The Ancestral Passion

Survival is defined as the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances.

My ancestors survived the the unsanitary, starved, dehydrated, and chained with no sunlight journey of Middle Passage. They were doctors, scientists, teachers, all apart of civilized and educated tribes not bound by European standards.

My maternal ancestors of Wilkes County survived the continued horrific conditions with working from dawn to dust, rain or shine survived the heat of Deep South on the cotton fields in fear of being whipped by masters and their hired hands. They were property like a house.

My ancestors became sharecroppers and servants after 13th Amendment passed. Black codes were implemented.. The 14th and 15th Amendment was supposed to protect their gained freedoms. Unsuccessful Reconstruction period ended then came to Ku Klan Klan, public lynching, fear of the new policing and poverty.

My grandmother survived historically considered “second class” citizen being born Jim Crow South in 1945 until she was 23. Segregation laws changed in but the perception does not changed. She will not talk about her time in the rural-suburbanized small town of Washington.

My mom grew up in somewhat integrated town in redlining public housing. Moved to Athens where she experienced the situation with housing. Surviving poverty and also Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that start attacking your nervous system leaving progressing brain lesions. She loses that battle when she was 46 years and 2 days

My grandmother has renting for 76 years and 2 months. Been in same Athens mold stricken apartment for over 30 years. Following the footsteps of her mom and my great grandmother who was a servant to prominent White family of Washington-Wilkes County only 50 miles from Augusta which I reside now

I am the first of many with family including going to college, graduated with state institutions 3 degrees, former public school history educator and homeowner.

I began the process of saving and revitalize historic properties in redlined US areas started after purchase the tealean green asbestos siding shotgun house. Built in almost 80 years ago.

Think about all construction updates like applying with Americans With Disability Act policy. All houses built before 1992 were grandfathered in. I designed the new floor plan to create equitable access for my wheelchair bound godfather. Still renovating by myself due to a lack of funding by being disabled.

A passion and purpose that combines my interest in equality with equity to achieve life balance for my community. This can be done by creating fair and justice starting with history. Then balance should apply to housing first

My passion is to save and restore any local historic educational properties. I saved to join under 40 membership for The Georgia Trust for Historic Perservation in a month ago after seeing a ADOS property in Washintgon on the Places of Peril for 2020, Cherry Grove Schoolhouse which my maternal ancestors’ school

I live in Sand Hill neighborhood and other US Black residential areas were all historically redlined. According to The Color of Law book, US elected representatives supported laws and race oriented policies to assist with tenement crisis of Depression and housing shortage during the New Deal. This happened in my neighborhood. Shotgun houses and Black service workers. Sand Hills neighboring Summerville and Augusta Country Club. The historic but condemned Weed School of Sand Hills in south of National Hills where Masters golf tournament is played.

The restoration and repurposed will remain a historically black school and nonprofit headquarters. The nonprofit will study, produce and become best providers for CBD products to funds all the school expenses. The nonprofit will start a network club for aspiring black businesses with Continuing education in city history, government and basic entrepreneurship. The Weed School of Sand Hills will be elusive just like Augusta Country Club, the site of international golf tournament. Membership can be only offered people negatively affected by polices redlined de jure segregation policies.

To advocate for equity of history, home and health for my community. As former US History teacher, this my personal

Civil Rights Movement 2021 which it fitting because my nonprofit was inspired late Congressman and a Civil Rights activist John Lewis who spoke at Georgia State graduation in 15 years ago. He grew up with poverty and segregation in shotgun house in Alabama. His childhood house and my house are ADOS history. ADOS is American Descendants of Slavery

The goal is to promote change like he did with his equitable achievements and challenges. I will make difference by creating more homeowners with the successful nonprofit endeavors assist with cut the deficit of Black wealth gap in America.

In conclusion, my ancestral passion will create nationwide change. I believe this passion was passed down to me as a descendant. All missed passions of my ancestors. Having the ability to own give accountability and pride which it something that my ancestors who built this country deserves because they earned it though they blood, sweat and tears.