black history | Grandma's Ramblings

In today’s controversy about teaching black history, I strongly believe we need to know our stories. We need to understand that we all do not come from the same background, do not share the same experiences.

It is only as we are willing to learn from one another that our country can be what it originally promised – “all men (and women) are created equal.”

Sharing a post from a few years ago that addresses the idea that we should acknowledge and celebrate our differences rather than try to ignore them or deny them.

I Refuse to Be Color Blind

I posted this before – but think it is good to know the history of this day. A story of this day you may not have heard in school.

Hampton Park in Charleston, South Carolina, is a beautiful place to walk or just sit and enjoy the many flowers, trees and the fountain.  When we spent a few months in Charleston during the winter of 2016 we walked almost every day in the park.  At 60 acres, there are plenty of walkways.  Just six months out from a knee replacement surgery, I found it a great way to get some exercise to build up my physical strength, but also a wonderful place to just sit and reflect on God’s creation.

But the park is also full of history.

Originally part of a plantation owned by John Gibbes, the portion that is now Hampton Park was purchased by the South Carolina Jockey Club and a race course was built.  Named the Washington Race Course, the one-mile loop is now a roadway that runs around the park.  Featuring some of the best horse racing in the South, it became the social event of the year during Race Week held every February.

During the Civil War it became a camp for Union prisoners of war.  At least 257 Union soldiers died at this location. Facing disease and the advance of the Union Army, Confederate guards hastily buried the dead in an unmarked mass grave.  Most white residents abandoned the city and it was ironic that the first troops to enter and march up Meeting Street was the 21st U.S. Colored Infantry.

Days later, free black residents and former slaves walked to the mass grave and reburied the Union soldiers in proper graves. Erecting a marker and a small fence around the burial ground they built a memorial arch which read:  “Martyrs of the Race Course.”

On May 1, 1865, black Charlestonians, many former slaves, along with white missionaries and teachers and Union soldiers staged a parade to the race course.  They laid flowers on the graves, listened to speakers of both races, and picnicked on the grass.

This celebration has been called by many America’s first Memorial Day. After the war, as the cemetery suffered neglect, the soldiers’ bodies were again exhumed and buried in 1871 in South Carolina’s national cemeteries at Beaufort and Florence.

Interesting that this celebration conducted by former slaves honoring the Union soldiers who died for their freedom has been buried in history and credit for this day of remembrance goes to others.

I would never have known of this Memorial Day celebration had we not walked in that park so full of history

And there’s more history there – but that calls for another blog.

As Black History Month ends, I revisited a couple of blogs I have written about statues of blacks in the USA and did some research on other statutes in the country.

Crispus Attucks and the Boston Massacre Memorial and

Denmark Vesey – Leader of Failed Rebellion

I knew there was a statute of Harriet Tubman in New York City.  This statute was dedicated in 2008 and is located on Frederick Douglass Boulevard.

However, I was surprised to find out there is not one, but two statutes of Tubman in Michigan.  In researching information on these statutes, I discovered that Michigan was very much involved in the Underground Railroad.

Looking at the map of Michigan it is easy to see why this location would have been perfect for those trying to escape slavery and find freedom in Canada.  Surrounded by three of the Great Lakes – Michigan, Huron and Erie, Michigan’s eastern cities are only a short distance from Canada.

The first monument is a bronze statue of not only Tubman but local conductors of the Underground Railroad, Erastus and Sarah Hussey.  This statue in Battle Creek, Michigan depicts Tubman and the other two conductors leading a group of runaway slaves to safety.   Created in 1993 by sculptor Ed Dwight the W. K. Kellogg Foundation commissioned the work.

The second statue of Tubman is in Ypsilanti, Michigan.  Located in Washtenaw County in Southeast Michigan there are numeous sites connected with the Underground Railroad.

Cass County in Southwest Michigan also offers many sites where the Underground Railroad was conducted by both free blacks and whites.  Slaves fleeing the South passed through Cass County, then on to Battle Creek and Detroit on their way to freedom in Canada.

For my followers in Michigan if you would like to check out more information on the Underground Railway in Michigan, here is their website.

https://www.michigan.gov/mhc/michigan-history/michiganfreedomtrail

My daughter knows how much I love books. She recently brought me four new books from her Book of the Month Club membership.

Knowing how much I love history – and historical fiction – three of the four books are that genre. One is a story of women during the Vietnam War era. ”The Women” by Kristin Hannah gives a view of this period from the eyes of women who served in Vietnam and then returned home to a divided nation. She knows I will love this one for several reasons. Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors. After reading one of her books last year, I went to my local library and checked out all her books. Also, the Vietnam area is the time I grew up – my first husband fought in the war as a Marine. I look forward to reading this one soon.

Recently I posted about a new book I was reading about the indigenous people of North America, “Rediscovering American” by Ned Blackhawk. The book she gave me, “Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Grann tells the story of the Osage Indian nation in the 1920’s and the birth of the FBI. I can’t wait to read that one. Recently I saw a movie was made of this book. First I will read the book and then watch the movie. Many times the movie takes liberties with the actual story of the book so I want to read that before I watch the movie.

But the one most appropriate to read in the month of February as we celebrate Black History Month is “Sisters in Arms” by” by Kaia Alderson.

This story is about the first all-black, all-female battalion of the Women’s Army Corps. The 6888th Postal Battalion (the Six Triple Eight) was sent overseas during World War II. Mail sent to U.S. servicemen remain undelivered, stored in air hangers. A shortage of postal workers led to a massive backlog. This battalion was faced with the challenge of clearing this backlogged mail and making sure the servicemen received their letters and packages from home. In order to do this, they kept track of 7 million identification cards with serial numbers to distinguish between soldiers with the same name. The women worked 24/7 with three shifts, eight hours per shift, seven days a week. Their orders said they were to clear all the mail in six months. After accomplishing that goal in three months they moved on to France making sure undelivered mail was sorted and sent on to the servicemen.

It is hard to imagine what these women went through to serve their country. Remember this was in the 1940’s when the Army was just beginning to consider allowing women to serve in the armed forces. As World War II required more and more men to fight on the front lines, the armed forces began accepting women in non-combat position like weather forecasters, nurses and telephone operators. The Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was created in May 1942 and converted into an active-duty status as the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in July 1943.

Sexual harassment was common, as were implications that women had traded sexual favors for their military ranks. 

For the women of the 6888th, there was an added disadvantage. The Army was segregated. black WACs were in a separate company than white trainees, had separate lodging, dining tables, and even recreation areas. They took basic training in Georgia and local establishments often would refuse to serve them while welcoming the white WACs. In Elizabethtown, Kentucky, a police officer brutally beat three black WACs for sitting in a “white” waiting area.

Thankfully when they arrived in England they received a warm welcome. Venturing into town they found they could enter any establishment they wanted and be served. Local residents invited them into their homes. When the white soldiers were asked by the British citizens why the women had an early curfew, it is said they replied “after midnight they grew tails.”

Coming back from the war they faced continued discrimination because of the color of their skin. In February 1946, the unit was disbanded at Fort Dix, New Jersey. There were no parades, no official recognition of the great service they provided to the servicemen helping to keep up the morale of the men.

Individually, however, many used the GI bill to further their education and achieved success in their civilian life. In November 2018, 75 years after their service ended, a monument was dedicated in their honor. This monument is at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

They received the Meritorious Unit Commendation for Meritorious Service during Military Operations in February 2019. In March 2022 President Biden signed into law legislation passed by Congress awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the black women members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Sadly, only six members were still alive to receive this recognition.

However, in recent years the battalion’s history has gained more attention and books and documentaries have been written. These brave women led the way for other black women who want to serve in the Armed Forces. In World War II, African Americans accounted for 5.7% of all women in the WAC in 1943, and as of 2020 they accounted for 34.1% of women in the Army.

I have several asked me why I post these articles on Black History. Why do we need a month for Black history – but none for white. Perhaps this article I posted last year will help explain that.

February is Black History Month. Except for the Indigenous people all of us in America can trace our ancestry back other countries. Which story would most likely fit your history?

Two Islands – Two Stories – Which One is Yours?

As I recently posted, I love to start the New Year by cleaning out closets, drawers, and cabinets. It gives me a feeling of starting the new year fresh and ready for new adventures.

Going through my memory box I found a booklet someone had given me for a birthday that listed news from the year I was born. Very interesting to compare 1948 to the year just passed – 2023.

                  1948    2023

average income          2,936.00  63,214.00new car             1,230.00  48,008.00new house            7,700.00  412,000.00loaf of bread              0.14     1.98gallon of gas              0.16     3.50gallon of milk              0.87    3.99

dozen eggs              0.72    2.09