Become An Historic Reenactor

Having worked as a volunteer on Black history in North Carolina for fifteen years, I found the door of opportunities wide open. Of the more significant of those was the chance to portray 1800's historic figures such as, furniture designer Thomas Day and, poet & author George Moses Horton. Also, I produced a short film documenting an important Civil War moment in time(see post on Princeville, NC).

Reeactors portray US Colored Troops, clergy, farmers and other average folks going about their lives at the end of the Civil War. It's fun and educational, and there are national and local reenactment groups in many places for you to connect with. Usually, no experience is necessary.

Unfortunately, since the American education system has never allowed the struggles or accomplishments of Blacks to be taught in the public schools, we must teach ourselves. As poet Maya Angelou has penned so eloquently, "History, despite its wrenching pain, can- not be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again".

However, finding people to reenact has been difficult. Some people are

Black Family Reunions: An Opportunity to Exchange Stories and Ideas

The family reunion offers a great opportunity to exchange stories and connect the dots of Black history to your family tree. Some, however, may not be comfortable with topics such as slavery itself, the Jim Crow era, and others sensitive areas. You may be the only one in your family who cares about your ancestors' past, but don't let that stop you.

Our ancestors worked hard, fought for freedom, and even rebelled against their captors, but their stories are not taught in American schools. We should take it upon ourselves to tell our own story, rather than accept the story others choose to tell about us.

Your search may not be in this order. But, the following may help.

Begin Your Search with Family and Local History

Invaluable sources for uncovering Black History can be your own family's stories, local folklore, state and local libraries, and state archives.

When I visited the North Carolina State Archives I was surprised at how much of our history had been preserved. The person who assisted me knew exactly where the information on my great grand father, Luke Grady, was located. Among other things, there were copies of of his voting record in the NC State Assembly, and even a class photo of all the newly elected assemblymen elected that year of 1885.

So, the information is out there. There is no excuse for anyone to

Luke Grady: "Quite Acceptable to his people"

Shortly after relocating to North Carolina, my Aunt Margaret (Grady-Green) gave me all the impetus I needed to begin my search about my great grandfather, Luke Grady(1854-1932). Luke was ten years old when slavery was abolished, and was elected to the North Carolina State Assembly in 1885. There were many sources from which I drew information about Luke, but I was surprised to find his biography from an unlikely source.

Marvin Brown, a white North Carolina senior & architectural historian, authored the book, Luke Grady of New Hanover County, North Carolina "quite acceptable to his people" in 2000. Mr. Brown became familiar with

Do You Know Your Peoples' History?

Growing up in the ethnic melting pot of Cleveland, Ohio, I was used to seeing festivals celebrating Italian, Hungarian, Polish, and many other ethnic cultures and traditions. The festivals took over whole streets where we walked to school. This was in the 1950's when we, as Black folks, didn't do much thinking or talking about our culture, much less celebrate it.

Because of The Civil Rights Movement, Black Nationalism, the whole Afrocentric dynamic over the last fifty years in America,  many Blacks have long since gotten past the question of who we are. But, what we do with that knowledge when our heritage is questioned, or dismissed puts the ball in our court to respond.

How many of us have heard something like this even while growing up, "...your people don't have a history, culture, or traditions. You don't know who you are, or where you came from". As students, many of us heard such comments from white teachers. Many Blacks were encouraged to take some type of action in the face of these false claims, among them was Arturo Alfonso Schomburg,

Where I Began My Search

Content for my posts on this blog will be drawn from my research of North Carolina history, from the late 1700's to the early 1900's. I was fortunate to find a non-profit museum in Raleigh, NC called the African American Cultural Complex(AACC). The AACC was founded in 1984 by Dr. E.B. Palmer & Juanita B. Palmer, both of whom had  long careers in education, but after retiring found there was more work to be done in teaching Black History.

The Palmers' took me under their wing, and I became a lifelong volunteer at the

Past Time that We Caught up to Our Own History

As a young man in my early twenties I remember relatives talking about my great grandfather, Luke Grady, who was elected to the North Carolina State Assembly in 1885 representing New Hanover County(Wilmington). Luke was born into slavery in 1854. When I visited the North Carolina State Archives in 2000 to find out more about Luke, I discovered that at least fifteen other formerly enslaved Blacks were elected to public office in North Carolina from 1865 to 1898. This was in New Hanover County alone.

 Now, I thought, "...could this trend have been repeated in other