African Ancestored Genealogy

Comment

Comment by James Alfred Locke Miller Jr. on October 24, 2009 at 6:52pm

Last night at the Pender County Public Library, Burgaw, N.C., 103 S. Cowan St., I saw a quality brief "film" (on a CD, then projected) titled "Colored White Boy". The older man who made the CD, Prof. Maurice Martinez, PhD, is in the history department of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, N.C. He is a New Orleans "Creol" of French, African, Latino heritage. The CD is available from his website DoorKnobFilms.com. Why that name?

Growing up in the Creol part of New Orleans, when strangers walked his neighborhood sidewalks, the ganged/connected little louvers in the closed window shutters would flutter open, then flash-closed in a second. There was a tiny "door" (shutter) knob the secret indoors observer used to open and shut it with; to check-out whom ever was out there, as they passed by. This act, and it's mechanism, fascinated Martinez as a child.

The film/CD is about the post Civil War descendants of a poor white (Confederate veteran?) small farmer; that lived with, and had severall children by his former female slave. It seems she had little choice in the relationship. White (George?) Simmons (photo is shown in his farmers bib-overalls) called her and their children "niggers"; the children could not sleep in the house. He worked them hard, fed them little, and one of his "nigger" sons he hung up by his feet and whipped him.

One of his sons shot Simmons their racist father, but Simmons did not die; so the mother and children fled via the swamp railroad tracks from Pender Co. to Wilmington, where for a year they dared not come out in the Negro/"colored" neighborhood accept at night. Simmons was looking for them. If found: death.

One of the daughters looked white and wed a poor, but good white man who kept their secret and lived in the poor white part of Wilmington. But the white man's own family somehow learned; hated their sibling, and burnt small crosses in his yard--the harrassed white sibling's family had to move to black Wilmington.

This is from a poor memory, likely I've got something wrong. Likely white George Simpson's parents were as as foul as he. But: I have known in white families, children who with good reason hated one of their parents and wanted to know nothing of that bad parent's parents. In some cases I knew the late grandparents, and they could not stand their own child either, and so very much wanted to help their grandchildren; but were not permitted to.

Also, learning bad Simpson's white heritage, may help reveal the other African heritage. Oh! For two more "white" generations the family thought it was totally white; until in old age, a grandmother fell sick. The illness was discovered to be "sickle-cell".

Prof. Martinez says he writes poetry and loves jazz. In Wilmington, my sister invited me to a private lunch with Wilmington black physician, (deceased, his name eludes me though I knew him well, I greatly respected him: a local leader in desegregation in the 1960's, he wrote a fine book "Every Man Should Try") who had reared the once tennis star, the now late Althea Gibson;...martinezm@UNCW.edu Anyone who can add information about Althea's Jazz singing tallent; please pass the information along and encourage Dr. Martinez to look in to it, please.

Comment by George Geder on October 14, 2009 at 9:09am

The Panasoffkee Cemetery will be preserved and restored!!!

Word from Tuesday's County Commissioner's meeting has been confirmed.

Thanks to all who prayed, wished, dreamed and contributed time, resources and 'Letters To The Editors' for the preservation of this Historic African Ancestored Cemetery !!!

Peace,
"Guided by the Ancestors"

Comment by Alane Roundtree on October 11, 2009 at 2:48pm

Anita,

Your feelings, so well expressed, mirror my own. If only the "powers that be" could find the ability to understand our concerns and the tidal wave of emotion the history invokes.

Stay the course!

Alane

Comment by Anita Wills on October 11, 2009 at 11:42am

Alane,
Thank you for sharing this information. I cannot tell you how good it feels to be in a group that understands the dynamics going on here. There is a lot going on with my circumstances, that has more to do with protecting the image of our Founding Fathers, then locating Slave Graveyards. I feel as if my ancestors are still slaves, since they are under the control of the people who owned them. Those feelings are born out of my frustrations in dealing with the powers that be.

Anita

Comment by Alane Roundtree on October 11, 2009 at 8:49am

A sincere thank you to George, Toni & the USF Africana Project Crew, Art and Angela for your efforts to bring a heightened awareness and call for action to this growing problem.

Anita – I support your cause and your vision. Please, let me know how I can help.

Quan – You are, unfortunately, all too correct about the fact that this is happening everywhere. I believe it’s epidemic. You also hit the nail on the head -- knowledge and understanding of the laws (local, state and federal) is paramount, and they do vary! However, that in and of itself is not enough, because it’s been our experience that many of the individuals and agencies charged with the responsibility of enforcing these laws are very slow to respond, or without legal muscle, simply look the other way.

As you stated, family and community involvement and an organized, united front is essential, but many folks I've contacted seem to be intimidated by the prospect of standing up against the developers and decision makers who only care about looking out for their own interests and bottom lines, even if that enrichment comes at the expense of the ancestors and their descendants. Fear of costly litigation to preserve rights is also expressed. Folks are stretched thin and have more pressing concerns. My feeling is the individuals who seek to desecrate these cemeteries sense, prey, and count on such feelings. It's a power play pure and simple. Appealing to any moral sensibilities they may have is a practice in futility. Believe me, I know. The crowning hypocrisy of it all is in many cases the cemetery land in question was the least desirable and valuable when the Ancestors were alive! That’s why it was “given over” in the first place.

Our own family is in the midst of an ongoing dispute with persons and agencies in South Carolina over the desecration of an African American burial site that holds the remains of at least several hundred enslaved individuals and some of their descendants, including, in all likelihood, many of our family’s direct ancestors and kin. This is an ancient burial site likely dating from the late 18th to early 19th century.

The problem there is not a threat from development, but a refusal to follow professional archaeological recommendations and best practices that will ensure that the gravesites and historical artifacts remain intact, and protected, as well as a lack of just plain decency. Apparently generating revenue from ticket sales to view the cemetery is more important than adhering to the preservation recommendations and guidelines set forth in the archaeological survey and report. Which, in their world, means it’s perfectly acceptable to drive caravans of vehicles over identified unmarked graves to get to the extant marked ones! Yes, you heard me right. The Ancestors are once again up for sale! A fate and indignity they cannot seem to escape even in death.

To add insult to injury the tour is marketed to coincide with Halloween and they never even considered the courtesy of informing family members of their intentions to begin marketing the site, although permission was sought from descendants of the last slaveowner before including their family cemetery on the tour as well. When they were confronted with the double-standard they offered no comment or apology.

I will be posting additional information regarding our struggle, and that of others, in the discussion forum. Perhaps by adding our experiences and voices to the mix we can begin to formulate a plan for action. I believe Anita is right. A National Organization that could provide direction and support for persons seeking to save these sacred ancestral sites from a myriad of threats has become a long overdue necessity.

Alane

Comment by Anita Wills on October 10, 2009 at 12:07pm

George,
I found an African American Committee who are locating slave Graves in Westmoreland County. They are operating out of the Johnson Museum there. I just sent an email to the person who is heading the committee. This is the most movement I have had in over ten years. I will let everyone know how things progress.

Anita

Comment by George Geder on October 10, 2009 at 10:39am

Check this video out -- Panasoffkee Cemetery (Sumter County, Florida) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu3udnNDIuM

Here's an opportunity to actually see the cemetery.
Big thanks to the videographer. (unknown)

Comment by George Geder on October 10, 2009 at 10:36am

OOPS!

I see that Art Thomas, as always, is waay ahead of me! LOL

Comment by George Geder on October 10, 2009 at 10:08am

Hi Quan,

"Has anyone looked up the laws of the state that these cemeteries are in? Then work within the laws."

That's an excellent point you raise! Let's work on it!

Comment by Art Thomas on October 10, 2009 at 4:42am

Quan brings up an excellent point....Laws on governance for the maintenance of cemeteries and cemetery properties and how they vary by State.

Who owns the cemetery, or the land where the cemetery is located is key to what entity is responsible for the care and preservation of a particular cemetery,
Some responsible entities to consider are churches, townships, fraternal organizations & socities, cities, private families, etc. need to be considered in approaching the care, preservation and restoration process(S)..

An exisiting organiztion that may be of help in these 'local' situations is found at
www.savinggraves.net/ and these are local situations.

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