Emancipation Day, BOMA Minute

Let me tell you another history fact. I worked on the rail when the first ‘lectric train come through here. The first trial run was done right yonder on the Bladensburg track in the year of our lord, 1867. I ‘members the years cause they run right long wit my age you, see. I ‘members they’s just start usin’ them new fangled battrys and the train speed reached almost 20 miles and hour! They’s a lot of fellas what died using them new fangled battries cause all you need to do what touch it wrong. I’s ‘lectacuted least maybe four or five times grabbing holt of them thangs, but the Lord let me live.

They is one day I aint never gon’ forget long as I live, cause of the glory ‘ttached to it; the day of Jubilee. President Lincoln signed the paper. I members it was a fine spring day in April of ’62. Little Hollis Harvey used to fetch things from over to Washington from time-to-time. Little fella; he come barreling down the main road (Edmondston) on a big brown mare. It’s strange cause you ain’t seed much of colored men’s ridin no horses in them days. He’s standin’ straight up in the saddle shoutin’ “we’s free, we’s free, he done signed that mancipation, we’s free. Man you talkin bout some cake-walkin and mashin-drinkin that night. I recollect the rail station shut down and everything. I member’s we had a high time.

This has been a Breath of My Ancestors Minute brought to you by the Institute of Radical Reconciliation… #WeMustNeverForget