Commemoration

This is an important event to remember…

Written by Dr. Kwesi DeGraft-Hanson

… first, because we need to honor those 429 men, women, boys, and girls (including babies), who were sold at the Weeping Time slave sale, for their legacies to posterity. Honoring our forebears re-ascribes esteem and dignity to us, descendants. African Americans, particularly, and all Americans, in general, can draw significant strength from the fortitude of those who were sold at the Weeping Time. Character, determination, spirit and love, are enduring legacies the former enslaved left all Americans.

…second, this is a pivotal part of American History. The Weeping Time slave sale exacerbated tensions between North and South, ultimately leading to the American Civil War, which finally led to Emancipation. Knowing our history, including the good and bad, helps guide our present, and future.

What it means to the community

The people of West Savannah are important Guardians of this vital, poignant American History enshrined in their community. The Weeping Time story showcases the resilience of their forebears, and, therefore, innate in themselves. Remembering this important event also provides opportunities to continually draw collective strength from this empowering history, and to socially and economically revitalize their community by, and facilitate, a perpetual re-telling of this significant American history.