Did You Know the Origins of Memorial Day? Memorial Day was started by former African American slaves, therefore African Americans are the reason Memorial Day exists but of coarse the American school system purposely left this piece of information out. I'm sure some parts of the United States teach this lesson but I know from personal experience growing up in Louisville, KY I was never taught this.
The Truth About Memorial Day and African American Contributions.... According to David Blight a Professor at Yale University, the Memorial Day Event began on May 1, 1865. A group of former slaves in Charleston, SC gave a proper burial to 257 Union soldiers who'd been put into a mass grave.
The African American community of Charleston, SC then consecrated the new cemetery with " an unforgettable parade of 10,000 people." The event was initially called "Decoration Day" and was led by 3,000 black school children who began singing the song " John Brown's Body." They were then followed by hundreds of black women with baskets of flowers and crosses. After that, black men marched behind them in cadence, followed by Union infantry. The Union soldiers lived in horrible conditions, and 257 of them died from exposure and disease. This was the reason for the creation of the mass grave site. There was a total of 28 black men that went to the site and re-buried the men properly largely as a thank you for helping fight for their freedom. They also built a fence around the cemetery and on the outside, put the words, "Martyrs' of the Race Course."
Toni's Thoughts: This is a wonderful piece of history you need to share with your kids because most schools are not going to take the time to teach them about this story. Wake up and Wise Up.
Sources: The Grio, Black Blue Dog, & David Blight
Hey Toni, just read a couple of your posts and really appreciated them (Lady Liberty and Memorial day). It's very important to put historical facts like these back in the light, especially given their cornerstone importance in the American psyche.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from France, Val.