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 Dear Reader.... While on the "TREK For African Centered Education" Baba Geuka and myself have walked passed historic site markers... some from the Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War and and others are identifying markers designating historic land sites and usage, historic architectural buildings and significant historical communities...
We treked passed road side cemeteries containing the remains of white, "Good Christian Husbands and Fathers, Kind Masters and Dutiful Citizens" buried in the 17 and 1800's.... It is confounding to notice the absence of Negro/Colored cemeteries along the same roads(with or without) headstones or grave markers.... Every once in awhile we find Black Churches with cemeteries in the back or along side.... We have not stopped because of the distance the graves are from the road... Hopefully we will get the chance to photograph and record further up the road... If not for the few Black churches we have past along the road having old cemeteries with readable headstones would we know many of the Africans living and dying during or after reconstruction by name.... We have photos of houses and sheds built by Africans forced to do slave labor in South and North Carolina... We have a few photos of Colored Schools (still standing) attended by Black African Descendants built during reconstruction and share cropping days... Most memorable on this trek is the uncountable number of Denominational and Non Denominational Black Churches there are.... By volume the number of A.M.E. Churches we have past stand out... With 'Baptist' and 'Free Will Church' not all that far behind in numbers... More than one practice of Black Church is in every hamlet, town, village, city, and county we have passed through.... It came to my mind that those very churches were institutionalized as an alternative for African Blacks too attending European/Caucasian Church... Especially the A.M.E. Church.... I was taught religion was separated by belief, status, ethnicity, practice, and race.... It has been clear to me that Europeans vs Africans interpret and practiced religion separately... I came to see they also honor and respect the "SPIRIT OF GOD" differently.... This realization has raised a question in me... "Why is it so difficult for Americans to accept that education, much like religion is also practiced and accepted by Europeans and Africans differently?".... It is clear to me that the public education system and the need for education is "as plain as black and white"... Black people are taught different subjects and skills to perform different tasks that are in need of different information than white people... The reason for the difference being, each has unique and particular usages for education... Whites see education as a means to maintain and exercise the power of privilege and Blacks are given the education needed to serve the privileges of power.... What if each AME Church started and/or supported an African centered school to not only hold religious services but teach the history of the people who created the churches and the culture from which the need for the church grew from into the thousands of buildings that carry the identity of African on its program..... "Brown vs Topeka" was a challenge to "separate not equal".... That attempt to make 'not separate equal,' with integration being the bridge to unify America has only highlighted the curves in the American political policies and practices at home... We can see the difference within the diverse communities living with in her boarders and the privileges each holds on to as a means for self determination and collective bonding as a distinct people with a heritage and history from which they evolved.
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We entered and left Emporia VA. today... We passed many Historic Markers about Confederate soldiers and sympathizers who lived and visited the area... There are so many in such a short distance we could only photograph them... trying to keep up with Elder baba Geuka who strolled along his mission path... I'm hoping to find time to read them later...
