Dr. Antoinette Harrell visited Ly Bensons Gallery & Studio in Beaufort, South Carolina

Dr. Antoinette Harrell visiting 
Ly Benson's Gallery & Studio
St. Helena Island, SC

To visit the Gullah Geechee communities, we traveled twelve-hour journey from Louisiana to Charleston, South Carolina and the island of St. Helena. It was well worth the time and effort spent on the long drive. The Harrell branch of my family originates from South Carolina. As well as Nansemond, Virginia, which is now a part of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

It is imperative that African Americans in the United States do not allow the history of slavery and the heavy clouds of slavery under which Jim and Jane Crow ruled to erase our history during a time when Critical Race Theory is being debated across the South with the aim of eradicating African American history.

Our blood stain the foundation of this country. Our history is part of America's fabric. Even the most ugly events in history cannot be erased. It is crucial that we protect our right to hold onto our history regardless of how difficult it may be. By visiting the many museums that hold pieces of our history. As we converse with our historians and curators, weoften do not rewrite history, but write our narrative. There is no doubt in my mind that our history and culture should be protected in the same way that those who propose to erase them have. It is essential for me to visit museums in order to gain a deeper understanding of my past and history. A museum dedicated to African American culture tells a story. Our history is told and interpreted through the museums. 

Farm Life in Greensburg, Louisiana with Warner Hall

Preserving History Through Funeral Programs.

The land had been in Larry Freeman's family since 1873

Larry Freeman
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

 

It has been over a decade since I first met Larry Freeman and his wife Shirley Freeman. The last time I visited their farm was a few years ago, when Shirley had her cage-free chicken roaming freely around the yard when I visited them for the first time.  In my last visit to her house, she told me that some animal had eaten all her chicken, and that she was very disappointed. It is my guess that she did not want to go through that experience again. During the course of her farm experiment, she had set up a honey bee hive as part of her research. There is only one guinea fowl that Shirley has now.

They live on a fifteen-acres plot of land that is home to beautiful  horses and cows which roam freely throughout the lush green pastures behind their house. Honestly, I was just curious to see what Larry day  was like on the farm, so I decided to follow him around the farm to see what he was up too. There is a lot that Larry needs to accomplish in a day, so he starts his morning very early. It was 10 am, in the morning when I met up with him, which is late for a cattleman like him. 

He gave me a tour of the fifteen acres of beautiful pastures. Beautiful meadow glistened with yellow wildflowers as the sun glistened on them, as horses freely grazed in the fields while being surrounded by the beauty of the sunshine. He took me on an additional forty-acres where he planned to move the cows later on in the week after we spent some time touring the fifteen acres. His attention was drawn to one of his cows lying down in the distance. He just wanted to make sure the cow was okay. In 1873, his ancestors purchased 160 acres of land on the original tract of 160 acres of land that was located further up the road. It is easy for me to understand why Larry says that with such pride.

"There are few people who can really say that they still own the land in their family since the 1800s? In 1888, my family purchased two hundred acres of land, but what happened to the land is a mystery to me. My maternal 3rd great-grandfather Robert Harrell bought the land along with his son, my 2nd great grandfather Alexander Harrell."

After we arrived, Larry pointed out a beautiful old oak tree that held so many memories for him.  The memories he holds in his mind are something I would like to see visually. The old oak tree brought back memories of playing, climbing, and sitting under it for Larry.  My great-grandmother Emma's homestead in Amite, Louisiana, had an old oak tree, which I fondly remember playing under with my brothers and cousins during the hot summer days. 

Cattle graze the land, feeding and giving birth to calves. Whenever Larry pulls up, cows and calves moo like a chore.Grazing on the new pastures was their desire. It wasn't time for them to rotate into a new pasture yet. There was no end to the ringing of the phone for Larry. In the middle of our day we were interrupted by a phone call and he was forced to attend to some farm matters, and that was the end of our day. Larry understands the power of land ownership. Educating their children and grandchildren about land ownership is a priority for him and his wife Shirley 

The legacy of black history is preserved by a local man

Walter Wren III
African American Funeral Collection

A local genealogist and historian, Dr. Antoinette Harrell, recently saw some of Walter Wren III,  extensive collections of African American funeral programs, church programs, and other historic items. He guards and protects the large container in which the collection is stored. Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes can greatly benefit from Wren's collection of African American materials. Harrell spent two hours browsing through the treasure box containing a piece of history. Each program in his collection was carefully examined by her during the evaluation process. 

Harrell received a copy of the duplicate from Wren for preservation at the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies.  Nurturing Our Roots appreciates Wren's generosity in sharing his collection. Sadly, African American history would have been lost if not for Wren's and other contributions. Wren's willingness to share his collection with Nurturing Our Roots.

A funeral program for a woman born in 1886 caught the attention of Harrell's trained eye. In his collection, that individual was the oldest born. It was followed by a few in the early 1900s.  He worked at Richardson Funeral Home, Inc. in Amite for many years and some programs were from services he attended and others from his family and friends' funeral services.. 

Harrell received a copy of the duplicate from Wren for preservation at the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies.  Nurturing Our Roots is grateful to Wren for sharing his collection with us. Unfortunately, without Wren's and other contributions, African American history would have been forgotten and lost to time. We are grateful for Wren's willingness to share his collection with Nurturing Our Roots and for Harrell's dedication to preserving it for future generations

There is a long history of African American contributions to Louisiana's Southeast Parishes that has been long forgotten and ignored. Wren  understands the importance of researching, preserving, and documenting these contributions.

Tri-Parish Vegetable Growers & Angus Cattle Community Farmers Association, Inc., honor local + 70 farmers

+70 Farmer Honorees

Who is Craig Coleman? Gathering of Hearts embarked on mission work some years ago, and I met Craig's mother and sister Kim. They lived across the track outside of Kentwood city limits. It was a peaceful and quiet fifteen-minute drive from my home inside the city limits to their home along the scenic route.

It took  two weeks for the mission work to be completed. I had many conversations with Kim during this period. During many conversations, she mentioned her brother Craig's love for farming. In fact, he planted a small garden behind his mother's house. It was years later that I had the pleasure of meeting Craig and his wife Shannon. The passion he had for farming captivated me. Today, it is difficult to find young men who are passionate about farming and raising livestock.  As my curiosity got the best of me, I had to interview him to learn where his passion for agriculture came from

"Whenever I got the chance, I would help older farmers on their farms when I was growing up," Craig recalled. He was learning from more experienced farmers, it provided a networking opportunity with other farmers and owners of livestock. Craig said that farming is something he has dreamed of since he was a child. Having his own land and farming it is a dream come true for him. Furthermore, he truly appreciate

the knowledge that older farmers had shared with him. Craig organized the +70 Farmers Award to honor the farmers' contribution over the years. As a member of the Angus Cattle Community Farmers Association, Inc., Craig chair the Tri-Parish Vegetable Growers program.  Several honorees received recognition for providing their families and communities with fresh produce and meat for many years. 

Mike Strain, the Agricultural Commissioner, delivered the keynote address. "While he covered many topics that evening, I remember one in particular: don't sell the land." His father told him, boy, never sell this land.  Land is the one thing they cannot make anymore.  They understood that statement because they have been farming and living on their land for decades. Many discuss this topic with their own offsprings and family members. 

Support for the honorees was well-represented by family and friends. Mayor Irma T. Gordon welcomed everyone to the event. A healthy lunch was served to everyone. St. Helena 4-H Club was in attendance.  The event was supported by farmers and livestock ranchers from Tangipahoa, St. Helena, and Washington Parishes. Craig was equally surprised to see that his family presented him will a plague for his hard work and dedication first to his family and secondly for his role in agriculture.

Craig Coleman 
Chair of the Tri-Parish Vegetable Growers

Honorees

Don Asford, Betty Asford, Annette Brumfield, Ardean Brumfield, Stanley Brumfield, Albert Brumfield, Malcom Brody, Aulton Cryer, Sr., Alphonse Dillon, Allen Donald,  Ricky Gutierrez, Warner Hall, Louis Hall, Herman Henry, Bob Havin, Raymond Holmes,  Forace James, Carl James, Emily King, Leon Lenard, Don Peoria, Emmitt Perry, Louis Self, Rosa Shaffett, Jeff Shaffett,  Frank Taylor, Quincy Walker, Robert Wallace, Carnell Wallace, Nonzie Williams, John Womack.