Memorial Day Remembered

The Forgotten Origins of Memorial Day: Honoring the Legacy of African Americans in Charleston

Like so many chapters of American history, the contributions of African Americans to our nation’s story have often been sidelined, rewritten, or erased entirely. One such overlooked chapter involves the origins of Memorial Day. While today’s celebration is marked with parades, flags, and moments of silence, the true roots of Memorial Day begin with a powerful and heartfelt act of remembrance—led by formerly enslaved African Americans in Charleston, South Carolina.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, these newly freed individuals were not just rebuilding their own lives—they were actively shaping the legacy of a nation in recovery. They remembered those who fought and died for their freedom. Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, wasn’t born from a government proclamation. It was born from the hands, hearts, and prayers of a resilient community determined to honor sacrifice and dignity.

Let’s rewind to 1865. While the Civil War was still coming to an end, Confederate forces in Charleston had taken over an old horse racetrack and turned it into a prison camp. Union soldiers held there were subjected to horrific conditions—poor sanitation, starvation, and neglect. Over 250 men died there, their bodies tossed into a mass grave with no markers, no names, and no honor.

When the war finally ended and Confederate troops withdrew, they left behind a city scarred by war and a population of freed slaves determined to heal and rebuild. Learning of the mass grave at the racetrack, a group of African Americans set out to do something extraordinary. They exhumed every one of the fallen Union soldiers and reburied them properly. Over their new resting place, they erected a simple but profound sign: “Martyrs of the Racecourse.”

Then, on May 1, 1865, these American Africans held what would become the first Memorial Day celebration in U.S. history. Over 10,000 people—mostly freed slaves—gathered to honor the Union dead. Children led the way, carrying flowers and singing songs. Families processed around the old racetrack, transforming a place of death into sacred ground.

At the center of the ceremony were African American preachers who offered prayers and read scripture. A children’s choir sang hymns, and the crowd—rich with sorrow and hope—paid their respects to the fallen. It was a powerful, emotional act of remembrance, a deeply American moment grounded in freedom, justice, and gratitude.

This story, however, isn’t widely known. Over the years, the narrative of Memorial Day has shifted, with the origin often attributed to various towns and military traditions. Yet, history is clear: the first large-scale Memorial Day event was led by black Americans who understood the cost of freedom and chose to honor it.

So, as we gather each year to honor those who gave their lives in service to this country, let’s also remember the group of freedmen and women who made sure that the fallen were never forgotten. Their act of courage and compassion is not just a footnote in history—it’s the very foundation of Memorial Day itself.

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Thank you for reading. If this story moved you, share it with someone and help restore the full truth of America’s history—because remembering how we remember is just as important as the act itself.

From Enslaved Pilot to Civil War Hero

 

Robert Smalls: From Enslaved Pilot to Civil War Hero and Congressman

A Remarkable Story of Courage, Freedom, and Legacy

By [Your Name], Juneteenth Handbook Blog

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Born into Bondage, Destined for Greatness

Robert Smalls was born into slavery on April 5, 1839, in Beaufort, South Carolina. Despite living in a system designed to suppress and silence him, Smalls acquired valuable maritime skills while working on ships in Charleston Harbor. These skills would one day help him chart a course not just to freedom—but to history.

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A Daring Escape on the CSS Planter

On the night of May 12, 1862, Smalls made a bold and strategic move. While the white officers were ashore, he commandeered the Confederate transport ship CSS Planter, a military cargo vessel. With a crew of fellow enslaved men, and their families aboard, he navigated the heavily guarded Charleston Harbor under the cover of darkness.

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Delivering Freedom—and Intelligence—to the Union

Smalls sailed the Planter straight into the Union blockade, surrendering the ship to Union forces. Not only did this act free everyone aboard, but Smalls also delivered valuable artillery and military secrets. His daring and success made national headlines, turning him into an immediate Civil War hero and a powerful symbol of Black resistance and intelligence.

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Inspiring Change in the Union Army

Smalls' heroism caught the attention of President Abraham Lincoln and Union leaders. His example helped change minds in Washington, convincing key decision-makers to allow African American soldiers to enlist in the Union Army. Smalls didn’t just liberate a ship—he opened the door for thousands of Black men to fight for their freedom.

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Service and Leadership in War

After his historic escape, Smalls continued to serve the Union as the pilot of the Planter, which was refitted for use as a Union warship. He later became the first Black captain in U.S. naval service, a testament to his skill, bravery, and leadership during the war.

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Returning Home and Rebuilding the South

Following the Civil War, Smalls returned to Beaufort. He was appointed a Major General in the South Carolina Militia and quickly became a prominent political leader during Reconstruction. His work focused on rebuilding his community and ensuring newly freed African Americans had access to education, civil rights, and economic opportunity.

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A Political Trailblazer

As a member of the Republican Party, Smalls was elected to the South Carolina Legislature and later to the U.S. House of Representatives. Serving multiple terms in Congress, he fought tirelessly for racial equality, public education, and justice in a deeply divided post-war America.

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Legacy of Freedom and Determination

Robert Smalls’ life is a powerful reminder of what it means to fight for freedom, not only for oneself but for others. From enslaved beginnings to naval hero and respected congressman, his story stands as a beacon of hope, courage, and possibility—ideals at the heart of what we celebrate on Juneteenth.

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The Origins of Civilization

What If the Victors Got It Wrong? Rethinking the Origins of Civilization

They say history is written by the victors—but what happens when the victors get it wrong? Or worse, what if they deliberately left things out? As someone who developed a love for history outside the classroom, I’ve often asked myself why so much of what I find fascinating about history—especially Black history—was nowhere to be found in my grade school textbooks. Where were the rich, complex African empires? The brilliant inventors, philosophers, and kings of color? Why was I taught that history began in Europe, reached its peak in America, and everything else was just background noise?

This question bothered me for years. So, as any curious amateur history buff would do, I googled it. And what I found shook the foundation of everything I’d learned. Turns out, civilization didn’t begin in Greece or Rome—it began in Africa. Long before Europe raised its first stone temple or the Americas saw their first settlers, African civilizations were thriving. Nubia, Kemet (Ancient Egypt), Carthage, Axum, Mali—all born of African soil. These weren’t just villages in the sand, they were vast, powerful societies rich in culture, science, architecture, and trade.

So why weren’t they in the books I studied as a child? Because when new civilizations rise, they often erase what came before, especially if the previous civilizations don’t fit the narrative they’re trying to tell. If your story starts with your own greatness, it’s inconvenient to admit that someone else beat you to it—and did it better. Especially if that someone doesn’t look like you. What we often call “history” is a version of the past filtered through politics, power, and pride. It’s less about what happened and more about who gets to tell the story.

The Pharaoh Taharqa
by AfricanAmericanStroy

Let’s be real: African history predates European and American history. But it’s been minimized, misrepresented, or outright ignored—not just in schoolbooks, but in archaeological circles, scientific communities, and yes, even churches. For decades, archaeologists downplayed or obscured African contributions to civilization. Evidence was buried, reinterpreted, or simply left out of the discussion. Why? Because acknowledging Africa as the cradle of civilization challenges deeply held beliefs about race, power, and identity.

But the truth is starting to come out. And it’s not just about fairness—it’s about accuracy. There is only one race: the human race. We all originated from the same place—Africa—and we’ve spread across the globe, adapting to our environments and developing unique cultures. That doesn’t make some of us more civilized than others; it makes all of us part of the same human story. And to know who we truly are, we must know where we truly come from.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the Bible itself is, in many ways, Black history. The lands mentioned—Ethiopia, Egypt, Cush—are African. Many of the people, too, were of African descent. Yet in popular portrayals, the people of the Bible have been systematically whitewashed. The stories we’ve heard have been filtered through centuries of cultural bias and colonial ideology. Reclaiming the truth isn’t just about race—it’s about restoring dignity, identity, and connection to millions of people who’ve been taught they came from nothing.

Print Set
by AfricanAmericanStroy

We live in an age where information is at our fingertips. We can no longer pretend we don’t know. And now that we do know, it’s time to correct the record. Not to rewrite history in favor of someone else, but to include the voices that were silenced, the civilizations that were ignored, and the truths that were buried. Telling the whole story enriches us all.

So let the victors have their version of the past. We’ll write a new one—rooted in truth, informed by all peoples, and shared by the entire human family. Because history isn't just about who won. It’s about who we really are.

How to Self Emancipate from Mental Slavery

How to Self-Emancipate from Mental Slavery

The history of slavery in America reveals a brutal system that enslaved people both physically and mentally. Physically, there were chains, overseers, and harsh punishments used to maintain control and obedience. Mentally, there were constant messages and reinforcements meant to degrade the enslaved and convince them of their inferiority. These included restrictions on education, laws that forbade reading and writing, and the widespread promotion of the belief that others were more intelligent, more capable, and more worthy.

Though physical slavery in America ended with the Civil War, mental slavery remained—and in many ways, it was just as damaging. When Southern lawmakers returned to Washington after the war, they worked to implement systems that would keep the races apart and keep newly freed African Americans poor, uneducated, and dependent. This was not true in every single case, but for the majority, the promise of freedom was followed by a new kind of bondage—poverty, illiteracy, and systemic racism.

Still, there were exceptions. Some African Americans had never been enslaved and had the opportunity to pursue education and own property. Others were the children of slave masters, and in some cases, they were freed through a legal document called a deed of manumission. These advantages, however, were the exception, not the rule. The vast majority of enslaved people were denied any opportunity for advancement or learning.

For some, the only path to freedom was through self-emancipation—a decision that came with enormous risk. Escaping from slavery could lead to capture, punishment, or death. Yet for many of our ancestors, it was the only choice that honored their humanity and hope for a better life. It's important to remember that not all Africans who were enslaved came from backgrounds of poverty or ignorance. Many, especially among the Muslim population sent to South America, were educated and highly skilled. In fact, some of them were more advanced in construction, mathematics, and language than their enslavers.

These educated slaves became a threat to the system. Fear of rebellion grew after the Haitian Revolution, when enslaved people in Haiti successfully rose up and established the first Black republic in the Western Hemisphere. The success of Haiti showed that freedom and independence were possible and sent shockwaves through the slaveholding world.

Today, self-emancipation is no longer about escaping physical chains—it’s about freeing the mind. Mental slavery exists when people internalize feelings of inferiority, powerlessness, and hopelessness. These chains are harder to see, but just as damaging. The first step to breaking them is to seek out knowledge, learn history, and reshape the way we view ourselves and our place in the world.

As our ancestors in ancient Egypt once said: Know thyself. This idea is more than spiritual—it’s practical. To truly know oneself is to understand one's worth, your power, your heritage, and one's potential. Mental freedom begins with self-awareness and is cultivated through education, critical thinking, and cultural pride.

So, how do you self-emancipate from mental slavery? You question what you've been told. You learn the truth about your history. You build confidence through self-knowledge and reject any notion that you are less than. Mental freedom is not given—it’s earned through persistence, courage, and the determination to live fully and freely.

The Missing Noses and Lips of Black Egyptian Sculptures

 

The Missing Noses and Lips on Egyptian Statues: Weathering or Whitewashing?

A Mystery in Stone

Why are so many Egyptian statues—particularly those believed to depict Black rulers—missing their noses and lips? Some suggest it’s a result of natural weathering and time. Others argue it’s intentional damage meant to erase the African identity of Egypt’s early rulers. This debate strikes at the heart of how history is preserved—or rewritten.

The Erasure of Black Egyptian Identity

Statues from the 25th Dynasty and other periods when Egypt was ruled by Black African pharaohs often show specific damage to facial features like the nose and lips. These features, distinctly African, seem to have been purposefully targeted. The suggestion is disturbing: efforts may have been made by early colonizers, scholars, and conquerors to minimize the visible presence of African leadership in one of the world's greatest civilizations.

A Land of Many Rulers

Egypt has been under the rule of various empires throughout its history, including the Nubians, Romans, Arabs, and Ottomans. This mix of influences complicates our understanding of who might have been responsible for any vandalism. But it also makes Egypt’s cultural legacy incredibly rich—and worth protecting with honesty and integrity.

A Closer Look at the Damage

If weathering alone were to blame, why are some statues completely intact? Many ancient pieces show detailed preservation of features, while others, often associated with Black rulers, are damaged in eerily similar ways. The inconsistency raises the possibility that historical erasure was, in some cases, intentional.

Searching for Answers

Curious, I did what many of us do—I googled it. I came across an article by Robert Girardi, titled "The Sphinx’s Nose." In it, I found the claim that French soldiers under Napoleon used the Great Sphinx for cannon practice, blasting off its nose. This story is one of the most widely circulated explanations for the statue’s now-famous facial damage.

Another Theory Emerges

But Girardi also shares a different theory. This one points to an earlier period when Egypt was ruled by the Ottoman Mamluks. According to this version, the Sphinx’s nose was removed as part of a religious campaign against idolatry, common in certain Islamic periods, where statues were often defaced to discourage worship of images.

More Than Just Damage

Whether the nose was lost to French cannons or religious zeal, the deeper concern is the pattern of erasure of Africa’s own narrative, kings, queens, and builders. When a civilization’s contributions are deliberately obscured, generations are robbed of the truth and pride that come from knowing their heritage.

Asking the Right Questions

So, what really happened to Egypt’s statues? It depends on who you ask. But asking is important. Challenging accepted narratives, seeking evidence, and embracing the full complexity of African history allows us to reclaim a legacy far older and richer than slavery alone. We must keep digging—figuratively and literally—for the truth.

Black Egyptians

black Egyptians