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‘Weeping Time’ Author, Historian Anne C. Bailey Discusses Slave Auctions and her Involvement in NY Times’ 1619 Project

NNPA NEWSWIRE — An auction took place on March 2 and 3, 1859, at the Ten Broeck Racetrack, where slaves were housed in the stables. The auction resulted in the sale of 436 slaves for more than $300,000 — approx. $9,350,000 if the sale took place today. In fact, according to measuringworth.com, while the real price of the commodity (436 human beings being treated like property) in today’s dollars is $9,350,000, the equivalent labor value is $61,600,000 (using the unskilled wage), or $127,000,000 (using production worker compensation).

Published

5 years ago

August 22, 2019

Oakland Post

Professor Anne C. Bailey/Courtesy Anne C. Bailey

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Binghamton University Historian Anne C. Bailey has studied slavery and the plight of African Americans for quite some time.

She has read books about the history of slavery and watched the 1970s television mini-series, “Roots,” the story of author Alex Haley’s enslaved ancestors.

As commemorations of the 400th anniversary of the presence of people of African descent in North America take place, Bailey has helped bring awareness to one of the most sickening aspects of slavery: “auctions.”

“The auctions were a fairly common part of the economy and typical, especially before the Civil War,” Bailey said during an interview for the NNPA Newswire.

Her curiosity heightened and took her back to two days in March of 1859 in Savannah, Georgia. First, she found the will of Thomas Jefferson. It said that some of his slaves should be freed, but others were sent for auction.

She also discovered a great case study on a slave auction held in Savannah, Georgia, “The Weeping Time.”

“Not a lot had been written about this, and this was the largest auction that had ever taken place,” said Bailey.

Her research ultimately formed the basis for the 2017 nonfiction book, “The Weeping Time” (208-pages; available on Amazon.com).

The book’s title paid homage to the heartbreaking term slaves used to describe the separation from their loved ones during sales or auctions.

In “The Weeping Time,” Bailey writes about Jeffrey and Dorcas, an enslaved couple who fell in love. As they were on the auction block, Jeffrey begged his purchaser to also buy Dorcas, promising that they would be good servants.

Jeffrey pleaded that he and Dorcas would have strong young children who would also be good servants.

“Jeffrey was going to North Carolina and Dorcas to South Carolina. When last seen, Jeffrey was sitting alone on the ground, crying into his hands, as Dorcas was led away by her new master. She sat in the back of his carriage – emptied of words, emptied of tears,” writes Bailey.

Because of her profound work, Bailey was asked to write a passage for The New York Times’ popular, “1619 Project.”

Under the headline, “Shadow of the Past,” Bailey describes the The Weeping Time in a little more than 300 words.

She wrote, in part: “This spot is the site of the largest auction of enslaved people in American history – an event the enslaved called The Weeping Time in which 436 people were brought to the hammer to pay off the bad investments and gambling debts of Pierce M. Butler, the absentee owner of the Butler Island Plantation. The auction was held at a playground of the local elite: The Ten Broeck Race Course, then on the outskirts of Savannah, Ga.”

The auction took place on March 2 and 3, 1859. The slaves were housed in the stables. The sale of 436 slaves grossed more than $300,000 — approximately $9,350,000 if the sales took place today. In fact, calculations from measuringworth.com explain that while the real price of the commodity (436 human beings defined as property) in today’s dollars is $9,350,000, today’s labor value is $61,600,000 (using the unskilled wage), or $127,000,000 (using production worker compensation).

To place the sale in further context, the income value of the slaves sold, when measured in today’s dollars, is $131,000,000 and the economic value is $1.4 billion.

In her Times’ article, Bailey notes how slaves begged their buyers in vain to also purchase their loved ones.

“What you do see are two tracks, intersecting but going in different directions, toward different outcomes – a fitting metaphor, perhaps, for black and white life in America,” wrote Bailey, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and a Ph.D. and Masters from the University of Pennsylvania.

She said she wanted to call attention to slave auctions, which she called “A part of the backbone of the U.S economy.”

“I’m so happy and honored The New York Times asked me to contribute,” Bailey said. “It’s my desire to see that this part of the U.S. economy is acknowledged, and it fit very well into the 1619 Project.”

Bailey’s lesson plans for her students include slavery and the often-overlooked auctions.

She said it’s essential that schools make slavery and African American history a part of a regular curriculum.

“Not just teaching about Martin Luther King, Jr., or Rosa Parks,” Bailey said.

The comparison of separating slaves and the current administration’s policies condoning the separation of immigrant families is inescapable.

Bailey said that’s another reason it’s imperative to teach all the history of America and slavery. She said courses should begin early, and educators should consider how much information to provide young ones.

“You have to reach children early and help them to see how people of African descent and others have contributed to the building of this country so that it doesn’t come as a big surprise,” Bailey said.

“Later on, it’s something that’s going to form their thoughts and interactions. There’s so much that parallels to slavery. There’s mass incarceration and medical disparities. And, the list goes on,” she said.

On the bright side, Bailey said the interest in the slave trade has crossed racial boundaries today. “I have not seen this level of interest in these topics in my lifetime,” she said.

“I am so glad that people are documenting this history as it was.”

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 month ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 month ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.