Celebrating Black History
Celebrating Black History Month on the William Jewell College campus has been a part of my work for thirty-three years. From the moment I was hired on this predominately-white campus, I knew that my destiny would be intrinsically linked not only to the course work that I would teach, but also to the task of sharing my cultural legacy and black perspective on the issues and events affecting African Americans on the Hill. Jewell has grown more diverse, but not with African American diversity; we are still the least represented minority. Taking the time to recognize Black History month allows our campus and country to honor, and show support for the only individuals who arrived in America bound in chains. We have survived and emerged victoriously like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Though some in society may see our race as a burden, we have earned the right to be celebrated.
Unfortunately, early historians failed to chronicle black contributions; so much has been omitted and neglected. I am the volunteer historian for the Clay County African American Legacy Inc., and I serve on the Clay County Historical Millennium Board. The work I do for these organizations focuses on making the community aware of the contributions of African Americans to the northland. Blacks have been an integral part of the history of Clay County since the 1820’s. My dream is for every American to recognize African Americans as productive heroes and heroines who are making this world a better place to live. We are more than popular culture icons in the sports and music entertainment industry. This goal can be achieved through education.
My father was a history teacher and perhaps it was predestined that I would grow to love history as a hobby. Researching and chronicling information on African American pioneers of the northland has taken me on a twenty-five year journey. I have traveled throughout the counties of Clay, Platt, and Boone, interviewing hundreds of people. Moreover, I have trekked though cornfields, old cemeteries, the Recorder of Deeds Office, museums, libraries, websites, and read a thousand primary documents dating to the early 1800's. Once, while on a visit to Dr. William Jewell’s family cemetery in Columbia Missouri, I discovered the soles of my shoes covered in persimmons after paying homage at the graves of the enslaved blacks who were a part of his family. Those African American men and women are among the people upon whose shoulders I stand today.
In 2003 my research, which includes a list of over 150 black pioneers, businesses, schools and churches in Clay County dating from the 1800’s to the present day, was engraved on the back of the Freedom Fountain located on the old courthouse square in Liberty. This information is available for everyone to view 365 days per year, including Black History Month. Over the years, the research for this work has been labor-intensive, sometimes done with the help of a magnifying glass and gloves, and sometimes with the help of a shovel and a trowel, but it has always been rewarding to share with others.
Celebrating Black History Month brings me unspeakable joy and pride. I know the trials and tribulations my people have had to endure throughout history. We have worked and labored in fields for people who wanted crops without having to plow the land. We have nursed generations of other people’s children while taking care of our own families. We have planted, cooked, cleaned, and sacrificed while others have “reaped the harvest of golden fruit.” I will celebrate the lives of the millions of African Americans who have been marginalized by a society who often chooses to deny their existence. I will continue to read, research, write and be a voice for those who have been silenced. Today, I am proud to be the only African American professor on the William Jewell campus. I have worked here sixty-six semesters. When I walk across the Quad, I am unbowed: I lift my shoulders, hold my head proudly, and greet everyone with a smile. In any event, I will always encourage celebrating Black History Month, so that no one will ever forget that African Americans helped to build this great nation. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the founder of Black History Month, would agree.
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