Page 16 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 22

Community

I find myself pondering the follow-
ing: Who makes the rules? Who gets
to decide what is right and what is
wrong and to what scale? When you
keenly track back to the colonial and
post-colonial era in Africa, you will
notice that the number of atrocities
and perhaps genocides committed
by the colonial masters were far too
grave to the point that they do not
encourage open talks about those
incidents anywhere in the world.
Another school of thought would
argue that civilization comes at a
cost but the right question would be:
‘At what cost or at all costs?’
As a constant victim of these in-
cidences, Africa has a tendency of
exhibiting very kind, generous and
compassionate perspectives of oth-
ers but not of themselves. I am still
yet to see any match in the entire
world to the level of generosity and
kindness that Africans have even in
the midst of oppression. Recently,
I got a sample of some letters done
by African people to their enslavers
in ancient America (The Washington
Post, 2022: The painful, cutting and you again, promising to do better for me good chance” is you propose to give me. I
brilliant letters Black people wrote than anybody else can. I have often felt am doing tolerably well here. I get $25 a
to their former enslavers), and one uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees month, with victuals and clothing; have
letter that was striking was done by would have hung you long before this, for a comfortable home for Mandy (the folks
Jourdon Anderson in 1865. Jourdon harboring Rebs they found at your house. I call her Mrs. Anderson), and the children,
Anderson and his family were freed suppose they never heard about your going Milly, Jane, and Grundy, go to school and
by Union troops during the civil to Colonel Martin’s to kill the Union are learning well. The teacher says Grundy
war and left Tennessee for Ohio. soldier that was left by his company in has a head for a preacher. They go to
A few months after the war ended, their stable. Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend
Anderson’s former enslaver wrote church regularly. We are kindly treated.
to him, asking him to return to the Although you shot at me twice before I left Sometimes we overhear others saying,
plantation, where the harvest was you, I did not want to hear of your being “Them colored people were slaves” down
about to come in, and promising in hurt, and am glad you are still living. It in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when
return a wage and freedom. Here would do me good to go back to the dear they hear such remarks; but I tell them it
is a full write up of what Anderson old home again, and see Miss Mary and was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to
had to say: Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would
Dayton, Ohio, August 7, 1865 and Lee. Give my love to them all, and have been proud, as I used to be, to call
tell them I hope we will meet in the better you master.
To my old Master, Colonel P. H. Ander- world, if not in this. I would have gone Now if you will write and say what wages
son, Big Spring, Tennessee back to see you all when I was working you will give me, I will be better able to
Sir: in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the decide whether it would be to my advantage
neighbors told me that Henry intended to to move back again.
I got your letter, and was glad to find that shoot me if he ever got a chance.
you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that I want to know particularly what “the As to my freedom, which you say I can
you wanted me to come back and live with

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