nation of Black Heroes

INTRO

         My, how the black man has raised, especially over the past hundred years as we made the transition from slavery. Who would have ever thought there would be a black President Of The United States? African-American culture has definitely helped shape America. But the African-American population is still among the minority groups that fall under the lone majority leader's thumb. They only let us own so much for instance, we don't own any international airports, or major television networks (sorry, but this doesn't include the once black-owned BET which is now owned by Viacom), and there aren't any 100% black owned banks. While our race has its faults, society (like how they use to satirize us with the cruel, 20th century stereotypes) accuses us of being a group of loud, ignorant, instigating louts, and look at out spawn as delinquents, thugs, and wild, round-the-way hoochie mamas who are all bad influenced by rap music and came from broken homes. But just because those individuals can't, or just simply don't, relate well to our culture, doesn't erase our mark, nor our (positive) influence on America. The black man's evolution from slavery to legal citizen would historically be one of his greatest steps collectively as a race as many leaders over the centuries would fight for the freedom, civil rights, and lives of his fellow brothers and sisters in peril.


THE SLAVERY ERA: (The Black Man's Holocaust)

         From the 16th to the 19th century, 12 million Africans were brought here to the Americas. As we survived over four centuries in slavery (in the land that would be called the United States) we were forced over here from Africa through the dreadful middle passage, in which 15% of it's human cargo (two million Africans) perished during the transport. As slaves, the black man/woman worked on plantations, in cornfields, picked cotton, and did all strenuous labor for the almighty, bigoted white man, through brute force as the dawn of what would become a new nation began to form. Despite the black man's spirit being broken and oppressed, we still had our "Nation Of Black Heroes" who made history in such times. These individuals helped build American (along with the tens of thousands of slaves who went unsung).

         Harriet Tubman was born a slave. Refusing to be sold by her master's family, she made a daring escape. Tubman subsequently made more than nineteen missions to rescue more than 300 slaves (including her large family) through the connections of the Underground Railroad. Tubman would go on to help John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harper's Ferry. When the American Civil War began, Tubman worked for the Union Army as a cook and nurse, then as an armed scout and eventually a spy. Harriet Tubman was the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, as she guided the Combahee River Raid liberating more than 700 slaves in South Carolina. After the war, Tubman retired to the family home in Auburn, New York, where she cared for her aging parents. Sometime later, she returned to public eye to become an advocate on the women's suffrage movement in New York for the remainder of her years, until her illness (pneumonia) overtook her.

         On April 20, 2016, US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced a plan to put Tubman on the front of the $20, long occupied by Andrew Jackson since 1928, who'll get kicked to the back hand side of the bill.

         Fredrick Douglass, a writer, orator, and statesman, who also escaped slavery, became a leader in the abolitionist movement as he defied slaveholders arguments that slaves did not have the intellect to function as an American citizen. Known (even still to this day) for his dazzling oratory and incisive anti-slavery writing, he became a major speaker for the cause of abolition. Douglass wrote several books, which includes his 1845 autobiography "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave" in which he eloquently describes his experiences in slavery, and "Life and Times of Frederick Douglass" in 1881, which covers events in his life after the Civil War. Frederick Douglass stood as a living counter-example to slaveholders' arguments that slaves did not have the intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens. Many Northerners also found it hard to believe that such a great orator had been a slave. Also a supporter of woman's suffrage, Douglass was a firm believer in the equality of all people, regardless of race or gender. He is famously quoted as saying, "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong."

         Sojourner Truth, (born Isabella Baumfree), was born to slavery, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to recover her son, she became the first black woman to win such a case against a white man, becoming an abolitionist, and an activist for women's rights. During the Civil War she helped recruit black troops for the Union Army. Truth is also known for her extemporaneous speech on gender inequalities, "Ain't I A Woman?", was delivered in 1851 at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.

         Soloman Northup, was born the son of a freed slave. Northup, who grew up to become a farmer and violinist, owned property in Hebron, New York. In 1841, he met two slave-traders (posing as entertainers) who offered him a job as a violinist for several performances in New York City. Instead, he was drugged and sold as a slave. Northup was shipped to New Orleans where he was sold to a plantation owner in Louisiana. He was held in the Red River region of Louisiana by several different owners for 12 years, during which time he had no communication with his family or friends. Northup made repeated attempts to escape and send messages out of the plantation. Eventually he got news to his family, who contacted friends and enlisted the Governor of New York, Washington Hunt, to his case. Solomon Northup regained his freedom in January 1853 and returned to his family in New York.

         Northup sued the slave traders in Washington, DC, but District of Columbia law prohibited him as a black man from testifying against whites and, without his testimony he lost his case. He was also unable to sue for civil damages. In his first year of freedom, Northup published an account of his experiences in the memoir "Twelve Years a Slave" in 1853. He also gave dozens of lectures throughout the Northeast about his experiences in order to support the abolitionist mission. Solomon Northup went missing sometime in 1857 while in Streetersville, Ontario, Canada after trying to deliver a speech to a hostile Canadian crowd. Dozens of theories have surfaced about Northup's second and final abduction, but no one (accept the kidnappers) knew for sure. And details of how, when, where, or the time of his death remain a mystery even to today, but historians estimate it at around 1863.

         A slave known as Gordon escaped from a Mississippi plantation in March 1863. He kept onions in his pocket to foil his natural body scent for the bloodhounds who were chasing him. After crossing each creek or swamp, he rubbed his body freely with the onions and let it's strong aroma blend into his pours. Gordon fled 80 miles over the course ten days before reaching the Union Lines in Baton Rouge. Upon his arrival Gordon was examined, most notably for an overwhelming number lashes on his back that was received over a course of several whippings. During the examination, Gordon was also quoted as saying "Overseer Artayou Carrier whipped me. I was two months in bed sore from the whipping. My master come after I was whipped; he discharged the overseer". Gordon served the Union troops as a guide, and on one expedition was taken prisoner by the rebels, who, infuriated beyond measure, tied him up and beat him, leaving him for dead. Nonetheless Gordon survived, and once more made his escape to Union Lines. Soon afterwards he enlisted in a Civil War unit for Colored soldiers and was said to have fought diligently in the Union assault on Port Hudson in May 1863, the first time that African-American soldiers played a leading role in an assault. Other information regarding Gordon (including last name, if any, date of birth and death, and family history) remains unknown as it is not on record.

         Other notable slave-era figures includes, Calvin Fairbank, an American abolitionist and Methodist minister from New York who was convicted twice in Kentucky for aiding the escape of slaves. Fairbank is believed to have aided the escape of 47 slaves. Pardoned in 1849 after serving four years for his first sentence, Fairbank returned to his work with the Underground Railroad. He was arrested in 1851 with the aid of the governor of Indiana, who was enforcing the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. Fairbank was convicted again in Kentucky and served the full sentence of 15 years. In total he served a total of 19 years in prison. John Brown, was a white revolutionary abolitionist who advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery for good. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre of 1856 in Bleeding, Kansas, then made his name in the unsuccessful raid at Harper's Ferry in 1859, in which he was captured. He was tried, and executed by hanging, for treason against the state of Virginia for murder. I'm sure there were probably other hero/slaves that will forever remain unsung. The Thirteenth Amendment, which was passed in 1865 by President Abraham Lincoln, was suppose to serve as a bill to officially abolish slavery and involuntary servitude (except serving jail time for a crime). But due to lack of cooperation, slavery didn't officially end until 1941. And (for better or worst) there was also Nat Turner, the revolutionary slave who led a slave rebellion of some 70+ angry enslaved and free blacks in Virginia on August 21, 1831 that resulted in 55 white deaths. The next day, the local militia and three companies of artillery were joined by teams of soldiers from the USS Natchez and USS Warren as well as militias from counties in Virginia and North Carolina surrounding Southampton. The state executed 56 blacks. It's confirmed that the militias killed at least 100 blacks, and speculated scores of others. Another estimate is that up to 200 blacks were killed. After surviving as a wanted fugitive for two months, Turner was finally captured on October 30, 1831, convicted, and within days (November 11) is sentenced to a "hanged, drawn, and quartered" style execution. Because of Turner's unsuccessful attempt at an rebellion, Virginia, and other southern states passed new laws prohibiting the education of slaves, and free blacks, as well as restricting rights of assembly and other civil rights for free blacks, and requiring white ministers to be present at black worship services.


LATE 1800's/EARLY 1900's

         As the black man's struggle for independence and freedom continued throughout the early years of the young country's history, educator, orator and political leader Booker T. Washington was probably the most dominant figure from 1890 until his death in 1915, at the age of just 59, of hypertension (overwork). Born into slavery to a slave mother and white father, who was said to be a planter in a rural area in southwestern Virginia. Washington spoke on behalf of blacks living in the South. In his last 25 years, he maintained his standing because of the sponsorship of powerful whites, substantial support within the black community, his ability to raise educational funds from both groups, and his accommodation to the social realities of the age of Jim Crow segregation. Washington attained national prominence for his Atlanta Address of 1895, which attracted the attention of politicians and the public, making him a popular spokesperson for African-American citizens as he built a nationwide network of supporters in many black communities, with the community ministers, educators, and businessmen composing his core supporters. Washington played a dominant role in black politics, winning wide support in the black community and among more liberal whites. He gained access to top national leaders in politics, philanthropy, and education. Washington's efforts included cooperating with white people and enlisting the support of the wealthy, helping to raise funds to establish and operate thousands of small community schools and institutions of higher education for the betterment of blacks throughout the south. This work continued for many years after his death.

         Northern critics called Washington's followers the "Tuskegee Machine". After 1909, Washington was criticized by the leaders of the new NAACP, especially W.E.B. DuBois, another intellectual leader in the American black community, who demanded a stronger tone of protest for advancement of civil rights needs. Washington replied that confrontation would lead to disaster for the outnumbered blacks, and that cooperation with supportive whites was the only way to overcome pervasive racism in the long run. At the same time, he secretly funded litigation for civil rights cases, such as challenges to southern constitutions and laws that disenfranchised blacks. In addition to his contributions in education, Washington wrote 14 books, his autobiography "Up In Slavery", first published in 1901, is still widely read today. During a difficult period of transition, he did much to improve the working relationship between the races. His work greatly helped blacks to achieve higher education, financial power and understanding of the U.S. legal system. This led to a foundation of the skill set needed to support the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and further adoption of important federal civil rights laws.

         The exact day of birth of inventor, botanist, educator George Washington Carver are unknown, just that he is believe to have been conceived before slavery was abolished in January 1864. Much of Carver's fame is based on his research into and promotion of crops as alternatives to cotton, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. He wanted poor farmers to grow alternative crops both as a source of their own food, and as a source of other products to improve their quality of life. The most popular of his 44 practical bulletins for farmers contained 105 food recipes that used peanuts. He also created or disseminated about 100 products made from peanuts that were useful for the house and farm, including cosmetics, dyes, paints, plastics, gasoline, and nitroglycerin (it's also said that Carver is the inventor of peanut butter).

         In addition to his work on agricultural extension education for purposes of the advocacy of sustainable agriculture, and appreciation of plants and nature, Carver's important accomplishments also included improvement of racial relations, mentoring children, poetry, painting, and religion. He served as an example of the importance of hard work, a positive attitude, and a good education. His humility, humanitarianism, good nature, frugality, and rejection of economic materialism also have been admired widely. One of his most important roles was in undermining, through the fame of his achievements and many talents, the widespread stereotype of the time that the black race was intellectually inferior to the white race. To commemorate his life and inventions, George Washington Carver Recognition Day is celebrated on January 5, the anniversary of Carver's death

         The Tuskegee Airman were the first African-American military aviators in the U. S. armed forces. During World War II, blacks in many American states were still subject to Jim Crow Laws and the American military was racially segregated, as was much of the entire federal government. The Tuskegee Airmen were subjected to racial discrimination, both within and outside the army. All black military pilots who trained in the United States (including five Haitians) trained at Moton Field and Tuskegee Army Air Field, located near Tuskegee, Alabama. Although the 477th Bombardment Group trained with North American B-25 Mitchell bombers, they never served in combat. The 99th Pursuit Squadron (later, 99th Fighter Squadron) was the first all-black flying squadron, and the first to deploy overseas to North Africa in April 1943, and later to Sicily and Italy.

         Although other African American regiments were raised during the Civil War as part of the Union Army (including the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and the United States Colored Troops regiments), the Buffalo Soldiers were established by Congress as the first peacetime all-black regiments in the regular U.S. Army. The Buffalo Soldiers fought in the several major wars including: the American Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, the Mexican Expedition, the Battle of Ambos Nogales, WWI & II, and the Korean War. According to the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, the "Buffalo Soldier" name originated with the Cheyenne warriors in the winter of 1877, the actual Cheyenne translation being "Wild Buffalo". However, writer Walter Hill documented the account of Colonel Benjamin Grierson who quoted the Camanches as stating, "We called them 'buffalo soldiers,' because they had curly, kinky hair...like bisons".

         The late 1800s through the first half of the 20th century produced a slew of other scholarly, talented African-Americans which includes: Langston Hughes (poet, novelist, playright, social activist, columnist); Carter G. Woodson (historian, journalist, author, and founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History); Ida B. Wells (journalist, newspaper editor/owner, suffragist, and sociologist); and Thurgood Marshall who would go on to become the first African-American Supreme Court Justice.

         The third quarter the twentieth century witnessed the civil rights movement rising to it's peak as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the father of the civil rights, and his wife, Coretta Scott King, lead a storm of civil rights activists, most notably Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson, Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, Whitney Young, and Al Sharpton. Even entertainers such as Josephine Baker, Sidney Portier, Harry Belafonte, Ozzie Davis, and Ruby Dee were a part of the movement, as well as singers Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and even James Brown. The 1990 PBS "Eyes on the Prize" series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyes_on_the_Prize is an excellent 14 hour documentary that highlights the Civil Rights movement at it's height (1954-1965).


THE MODERN AGE

         After centuries of slavery and being forced to build America off of our sweat and tears, American culture, in return (love-it or hate-it), has definitely influenced the black man, at least a little if not completely, as we are finally starting to succeed and thrive in the white man's economic corporate jungle. During the last quarter of the twentieth century through to today, African Americans have made an iconic impression on not just America, but the world over as the last five decades there have been numerous well-renown black leaders in presidential offices throughout the world, and finally one in America when Barack Obama was inaugurated as President of the United States on January 20, 2009, and re-elected on November 6, 2012. Other powerful, high profile black politicians have also surfaced, including Eric Holden the first African-American U.S. Attorney General; Colin Powell , a four-star U.S. Army general who also served as the first African-American Secretary of State for the first four years of President George W. Bush's presidency, followed by (for better or worst) Condoleeza Rice, the first African-American female Secretary of State for Bush's second term. As of 2001, Robert Johnson became the first African-American billionaire (then net worth estimate at 1.6 billion) when he sold BET to Viacom. His stocks has decreased drastically since to around $550 million. Nigerian business magnate Aliko Dangate with a net worth of $16.1 billion, is the world's richest black person, 43rd richest in the world. The other Blacks on the list are Nigeria's Mike Adenuga with $4.7 billion, South African gold magnate Patrice Motsepe with $2.9 billion. And with a net worth of $2.8 billion, media titan/entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey, a woman, is the richest African-American in America.

         The last five decades have also generated several generations of larger-than-life superstar celebrities (mostly filmmakers, athletes, musicians, actors, and actresses) of iconic structure who's wealth, talent, beauty, versatility, or all of the above, have made them among the most sought after professionals in their line of work, as well as earning international acclaim. Household names such as: Michael Jackson; Michael Jordan; Denzel Washington; Muhammad Ali; Will Smith Halle Berry; Beyoncé; Jay-Z; Janet Jackson; Whitney Houston; Tupac Shakur; The Notorious B.I.G.; Shaquille O'Neal; Kobe Bryant; LeBron James; Spike Lee; Angela Bassett; and Tyler Perry among other talents with more legends to be born in the future.




WE'VE CAME A LONG WAY!