I Am Because We Are

When we first started planning our trip, I was on the fence about going to Charleston, aka the Holy City. I knew it would be beautiful, but I was keenly aware of its dark history. Charleston was the nation’s capital of slavery--- many of the first enslaved people’s first steps on North American soil were on Sullivan’s Island---the black Ellis Island. Its place in American history is solidified as the main conduit of American slavery. Honestly, I wanted a stress- free vacation; I didn’t want to return home heavier than I left. I wanted to come back refreshed, and I felt that Charleston would do the opposite. 

 Surprisingly, as we drove into North Charleston, I immediately felt an atmosphere shift. It was airy —almost tropical —and in the air I felt the calm that comes with being outside a big city. I immediately wanted to explore. Drew and I resolved to spend our trip supporting Black-owned businesses, learning about the Gullah people, and enjoying time together. 

 The day after we arrived, we went on a Gullah tour led by Mr. Alphonso Brown. This tour was everything and more. He drove us around Downtown Charleston and explained in detail the city's history, as well as the Gullah people who helped make it great. We learned about Phillip Simmons, a nationally renowned blacksmith and artist who created over 500 gates that adorn the city. The details of his gates are unbelievable and often allude to his deep admiration for God. Phillip Simmons used his craft to worship God and uplift his people. Throughout his life, Simmons appeared at the Smithsonian Institution’s American Folklife Festival, received the National Heritage Fellowships and a lifetime achievement award from the South Carolina State Legislature, had lunch at the White House with Ronald Reagan, and was honored countless times. Despite all of the accolades he received, Simmons never lost sight of who he was. He continued living in his house in Downtown Charleston. Mr. Alphonso Brown explained that Mr. Simmons was a very humble man, who spent most of his money on sending his children and grandchildren to college, sending neighborhood children to school, and donating to his church. Mr. Simmons said that he was rich because he had people who loved and visited him. He was more concerned with loving his community than with the material wealth his talent brought. 

A Phillip Simmons gate

 While on the Gullah tour we also learned about Richard E. De Reef. DeReef was one of the wealthiest Black men in Charleston in the 1800s. He owned several rental properties and owned a lumber factory. Mr. Alphonso Brown also taught us about the city’s dark past. He made sure to discuss Charleston’s history from the Gullah perspective, which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

 Next, we visited the McLeod Plantation. To me, Plantations are sacred places—places where my people suffered, persevered, found and maintained joy, but also sacrificed their lives so that we could be free. Plantations also highlighted the necessity of community and togetherness —they taught us that we are kin, even if we are not blood-related. As expected, the McLeod plantation was humbling. I was filled with gratitude for the privilege of paying my respects to my ancestors by walking the grounds they walked, as a free woman. As a black woman, free to love my black man. As a black woman without the fear of having to share her body with a white slave owner. With the freedom of knowing that our future children will be ours to raise, that they will have a future outside of bondage. I thought about the sacrifices that they made. Their resilience--- their silent protests by maintaining lives outside of their circumstances, their protests of worshipping God, of finding reasons to live--- of finding joy in what appeared as a hopeless situation. 

 After the tours, we enjoyed ourselves by eating, exploring, and loving on each other. That, in itself, paid homage to our ancestors as we reclaimed the land they prayed to walk on in freedom. This trip sparked something in me. It opened my eyes to the need of our people to get back to the basics. To get back to the fundamental values that allowed us to survive the worst time in our collective history. It reminded me of the truth that we are better together. That, just like we survived TOGETHER, suffered TOGETHER, and found joy TOGETHER — we can also heal and thrive TOGETHER. 

Black Love

I am in amazement of my people. I love everything about being black. I love our culture, I love our joy, I love our resilience, I love our beauty, I love our ingenuity, I love our endurance, I love it all! Our society focuses so much on the individual that we lose sight of the power of the collective. Our ancestors knew that they weren’t striving to stay alive and overcome for them alone. They understood that they had future sons and daughters who would stand on their shoulders to flourish in a foreign land. We cannot lose sight of the power of the collective. I am, because we are. There is no me without them. I am a black woman—resilient, joyous, innovative, persistent. I am a black woman, the embodiment of love. 

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2

 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble- 1 Peter 3:8