65 years old man born on a plantation in Norwood, LA

James "Moon B" London

I spent the few last days at  Womack Syrup Mill in St. Helena Parish. It was a pleasure to meet some very interesting individuals. One of those people was James London aka Moon B, whose task was to unload the sugarcane from the trailer. He struck up a conversation with me while I was taking photographs of him unloading the sugarcane. He discussed the sugarcane plantation he grew up on in Norwood, Louisiana, where he was born and raised back up in the woods.

"I was born on a plantation in the woods in Norwood, Louisiana. I remember the name of the midwife who delivered me there." Her name is Lucy Porter, yeah, that's right, said Moon B." When Moon B told me his age, my heart ached for more information on his life on the plantation. I wish I had more time with him to interview him and document his story. 

He is only three years older than me and is sharing his experiences living on a plantation. He was born into a system of sharecropping. As a result of his family's hard work and sacrifice, they were not able to get a head he said. We just always broke even, yeah, we couldn't do anything about it Moon B said.

I asked him how  his family left the place.  He explained to me a fight that one of his uncles had. After one of my uncles got into a fight and someone was killed, the owner told us we had to leave. "I witnessed them beating my uncle on the plantation, yeah, I recall that, said Moon B."

 

E.J's first photo shoot with Dr. Antoinette Harrell, Local Historian

E.J. taking pictures at the Womack Syrup Mill
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

Documenting history through still shots and video is something that I do as a hobby. I find relaxation and learning something new with each adventure. Not to mention meeting some very interesting people along the way. In the event that I am not able to continue or when I am gone. When my four grandkids were growing up, I placed a camera in each of their hands to see if anyone found it interesting and explored taking pictures. No, it is not for everyone and cannot be forced upon someone, regardless of how important you think it is.

E.J.'s grandmother told me he liked to take photographs. I had a camera that I no longer use and thought it would be a suitable starter camera for him. I invited him to take photographs at the Womack Syrup Mill in St. Helena Parish. He was eager to participate in his first photo shoot. As soon as we arrived, E.J. immediately began taking photographs. I look forward to seeing his photographs. He is certainly an explorer, that's for sure. If possible, I would like to see a newsletter or a display of some of his photographs at his school. This would really inspire him. In light of the fact that we are getting a new and larger library, perhaps some of his images could be displayed in the section for children or local history.

Mr. John Womack invited E.J. to photograph youth who are passionate about farming,  agriculture, and livestock. He would benefit greatly from such an experience. Many older people who are involved in farming, agriculture, livestock, and other areas stress the importance of teaching the youth and preserving traditions. In fact, I'm doing exactly that with E.J., teaching him how to record local history using his camera.

E.J. taking photographs
Photo CredIt: Antoinette Harrell

As an alternative, he may wish to travel around the world with his camera.  I wish to emphasize that E.J  is a fast learner and one who is likely to ask a thousand questions. Talking with people and offering assistance is not something he is shy about. As a matter of fact, he was simultaneously learning about syrup making and taking photographs. 

During the cooking process of the syrup, Mr. John Womack gave him the assignment to test the temperature. So E.J., was in between the camera and the laser tempertaure tester. Overall he had a great experience. I'm looking forward to inviting him out to his next photo shoot. He was gifted a bottle of syrup for helping to bottle up the syrup. This was an experience he will never forget. All we need to do is invest in our youth and sit back and how the growth.  E. J. is a natural and I look forward inviting him to come along and what that other children will want to join us.