THE TIGER AND THE TORCH ebook

ROAR! “BLACK PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE RECOGNITION FOR THEMSELVES AND
THEIR BACKGROUNDS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN
THE WORLD AND THUS LOSE SOME OF THEIR ALIENATION.” 140
KATHERINE DUNHAM
At Monticello, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation started a history project called
“Getting Word”. It successfully merges onsite and online experiences that invite
the ancestors of the African Americans who lived there to interact with their
history in a truly unique way. The foundation archives those experiences and
then shares them with the public. The project started, “…in 1993 to preserve
the histories of the African American families at Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia
plantation.” 141
Image Credit: Screenshot of https://www.monticello.org/getting-word
While UVA and Monticello are still bustling places for people to visit, many other
places are not. Throughout the United States, a person can sometimes tell
where Black neighborhoods used to be, where growing businesses used to be,
and where community gathering places used to be. Unfortunately, sometimes
absolutely nothing remains. Yet, there are some lone survivors. These places
remind us of previous decades and are a testament to the early sacrifices and
accomplishments of our elders. For those African American buildings that
remain, they are primarily made of bricks and mortar; however, they represent
the fortitude of Black people and being able to successfully bring together the
past, the present and the future.
ROAR! “A PEOPLE WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR PAST HISTORY,
ORIGIN AND CULTURE IS LIKE A TREE WITHOUT ROOTS.” 142 MARCUS GARVEY
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