He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
As we begin Black History Month, I am reflective of the legacy of our family land. Our family land ownership dates back approximately 100 years! This is to some degree rare, but not uncommon as there were close to one million African Americans owned farms in 1920. By the mid 1970’s that number had dwindled to around 45 thousand. As we all are aware, there are a multitude of reasons for African American land loss. We are fortunate. My grandfather Tussie (an astute informally educated man) was a farmer; entrepreneur (owned and operated a country store on our property) and community leader. My grandfather told me when I was about 9 years old “boy, they don’t make no more land.”
My uncle Haywood and two of his sons (Haywood Jr. and Chester) continued the family farming tradition during their lifetimes. My father (Luther) eventually returned to his roots after retirement as an educator. In these later years, he and his brother Haywood would grow vegetables and my father would take them “to town” and sell them, but mostly give them away. This was his relaxation and socialization in retirement. Never did I dream that I would follow a similar path (it was not my plan), but apparently it’s in the DNA and part of God’s divine plan! I am thankful for our rich history and legacy. This is our “Black History” conversation, our charge, and our challenge as we are LOOKING “OVER” THE LAND.
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