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| Early Settlers in North Brentwood, Maryland (Prince George's County) |
Did you know that when Africans first arrived to Maryland they came as indentured servants? In December we had a guest speaker by the name
of Dr. Arvenita Washington, who came in and discussed the term Diaspora and the
events that took place after the “African Diaspora ” (specifically the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade"). From her, I learned that instead of being considered “slaves” they were
considered “indentured servants”. Africans were not the only “indentured
servants”, but also Irish people.
Dr. Washington’s first question to us was “Do you know what
the term Diaspora means?”. Everyone replied with their different
interpretations of this term after referring back to our umbrella theme for
this year; which is the African Diaspora, with different versions of; “it’s the
slave trade” and ‘it’s the journey of the Africans to America by way of the
slave trade.” When she clicked to her next slide and we read her definition,
“The movement, scattering or dispersal of people (either by force or voluntary)
from an ancestral homeland,” she was surprised to know that we had already knew
so much about that part of her presentation.
My first year as a
Culture Keeper, we learned about the 4 first Black townships in Prince Georges
County; Eagle Harbor, North Brentwood, Fairmont Heights and Glenarden. While
learning about these townships we discussed the beginning of Prince Georges
County and the heavy influences of African American role models, during this
time, that were trying to do find a place they called ‘home’. During Dr.
Washington’s presentation she reminded me of the even deeper history about
these townships and these role models in Prince Georges and explained the who,
the what, the hows and whyof this history . I remembered that Prince Georges
County was established in 1696 and
populated nearly 50% of the county by the middle of the 18th
century. It was great to fill in the holes of either buried information or
available space for new information.
I felt super smart after leaving. Before leaving we were
assigned a homework assignement to go
home and ask our relatives about our ancestry. I went home and had this really
long history lesson with my grandparents about what I learned and my ancestors
during that time period. I asked my Grandmother how far she could date back our
ancestry on her side of the family. She told me how she grew up in Nottaway
County,Virginia practically all of her life and how she, unlike my Grandfather,
had not attended an all-Black school. The furthest ancestor she could think of
at the time was my
Great Great Grandfather who was born on September 8th,
1898. He worked on the Norfolk and Western Railroad, had 15 children and could
not read or write. I asked my Grandfather the same question and he told me
about my Great- Great-Great-Great Grandmother whom of which’s birthday year was
not recorded but known to be in sometime in the mid-late 1800’s on April 4th.
She was a housewife, nicknamed “Big Ma”, who birthed 7 children one of which
was my grandfather’s great grandfathers dad, or my Great-Great Grandfather’s
father. My Grandfather told me how my Great-Great-Great-Great Grandmother was
very quiet but known for keeping the family together. She was married to my
Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather Rev. J Bruce Rather who was a pastor his
entire life. He never owned his own church but was very well-known. He was
regarded as one of the best pastors in Nottoway County and Dinwiddy County for
his sermons which he gave at four different churches within the two counties.
It was interesting to learn all of these interesting things
about my family and the ancestry of Black people as a whole. In school we do
Family tree’s and discuss the Reconstruction period and the Harlem Renaissance
but we never really go that far back as to what events led up to prosperous
African Americans we know today. I love learning new things and I absolutely
enjoyed the presentation Dr. Washington gave us. It was interesting to hear how
the events in Prince Georges County like the creation of these townships were
similar to the ones my so many great Grandparents in Virginia witnessed being
established in Virginia, Maryland’s neighbor.
