There is a deeply-rooted saying, “Promises are made to be broken.” A promise is a verbal declaration. Such an oath, really is enduring when you make a vow to someone you dearly love. After breaking a promise to a love one, is there redemption? Can you resolve, repair, or mend the broken pieces of a dissolved promise?
The story of my 3rd great grandmother Mariah, born a slave, survived the horrors of slavery, fought the KKK and owned acre of land, known as “The Lands of Mariah Johnson,” have been passed down. As tradition would dictate, I passed the stories down to my children.
I was in an auspicious position of knowing the oral history of my family. My family’s history, at times, especially when I was a child, seemed to be a fantastic story. Although, I knew that my mother and aunt spoke earnestly, I could not capture their moments of reminisces. I could not grasp the historical context of living within a time where color, class and gender were synonymous with servitude, slavery and inequality. Therefore, I lived in their moment and listened. I listened to their thoughts and memories. While, in that precious moment of time, I learned that I am, all that I am, because of their sacrifice.
Years before my dear mother passed away, she said to me, “Please research our family tree.” My mother knew that I had a genuine appreciation for family history. “I will Mother, not now, I’ll do it later,” I answered. My mother spoke as though we were of royal blood. I had to admit, but only to myself, that I was a little ashamed of being a descendant of slaves and I was scared. I was afraid of confronting my fears and reservations about the indignity of slavery.
In 2005, after my mother’s death, I was immersed in grief. For a couple of months, I cried myself to sleep. Then late one night, I remembered my mother’s words, “Follow the trail of the land, the land speaks.” The next day, I struggled through the pain of anguish, wiped my tears, buried my regrets and decided to research my family tree.
A couple of years into the research, I gained a new perspective, I became proud of my slave ancestry. Yes, my 3rd great grandmother, Mariah was a slave, as her mother Chloe was, and her grandmother, Tisby was born into slavery. However, the most powerful testament to humanity is the ability to love and share love and respect in the face of social restrictions and racial barriers. . Mariah’s master’s children and grandchildren loved Mariah and her family, as she loved them too. The beauty of this friendship is that it broke the traditions of the slave master relationship as a human bond between master and slave was formed.
After the Civil War, the journey of Mariah’s departure to transcend from human property to a human being was met with opposition as she and her family channeled through the violent Reconstruction Era. However, she succeeded despite the hardships of the Jim Crow laws as she gained the respect of an affluent White community.
Mariah was a servant in the house of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Mariah believed that Jefferson Davis regretted owning slaves and the ideology of slavery. Mariah’s inspiration to bring about social change extended long after her death. Mariah’s grandson, Professor Elliott Von Joseph Beal and the Queen of Gospel music, Mahalia Jackson (his cousin) and their friend the unforgettable slain Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., changed the course of history.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Mariah’s descendants, after a turbulent and long travel, historically landed as human beings with equal rights.
After 7 years of research, in 2012, I fulfilled my promise to my mother. I wrote, “Human Property Hanging in the Family Tree Yields a Harvest.” At times, I am still haunted by not fulfilling my promise. I have learned that ‘time’ moves on, even when we stand still, time waits for no one. If you make a promise, please keep it, a broken promise is heartbreaking. I have learned not to be afraid of the unknown, because with sound research, answers to questions can alleviate fear.
Book Information
Published date 01/27/2012. ISBN: 978-1-62030-045-9. The book contains 207 pages, 50,000 words, 7 photographs with 4 photographs with courtesy/permission. This work contains 11 pages of Bibliography. Available in 6x9 perfect bound.
The book is available at The Book Patch http://www.thebookpatch.com/BookStoreDetails.aspx?BookID=5382
EBook Kindle Edition at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00727LLKC/?tag=buzz0f-20
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