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Now Jolivette back to your original My Mississippi Eyes Question:

QUESTION FOR THE DAY: What role do Black Mississippian play (or should play) in the telling of Civil War history? Should we counter the white folks narrative with our own narrative? Are we knowledgeable enough to do that are do we just get angry and ignore the issues? What are your thoughts?

Had planned for several weeks ago to come forth on your very meaningful and relevant question about what role do Black Mississippians play in telling of Civil War History. As you already know, the role of Black Mississippians along with tho...se across the river in La., has gone unknowned among us Black folks in Mississippi from the jump. The "lost causers" and others made sure the history of Black freedom fighters in the Civil War did not get taught in schools, or written into any books used in Mississippi schools. Niether did Blacks across the nation have the chance to participate in the centennial of the Civil War. Now that some of us have awaken and stepped up to the history plate in Mississippi and across the country showing and telling ourstory of the Ancestors and Foreparents "slave" and non-enslaved in the Civil War, there is no excuse for folks not having access to the knowledge and information available and waiting in archives to be rescued for showing and telling what our great grandparents generations did to help self-emancipate and gain mass freedom for all Blacks. The country is now celebrating and commemorating the 150th year of the Civil War (Sesquicentennial) and what role are Black Mississippians planning, implementing and celebrating, commemorating is at this time a mystery? My person put forth a couple of years of going to the Mississippi Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War in Mississippi Commission, raising hell about how an all white commission was going to make sure equal history commemoration of the Civil War would happen? This is because the State Legislature of Mississippi created the Commission of 15 persons, not a one being officially seated was "Black" nor was a "Black" orgnization named in the legislative act creating the Commission. When I informed the State Office of the NAACP, they moved to have the legislation amended and offered up five "Black" organizations for being seated in such amended legislation. I was told the amendment did not get out of the Committee reponsible for the legislation, "because it was too controversial." Now what's more controversial than the "Black" citizend of Mississippi have equal history representation on an Official State Commisssion to celebrate and commemorate the Civil War in Mississippi? The alternative offered was the Governor of Mississippi would appoint one Robert Walker with his appointment slot on the Commission. He did that and the question remains what role will "Blacks" play in telling ourstory of the Civil War. Will Walker be accountable by reaching out across the state to stimulate the sleeping African American community on this subject? Will he start right there in the State Legislature where apparently the "Black" members were asleep on not assuring "Black" organizations and or seats on the 15 member commission? Will Walker, be a token results of an effort to properly have the "Black" community via the NAACP's effort and mine, to have its own choice of who sits on the Commission? Why are the members in the My Mississippi Eyes Forum so damn quite on any of the subject mattesr of our Greatest Generations of "Black" freedom fighters' history and role in the Civil War? Ther was so much noise fussing about the Nathan B. Forrest License Plate proposal. Is this an indication of the answer to your question my sister? More to come on the question and information to provide sources of the knowledge and information that can be used in history is a weapon.