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A Martin Delany Scholar, Ser Seshs Ab Heter-Clifford M. Boxley, Natchez, Mississippi, at Delany's Resting Place - Massies Creek Cemetery, Greene County, Ohio |
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Forgotten Offerings For an
African Descendant Hero and Father of African Nationalism When Nana Bennie McRae told
me he was going to show me where the great historical and honorable Martin
R. Delany is buried, I was filled with anticipatory excitement. I
visualized a magnificent shrine being in place for this giant of a heroic
Black African descendant man who is held in such great esteem by so many
Africanist thinking scholars, activists and historians and herstorians of
African descent. Surely, his grave site would be prominent and well
visited by African Studies Departments students and teachers and Black
Conscience persons and leaders from all America, at least. I couldn't wait
to see the grave site of the only Major of the Civil War Freedom Fighters
U. S. Colored Troops and the great Black man of history so often written
about and crowned by Africanists as the father of African nationalism and
repatriations. Oh! Let me tell you how disheartened was I, when I saw just
a simple, plain, decaying and almost unreadable headstone marking a dull
and inconspicuous space in the cemetery. What a shame, I thought! I told
Nana Bennie, I was going to tell the African Nationalists about the sad
situation of the extreme neglect and lack of notoriety of the burial place
of their highly esteemed horoic father of African Nationalism. Forgotten
offerings must be made here. |
