A Lone Black Man Standing Under a Tree

I have written about this particular topic in the past, but have felt inclined to write about it again.

There is an old family photograph, circa 1915, which depicts my great Grandfather John, his wife Caroline, my Grandfather Webster, and the remainder of his siblings standing in front of their old Georgia homestead. No doubt many families throughout America own similar black and white photos from this time period,

... with one exception.

On the far right of the picture we notice a lone black man standing under a non-descript tree.

Of course, during this time period, and for years afterward, whites would "not think about" having a photograph made in close proximity with a black person. Nor for that matter did whites and blacks attend the same schools or churches, or frequent the same restaurants and hotels.

(It was only in the mid 60's, when I was a sophomore, that our high school began the process of integration; when a few black students were moved from Union Academy to Summerlin Institute. Thankfully, there wasn't a hint of trouble in old Bartow, Florida, as seemed so common in other southern states of that era).

A Lone Black Man Standing Under a Tree.

In biblical times newly released slaves, who wished to remain with the family, submitted to a ceremony in which an awl was driven through his or her ear, as a symbol of their momentous decision.

Oral tradition tells us that the sixty-some year old man in the picture was the former slave of John's father, William, and who, after the Civil War, chose to remain on the land as a sharecropper. 

Now, I don't have a clue how well "Martin" was treated as a slave, but of course I like to think his decision to remain with the family is a good indicator of that treatment.

To be sure there never has been, is not now, nor ever will be any excuse for the practice of slavery. Far too many of my ancestors owned slaves, (and of course, I regret it).

Well after the Civil War, and only in the lifetime of John's and Webster's grandchildren, and the involvement of such men as Martin Luther King Jr. has significant change occurred.

A tribute to the lone black man under the tree.

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 10. Vol.s 1-15, Copyright 2015

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