In my last blog, I wrote of being commanded by the land owner, “H”, to set up one of my older sisters to have sex, and if I told anyone he would kill me. I was shocked to the level that I do not remember what I said or done afterward. Thinking back over how […]
As a reminder from my earlier blogs, my family sharecropped on H’s farm in Lincoln County, Mississippi for 5 years. We were neighbors to Lamar Smith who was gunned down on the Lincoln County courtyard in Brookhaven, Mississippi August 13, 1955. The gunman was never prosecuted. It was very easy for a White person to […]
The first home I lived in was across the road from our church. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior around ten years of age. A revival was in progress. The church was poorly lit with oil lamps. The minister was preaching a fire and brimstone message, as most did back then. I went […]
As a reminder, most of my childhood and teenage life I lived with my blended family on four different farms. We were sharecroppers. As shared in my last blog, there were some happy times. The second most happy time for me was when the family gathered to pick wild fruits and gather wild nuts on […]
I can recall from a child up to age 15, three reoccurring events in which I was the happiest: going to church on Sunday, gathering wild fruits on the farm lands and freedom to roam about. I will write about them in three different blogs. Starting with freedom to roam about. Being the oldest boy […]
As documented in blog VIII, the elderly White, brother and sister, farmers with last name “W” lived less than a quarter of a mile from us. They supplied our large family of 13 plus with necessities such as milk, eggs and sweets. As a teenager, I kept pocket change by doing chores for them such […]
In summary of my last seven blogs, I grew up in Southern Mississippi, Lincoln County, in a community called Caseyville about fifteen miles West of the county seat, Brookhaven. My mother being a single parent, could not properly raise me early, so I was raised in part by my father and mother’s family members until […]
As sharecroppers it was our responsibility to take care of the crops from tilling the fields to harvesting them. That included planting, keeping the weeds out, and protecting the crops from insects. Often the landlord hired outside help to get all the work done. The major crop was cotton, but corn and watermelons were also […]
It was common for adult children to continue living with their parents even after marriage. Houses were limited and so was work outside of the farm. When my mother married and moved from my grandmother’s house, I continued to live with my grandmother and uncle until I was ten years old. I also lived much […]
As written in previous blogs, my mother’s family were sharecroppers owning nothing but personal belongings. In contrast, my dad’s family, living only eight miles away, owned their land. My mother’s family hired themselves out to other farmers to make money. My dad’s family sold their crops, kept the money and also hired themselves out to […]
Two cultures living in the same area, segregated, but not in isolation. After slavery ended in 1865, white land owners did not have workers to work their farms. African Americans without farm land had to make sharecropper agreements with White farmers to make a living. Cotton was the major crop. The agreement was for the […]
Born to a single parent, during my preteen years I was blessed to be raised by 4 different family members who instilled in me dignity and self worth. They were my mother, my maternal grandmother and uncle on my mother’s side (same home), my grandmother and grandfather on my father’s side and father and stepmother. […]
I was born and raised in Lincoln County, Mississippi near a rural community with 2 general stores called Caseyville. My mother was a single parent. My family was sharecroppers who lived in a house on the owners farm. The Lamar Smith family was neighbors. The Smiths own their land as most blacks did in the […]
There are many occurrences in my 78 years when I was the object of racism. There are at least two occurrences that could have cost me my life if I had followed through. I am a quiet, educated, confident black man blessed of God, therefore hard to provoke. I live with dignity and self worth. […]
I take prescription and over the counter medicines along with natural supplements daily. All of them have been authorized by my physicians. I have experienced the misery of not taking them as prescribed. Proverb 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Overcomer by Hope, confident expectation of good.
As part of my health maintenance, I spent five hours at the clinic each month. In early March, I was the odd one wearing gloves, a face mask, and maintaining social distancing. My primary concern was catching the virus from circulated air. During my visits in April and May, I was less concerned, because I […]
If I had been familiar with the basic components of my blood work (such as red blood count and hemoglobin), I may have received an earlier diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma. Have you have had a similar occurrence that could be a blessing to someone now or in the future? It is very important for me […]
I have another question for you. Do you know your bloodwork history? Before getting sick with multiple myeloma, I only kept up with my cholesterol. Now, I watch every component to ensure that there is no sudden change in my health. Overcomer by “Hope”, the confident expectation of good.
A question for you: ” How did you respond when God answered your health related challenge(s)”. Do not have to be health related but God related. PLEASE REPLY. I ended my April 30 blog reminiscing about whether the scripture Joshua 1:9 was from God giving me permission to travel to Uganda on the mission trip […]
I accepted Joshua 1:9 as the confirmation from God to make the 14 day missionary trip to Uganda. March 7, 2013 my wife and I accepted the missionary trip to Uganda. April 8, 2013, I was diagnosed with coronary artery disease and had a cardiac cauterization April 10, 2013, three days before my 71st birthday. […]
My April 24 blog ended with me being surprised that I had to have two stents placed in my coronary arteries. One artery was 95 percent clogged and the other 55 percent. If Gideons International had not asked me to go to Uganda on a mission trip and if my physician had not requested that […]
When walking briskly and when climbing steep inclines and during repetitive exercises, in 2013, I continued to experience fatique. I also, continued to diagnose my health issues as age related. After all, I was 71 years old, and only a few of my relatives, men, had surpassed that age. But, I thought I was in […]
In the Fall of 2012, I remember starting to fatigue more frequently during routine exercises at a local gym. I self diagnosed that it was the result of age. I later found out it was something much more serious. Overcomer by “Hope”, Confident Expectation of Good For I know the plans I have for you, […]
God’s word assures us that we do not have to fear because He is with us.
On October 30, 2013, I was diagnosed with stage 2 Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells. The options for treatment provided to me were chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant. Faith in God gave me immediate hope in survival from this disease. I saw God work through me, the prayers of family, church, friends […]