An Open Letter & Open Report As Requested by Father Alister Anderson
Dear Ms. Lunelle,
When in my estimation one of the top ten greatest men to ever walk the Almighty Gods earth sends of you a request , there are no excuses to not comply, and Father Alister Anderson has asked of me a report on the March commemorating the 10 Year Anniversary of the Historic March Across Dixie.
( 1 ) It is in the Capitol Building in Montgomery, Alabama where Terry Lee and I have unfinished business with the State of Alabama, and have not had time to forge a document expressing those concerns of business first to the Honorable Jay Hinton.our gracious Host. There are historical depictions and visual presentations of events that took place in Alabama, and most prevalent the Marches of King. One of the most beautiful Confederate soldiers monument stands on its grounds. The Southern Cross sits in a place of prominence on the House Chamber floor. A star encased in marble marks the place and date of the Honorable President Davis 1st Inaugural Address. Yet there was no display to be found of any of those venues, or of those Black folks who earned a place of honor under the Southern Cross.
Terry Lee, Jay and I sat through a Presentation in the State Museum adjacent to the Capitol Building where noted author Ben Severance gave a visual and oral presentation about his Photo Journal that supposedly gave a photographic history of Alabama showing the human side of the country's greatest conflict. Yet he only depicted three re-construction Blacks in his book, and only talked about one favorably. And in his presentation one he mentioned as having an election stolen from him by the local White Sheriff because he stole the ballot box, and had himself elected. And this was suppose to be a funny joke that was laughed at by many present. Never is there any mention of Jim Jeb who fought alongside his master at Manassas, or Horace King or a picture of him and one of the Wonders of the world he built next door in the Capitol; their spiral stair case, or the bridges and roads he built for General Lees' army.Never any picture of Holt Collier who rode with Forrest, or mention of his love and devotion to his former master, typical of the many Africans freed or indentured as a form of reciprocation for the love shown to them.
However, there we were with Terry Lee's documentation of the Cold War Between the States that showed a side that perhaps Ben Severance for whatever reason thought not important to portrait in his works. We had journeyed some twenty miles a day, six days a week, interacting with the sons of former slaves, the sons of former slave owners, and some that were not, just Southern, and just like their ancestors, some Northerners that were sympathetic to the Southern Cause. We heard their stories, we read the most sacred mail of their ancestors, the rarest of documents, and books ever written, and we broke bread at the table of Brotherhood every day and learned first hand about the love that they talked of between a man called master and friend, A love that was shattered by the trickery of a man who played the biggest trick on them when he broke the rules of the document forged to guide them in this land. And now still with malice of intent continue to use the African people against them with deceit and lies to break their spirits . And again here we were with all the proof that our Southern family needed in the documentation of Terry Lee in his Photo Journal and visual documentation to put an end to a tale told so mean. An end that America so badly needs as it projects itself as the champion purveyor of human rights on the global stage, another lie told until the assault on the South and its people come to an end.
( 2 ) The March Across Dixie is wherever I am as we fight an onslaught of attacks on our heritage and the symbols of those who would dare circumvent the people as a King had done before. We desperately need funds to fight in this war we wage as those who oppose us have far superior resources akin to those our ancestors faced in another day. We could not have asked the Almighty God for a better time and battle ground to forge a victory for America as it faces again the very issues faced by President Davis the day he gave his farewell speech to Congress. I hope that we get enough sponsors to propel us on towards Texas. I expect to post my Flag on the Capitol grounds before May. God bless you.
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