It’s amaz-ing how His-Story manages to forget certain factual details. To wit, the Moors’ sophisticated contributions to Europe, centuries before those same Europeans decided to enlighten anyone else. The logic, of course, is duplicitous: ignore centuries of Black achievements, then declare slavery a “favor” to those ignorant Africans. To Black people, who had built empires and advanced civilizations, saying slavery elevated us is almost a “Trumpian” insult. The Moors, with their scientific and architectural marvels, must be rolling in their graves. But why let facts get in the way of a good, self-serving myth?
Browsing: Lost Black History
We were all taught in school that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the U.S. to celebrate American independence and the friendship between the two countries. However, what is rarely taught is that the primary reason France presented the gift was in appreciation of American emancipation. In 1886, the Statue of Liberty was a symbol of democratic government and a celebration of the Union’s victory in the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery.
We are all familiar with the trope, “You must work twice as hard to be equal.” Mission Specialist Mae’s accomplishments, like her acceptance into NASA after outperforming over 2,000 applicants, really makes you wonder how she managed it. Must have been a DEI selection, obviously.
One of the results of the northern “Great Migration” was the development of the “New Negro.” When World War One ended it brought home thousands of Black men who had sampled the nectar of freedom abroad. The National Archives estimated that over 380,000 Black men served in the Army. Shockingly, they weren’t called “Boy.” They were called “Sir”, and treated with respect, class. New dignity is intoxicating and it only exacerbates the angst of being treated like 3/5ths of a person. This resentment started bubbling up, first in our art, songs, poems, and in every part of Black culture.
Patterson & Sons’ history is a remarkable one. That the only Black-owned automaker, founded by a former slave, found success in a malicious culture for three generations is a phenomenal feat. Remember this was an era defined by virulent racism, from President Woodrow Wilson’s segregation of federal workplaces to the popular acclaim of D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation.” That resilient Nubian chromosome led to Charles Richard Patterson and his son Frederick being inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2021.
Imagine you’re from one of the great West African empires: the Yoruba, whose intricate political systems rivaled those of European nations; the Asante, whose formidable military power was matched only by their control of the lucrative gold trade; or the Mandinka, who amassed vast wealth through their vital trade routes. But now, torn from your homeland, your people are slaves in America. Then, Britain offers you freedom if you fight with them. What would you decide? The free room and board is nice but then there are the beatings to consider… so, it’s either “Sunshine or Shackles?”
Every owner of a home security system will extoll the peace of mind it provides. Strada services annotated the security systems merits, “A well-designed security system provides a comprehensive shield against various threats, safeguarding your property and peace of mind.” We can thank the genius intellect of a Black inventor Marie Van Brittan Brown. Astonishingly, Marie’s brilliance was masked as a hard working nurse in New York city. Crime in the early ‘60s was rampant in Queens. That Black area had notoriously slow police response times. Her husband Albert worked as an electronics technician and their shifts were spaced erratically throughout the day. This would often leave her alone at night and they were both feared for her safety. Plato wrote “Necessity is the mother of invention.” and it sparked the home security foundation we use today.
Historians agree that the earliest record of the West African chattel, commonly called slaves, arrived in America in 1619. Two and a half centuries later President Lincoln brought this reprehensible sin to an end.
Sadly, America’s schools often fail to teach about the Black Episcopal priest, the Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray. Rev. Murray was a lawyer, author, and women’s rights activist, and became the first Black person to earn a Doctor of the Science of Law degree from Yale, as well as the first Black woman to be ordained an Episcopal priest. (Editorial Note: Reverend Murray was gender nonconformist, and out of respect, we will not be using traditional pronouns.)
The German Coast Uprising, also known as “Andry’s Rebellion”, was the largest revolt of Black slaves in the United States. The land was initially settled by Germans, and dubbed “The German Coast. It began on Manual Andry’s plantation, near New Orleans. The leader was Charles Deslondes, a slave who worked as a driver (overseer) on a plantation. The blog evergreen plantation.org described a “Planter,” as usually a White man but sometimes a promoted slave hand. Charles, a mulatto enslaved by Manuel Andry, was a Haitian inspired by the Haitian Revolution of 1791.