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Freedom but not at first sight: Rediscovering the road to Booker T. Washington's birthplace2/22/2021 "All men are born equally free and independent. And have certain inherent natural rights...among which are the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety." -George Mason It's an immaculate landscape scenery with mountaintop backdrops standing boldly covered in snow and trees stretching for a miles along the road not far from Roanoke, but Hardy is the heart of the matter. Virginia, a state rich in history, also known for various sharecrops and cultivation, but it could also be coined the land of milk and honey since one could find either or both at a local farmer's market. In fact there's a possibility the Burroughs plantation had fresh squeezed cow milk and honey could have been an delicacy back then. There's many green pastures, orchards and winery's on the winding roads, rather spectacular scene only one that nature can provide. Such peace and tranquility in transport to the site of a man born into slavery under a treaty of peace, but later salvation restored to freedom status setting Booker T. Washington free to walk 500 or so odd miles for a more meaningful purpose in life pursing an education with purpose. Let's pause for a second to allow that present day scene to sink in. Now, here's where the story get's a bit unsettling and many questions for such laborious conditions arise. Considering the independence of the United States separation was recognized by the government; the 1783 Peace Treaty was the pendulum shift in the peculiar introduction of the United States Constitution. After such horrific happening, the kidnapping of American citizens to man the Royal Navy conflict lead to US and its allies fighting the United Kingdom of Great Britain Ireland and dependent colonies resulting in mostly indigenous nations displaced from their land. Starting with the Continental Congress in 1774, Americas national legislative bodies have kept records of their proceedings. These records are in the words of those who built our government. According to Marshall's Life of Washington, in Rhode Island alone a spirt sufficiently hostile to every species of reform was found to prevent the election of Deputies on an occasion so generally deemed momentous. Having unanimously chose General Washington as President, the Convention proceeded with closed doors to discuss the interesting and extensive subject submitted to their consideration. With a desire to revise the State of the Union to forma a compact relative to the navigation of the rivers Potomac and Pocomoke and of part of of the bay of Chesapeake. Commissioners were appointed by the legislatures of Virginia and Maryland who assembled in Alexander in March 1785. On September 17, 1787 the Constitution was presented to the American public. The climate and conditions for merchants and mercantile exchange was very difficult despite the promise of 40 acres and a mule after the Civil War, but has yet to be fulfilled. On the flipside, the son of Jane Burroughs, Booker Taliaferro Washington was born on the Burroughs Tabaco Farm and Plantation recorded on April 18, 1856. Jane was the plantation cook and had two other children, John Henry and Amanda and bought for the farm. James Burroughs, having the occupation of a tanner was the slave owner at the plantation. His father James Burroughs was married to Elizabeth Burroughs. He was a private captain in the Cornelius Sales Company 8th Regime, Virginia Militia. It was alleged that James Burroughs served in the war of 1812 and volunteered at Amherst West Virginia and was honorable discharged. Like his father, James also served in Company D, 2nd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry. From a private encounter, I learned that Booker T. Washington would have to ration out the pigs meal and eat some good portions of the slop to stay alive not so much healthy, although his mother was a cook. It was during the start of the Civil War that Booker T. Washington would be granted his freedom from being born into slavery. It sure is a different feeling when your feet touch the plantation grounds that Booker T. Washington once toiled. Tabacco was the primary cash crop in Virginia. Enslaved African planted cultivated and harvested tabacco and other crops. In 1860, 2,000 pounds of tabacco were produced by enslaved labor on the Burroughs plantation. Booker T. wanted better and was determined. He had heard about Hampton Institute a school for African American and arrived at there in 1872. Reflecting on his schooling, Washington said "At Hampton I not only learned that it was not a disgrace to labor, but learned to love labor not alone for its financial value, but for labor's own sake and for the independence and self-reliance which the ability to do something which the world wants done brings... I got my first taste of what it meant to live a life of unselfishness, my first knowledge of the fact that the happiest individuals are those who do the most to make others useful and happy." Booker T. Washington.
On July 4, 1881, Booker T. Washington opened Tuskegee Normal School in a leaky roofed shanty with 30 students ready to learn. The school had no land, buildings, teachers, or money. The students rolled up their sleeves and starting making bricks and laying the foundation constructing a school and dining hall, girls dormitory and chapel. By 1888, the 540-acre school had more than 400 students, who all labored to support the school. Be sure to visit the Booker T. Washington National Monument to learn more about African American history before Black History Month is over.
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"To shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth. And it was so done." - 1 Genesis:15On a day like today, has your faith been tested or was it more so your patience? What did it feel like? How did you respond, and did you past your test of faith? Did it yield a strong firm faith or very fragile and find a need to be planted in good soil for firm grounding? First and foremost, what is faith? Not what's your faith in terms of reciting your favorite Bible verse in your prayer room, but the basic footing for foundation of understanding faith? Would it be scientifically safe to consider that faith is first formed in the womb? We must admit that is the place most of humanity formed in that environment trusting it would nurture, and facilitate in one's physical formation at the target growth trajectory of 9 months or less to make your official grand entrance into this world. In our most purest form as an embryo, are we born we faith or is it acquired through teaching and practice? A scripture reading from 1 Timothy 1:5 suggest "Calling to mind that faith which is in thee unfeigned, which also dwelt first in thy grandmother, Lois and in thy mother Eunice, and I am certain that in thee also." From a wise man, when asked about what faith means to him, Mr. Taylor replied "be cautious of your faith, what you trust and believe." Is there a timely lesson which builds up strength and stores it for a later day in a particular space and time through experience? This almost sounds like a formula for faith, but lets not plant our feet on that hypothesis, because you might not agree with that perception and don't want to create any grey area for competition of faith. There are variations of faith, and it solely depends upon the individual understanding and belief system. What if faith was similar to the autumn season; when the leaves fall from the tree branches, leaving behind remains as a reminder of strength, and your faith is always rooted in firm ground even if the leaves scatter around in the wind, and when the season change again, more leave and even flowers start to bloom. Now let's put faith into focus and perspective. The word faith derived from fidere - which means to trust, according to entomology dictionary. Furthermore, Word Net defines faith as noun:
The Holy Bible describes Abraham's faith in the following scripture reading 1 Genesis:15 "To shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth. And it was so done." This is possibly the starting point for faith in a theologian context. The Bible also defines faith as a virtue and various other descriptions designated in the following scriptures:
What would Jesus do about such situation? In a Biblical context, it was his faith that got him persecuted and nailed to the cross. What happened to the 12 Disciples? Were they not firm in their faith despite following Jesus? The elders down South would often suggest weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Moreover, the mask mandate measures has the means to curse the masses for a pandemic beyond their human perception, but who will prescribe the remedy? Meanwhile, have you ever considered having faith of a mustard-seed? What if you never say a seed then what is your faith based on? Faith has various methods to its form fitting foundations, and understanding but can be religiously practiced or spiritually anchored; so the faith seeker or healer must make the determination to that approach in their faith. If faith isn't hope, but a hallow matter of man's foundation for belief system, how is your footing looking stepping into your faith? Is it only in good times that you don't consider faith, and it's not until one finds themselves in a friction situation they seek faith? What about when the finances are flowing like a broken faucet, do you consider your faith? Should the people have faith in Bill Gates that his foundation will find the elixir fixer for the coronavirus? His faith sure is firm and ready to plant more findings on his farm grounds while millions of people have to find time to build up enough faith to find schedule an appointment for a coronavirus jab. When did Bill Gates go through vigorous course work or clinicals to substantiate such mass vaccination recommendations? Where is his medical license? Has Science been so far separated and removed from observation, there's no point in a hypothesis of common sense? Has the former Microsoft mogul moved beyond his software program capabilities crowing himself with power and authority to act as God and the doctor of humanity sending the entire world into an unprecedented situation; while he professes what should and shouldn't be done about the coronavirus.
Now is the time to figure out if your faith will be firm or turn from your wicked ways. How would you measure your faith in a tech spectrum scale and scope:
From a social construct perspective, and context the term racial equity is very divisive. Based on the fact that race only attributes to a color found anywhere similar to shades of grey, but that's not a culture or quality of people being apart of the human race. However, for now it remains separate but equal under certain conditions not all laws. Once upon a time there was a bold and beautiful buzz generated for the celebration of Black History Month coined by Carter G. Woodson. Maybe the extension of Negro Week wasn't a significant milestone in Black America? But the Henryton Hospital Sanatorium was built in 1923 as a pillar of pride, with one purpose to serve in health and medicine for African Americans in Maryland by providing tuberculosis treatment. Black History Month is like a blink, not even search browser blazing now. Just a blemish in the borderline trend of 240 characters. In a more compassionate and caring exude of character, through use of Executive Order on January 26, 2021, President Elect Joseph Biden stated in the State Dining Room "In my campaign for President, I made it very clear that the moment had arrived as a nation where we face deep racial inequities in America and system- systemic racism that has plagued our nation for far, far too long. I said it over the course of the past year that the blinders had been taken come off the nation of the American people. What many Americans didn't see, or had simply refused to see, couldn't be ignored any longer." This sentiment comes after the 25 year expiration date on the 1993 Crime Bill he authored for use only in Black America. Although the attention span has been conducive to social networking standards that Crime Bill sure stands out. This 2021 calendar month year we examine the conditions Blacks in America have endured, the extent of treatment to provide an equitable resolution for their wellbeing, environmental conditions, and sustainable ways to reassess their value in a two-fold racial equity compartmentalization system of Black and White to approach the revolving door or reoccurring experience in America. Treatment Plan: Heath and Medical Care Type of Condition: Tuberculosis in Black America "We Shall Overcome," some day is a great song to sooth the souls from its hardships and suffering conditions so one is in position to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and break through the chains and shackles. Well, that's not how many stories of Black History begin, but not all Black History started on the slave ships. Some phenomenal events occurred on land, and in the state of Maryland, Carroll County to be exact. Established through a General Assembly meeting and Maryland Department Health and Mental Hygiene merger, the first and only state sanatoria, Henryton Hospital was built for African American patients who statistical trends in Maryland show had high morality rate attributed to tuberculosis. The original building was built in 1923 by the North-Eastern Construction Company and all floors included hospital wards, a post office, laundry and linen room, storage room, and offices also occupied the basement level. Later on, a small addition to the hospital included a morgue, and paint storage room. The Georgian and Colonial architecture style structure, supported the hospital design requirement for sanitaria during the early 20th century. A Children's Hospital building opened as ambulatory care facility for 50 children. Meanwhile the "Color Branch" also known as Henryton Hospital was centered on 30 acres of land surrounding the Patapsco Valley State Park which encompasses 14, 250 acres with park land stretching 26 miles long. Henryton Hospital once had halls and over 35 buildings to treat 120 African Americans diagnosed with tuberculosis. The hospital eventually deteriorated from closure and vandalism then demolished. During the days of operation, the institution was used as a developmental disabilities facility after 1962, before officially closing in 1965. What is tuberculosis? The American heritage dictionary defines it as an infectious disease of humans and animals caused by a bacillus and characterized by the formation of tubercles, especially in the lungs. Bacillus is any of various rod-shaped aerobic bacteria. The Glossary of HIV/AIDS Related terms Oct. 2011 7th edition defines tuberculosis as an infection caused by bacteria mycobacterium tuberculous. TB usually affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body such as the kidneys, spine, and brain. Tuberculosis disease is when the bacteria multiply become active, and make a person sick. The symptoms include a bad cough that last 3 weeks or longer, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, and loss of appetite. Not only was the Henryton Hospital the first state hospital for treatment of TB diagnoses directly affecting African American's giving a new rise in structure and setting precedence for health and medicine; Patapsco Valley is the first state park in Maryland, and milestone marking the start of the Industrial Revolution in America through trade, iron mills, and other industrial activities. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad passed through this precious park with it's tracks tucked away near the river adding the unique industry advancement. According to the Patapsco Community preservation, the Woodland Indians found the vast forest along Patapsco Valley abundant with black bear, panther, elk, buffalo, beaver, bobcat, turkey game. The tidal portion of the river provided clams, oysters, shrimp, and crab and the valley never belonged to any one tribe's territory. It also looks like some cabbage or leafy vegetables were later planted. While walking I wanted to get a sense of the surroundings in the area, the time, place, location and conditions of the people. The environment was enriched with natural resources, and at any given second something can jump out. Luckily, I encountered a gentleman with a bow and arrow Robin Hood worthy! In that moment, I felt very unsecured because my camera sure wasn't going to stop a bob cat from coming. Thankful, the unique chirp of the cardinal sent a calming to my spirit, as I watched it fly near the tree branches along the river banks. Could the Industrial Revolution have been a contributing factor for the spread of TB during the time Henryton Hospital was seeing African Americans diagnosed with the disease? How were the patients treated? What type of therapy was administered? These answers are unknown, along with how those African Americans were treated at the hospital. The soul has a way to speak out and sound. In due time we might hear the tone and frequency they felt so perhaps it was one of care and compassion. The park is very precious in so many ways and provided a means of for the Industrial Revolution to pass through, and put people in position to operate the millrace. The land is very rich in resources, and the rocks tell a rather radical sediment story of weathering the storm. Despite several fires, the Patapsco Valley State park is a precious jewel and was once the place to provide medical and health treatment for African Americans diagnosed with tuberculosis. Today, African Americans are faced with the coronavirus at alarming and disproportionate rates which can be attributed to preexisting health conditions. Furthermore, considering how the contagion originated, it continues to obliterate the Constitution- supreme rule of law on the land; making gathering with family and friends almost obsolete with the option to wear three face mask if you want to participate in society.
Moreover, many states and countries have to now figure out how to quarantine the contagion coronavirus from further spreading into hotspot areas without stripping We the People constitutional rights. The virus can be contained, but not at the expense and cost of your freedom, civil liberties and ability to earn a living wage. |
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