Me and my maternal great grandfather in 1997. He was born in Alabama in 1919. He passed away when I was 23. He was quiet at times but he when he had something to say he’ll say it. I still remember hearing him sing gospel songs as he walked around in his house.
A few years ago I went to an event recognizing Weeping Time in Darian, GA that had the largest auction of enslaved people ever. We were recognizing the men, women and children who were separated from their families. They showed us actual chains/shackles! These are real! I held them! I never thought I would hold the very things that solidified our enslavement. There were some white women (I think descendants of these enslavers) there who held them and kind of laughed. I was pissed. I’m 35 now and I held something that was once on my ancestors’ ankles and wrists. 😡🥺
Founded in 1956 by educator Thelma Garland Smith, The Cottagers began after she overheard criticism that Black summer residents enjoyed Martha’s Vineyard without giving back. Instead of responding with anger, she and 11 other women created an organization dedicated to serving the island through fundraising, scholarships, and community projects.
Today, The Cottagers remain one of Martha’s Vineyard’s most respected Black institutions. Their historic headquarters, Cottagers’ Corner in Oak Bluffs, is part of the Martha’s Vineyard African American Heritage Trail and reflects decades of Black history, sisterhood, and civic leadership.
This is my maternal grandmother’s brother in the 70s. He’s 78 now! 🥹
In the summer of 2020, the U.S. commemorated Independence Day amid nationwide protests for racial justice and systemic reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. That June, NPR asked five young descendants of Frederick Douglass to read and respond to excerpts of his famous speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”. It's a powerful, historical text that reminds us of the ongoing work of liberation.
FEATURING (alphabetically)
Douglass Washington Morris II, 20 (he/him)
Isidore Dharma Douglass Skinner, 15 (they/them)
Zoë Douglass Skinner, 12 (she/her)
Alexa Anne Watson, 19 (she/her)
Haley Rose Watson, 17 (she/her)