Culture & History
Honor they Fathers and Mothers: The Paul Robeson Family & Their Surprising History As A Member of th
January 7, 2023
By Lunar Visitor Staff Writer
Paul Robeson was a famous African-American athlete, singer, actor, and advocate for the civil rights who spent most of his life fighting injustice, for which he was persecuted for. He became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for his political stances.
After 1950 when the U.S. government revoked Paul Robeson's passport in addition to his wife Eslanda and colleague W.E.B. DuBois, Robeson was blacklisted from TV and radio appearances, and Robeson's monthly periodical Freedom was published.
"AME Zions - Half Million Strong - Back Paul Robeson Passport Fight: Mrs. Sampson and State Dept. Sit Out Vote as 3,000 Cheer," a June 1952 feature story in Freedom, exemplifies Robeson's support among a denomination familiar to him.
As Paul Robeson's income dwindled and his travel was restricted in the early 1950s, his brother Ben, then pastor of Harlem's Mother AME Zion Church, welcomed Paul to stay in the parsonage: "With Ben's hospitality, the church again acted as a 'home in that rock' during a difficult period in Paul's career."
The enthusiastic audience standing to support Paul Robeson's cause to reclaim his passport contrasts with the June 1952 cover story centered on the AME Zion church conference.
Culture & History
Honor thy Fathers and Mothers: The Lost History of Frederick Douglass and the AME Zion Church
January 7, 2023
By Lunar Visitor Staff Writer
Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, c. February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. He freed himself from slavery through a daring and cunning escape.
After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and in New York and was known and made famous by his wise oratory and antislavery writings.
Douglass wrote three autobiographies, describing his life, and also published numerous newspapers. While Frederick Douglass' oratory skills and written works have long been discussed and studied, he was once only known as a lay preacher in local Black churches.
His cultural formation began as a child in the Tuckahoe region of Maryland's Eastern Shore, where Methodist camp meetings were held regularly in an improvised church. It should come as no surprise to those familiar with the history of America's oldest Black institution that Douglass' initial development as an advocate for the liberation of his people, like so many others both before and after him, began in the church.
After fleeing to Massachusetts, he became influenced by and involved with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) Church. His decision to join the church was fuelled by his discovery that another local Methodist church in New Bedford, Massachusetts, did not adhere to the anti-slavery tenet that Douglass knew was central to the denomination. He discovered "devoted men" of "high character" in the services of that town's Black ministry, who would have an indelible influence on his career.
Culture & History
Honor thy Fathers and Mothers: Harriet Tubman & Her Surprising History As a Member of the AME Zion C
January 7, 2023
By Lunar Visitor Staff Writer
Harriet Tubman was an escaped enslaved person who became a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, leading enslaved people to freedom before the Civil War while carrying a bounty on her head. She was also a nurse, a Union spy, and a supporter of women's suffrage. Tubman is one of the most well-known figures in American history, and her legacy has inspired people of all races and backgrounds.
For years Harriet led slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad - a secret network of safe houses and safe passage established by abolitionists to provide escape routes for African Americans who were escaping slavery. Harriet became a member of AME Zion, and at her death in 1913, the funeral service was held in the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church in Auburn.
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church has stood guard over the Harriet Tubman Home, which was built after Tubman settled there after The Civil War, and the sacred grounds on which it stands for over a century. In doing so, the church has preserved a living memory that will honor Harriet Tubman's legacy and the freedom movement she so eloquently represented for decades to come.
Culture & History
We Were the Builders: Mound Bayou- What Was, Is, and Could Be!
“We Were the Builders” is a regular column original to the Lunar Visitor periodical. It highlights the amazing work of Africans/ Black Americans after slavery and their building of over 60 towns throughout the Unites States. “We Were the Builders” covers the who, what, when, where, and why of a period of time when Blacks showed tremendous self-determination and collectivism.
Culture & History
December 12, 2022
Mound Bayou is a small town in Bolivar County, Mississippi, with an inspiring history. Founded in 1887 by formerly enslaved men and women, led by Isaiah T. Montgomery, Mound Bayou was a veritable oasis for African Americans years before the abolition of slavery in America.
The founders, Isaiah T. Montgomery and his cousin Benjamin T. Green purchased 840 acres of Mississippi swampland covered in dense hardwood forest. Montgomery, according to Booker T. Washington's account, led the first small group of prospective black settlers there by train:
"You see," he said, waving his hand in the direction of the forest, "this is a pretty wild place." He paused, and the men looked hesitatingly in the direction he had indicated, but said nothing. "But this whole country," he continued, "was like this once. You have seen it change.
You and your fathers have, for the most part, performed the work that has made it what it is. You and your fathers did this for someone else. Can't you do as much now for yourselves?"
The men picked up their axes and attacked the wilderness.
The story of Mound Bayou reveals that black communities could succeed without the help of white support. The people thrived on the principles of self-reliance and hard work, and a growing economic strength allowed the community to invest in and support itself.
This is where America saw the opening of the Taborian Hospital, which provided low-cost health care to thousands of blacks in the Mississippi Delta. It's not far-fetched to believe it's possible to have a community like that again. It takes determination on the part of people to make it happen.
We Were the Builders: Nicodemus, Kansas, A Look into the Past & The Future!
“We Were the Builders” is a regular column original to the Lunar Visitor periodical. It highlights the amazing work of Africans/ Black Americans after slavery and their building of over 60 towns throughout the Unites States. “We Were the Builders” covers the who, what, when, where, and why of a period of time when Blacks showed tremendous self-determination and collectivism.
Culture & History
December 12, 2022
Nicodemus is a town of just over 20 people in Graham County, Kansas. But this small town has a lot to boast about. Founded in 1877 by a group of seven Kansans, six of whom were African Americans, Nicodemus is the state's oldest and only remaining black settlement West of the Mississippi River. The town started by attracting settlers from Eastern Kansas and Kentucky, bringing the total population to 600 by 1878.
By late 1879 more settlers arrived from Kentucky and Mississippi with the tools required to farm the land and build a community. This led to the growth and prosperity of Nicodemus. The town grew, businesses became profitable; a hotel and two stores were built, and a school and three churches were built. Social organizations such as the Grand Independent Benevolent Society of Kansans and Missouri hosted dances and other community events.
The determination and perseverance of the residents were unwavering, which is why the town prospered despite many challenges along the way. In 1976, Nicodemus was named a National Historic Landmark. Its rich history has helped shape the character of this small community today. Its residents look forward to a bright future that continues to be shaped by their shared values and the dedication of all those who call Nicodemus home.