EP 11: How I Learned My House Was Built on a Former Plantation

07/24/23 • 8 min

Still Paying the Price: Reparations in Real Terms

In this episode, series creator and co-editor Juleyka Lantigua, shares a deeply personal and relevant story. While driving through her neighborhood, she notices that street signs have been changed and decides to research the new name, Josiah Henson. She discovers that Josiah Henson was an influential figure in Black history, born into slavery in Maryland, and brought to the plantation that her then home stood on. This realization shakes her to the core as it confronts the tendency to treat slavery as a distant and irrelevant past.

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EP 10: Mia Anderson's Reflection on Her Ancestor Josiah Henson

Mia Anderson is the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Reverend Josiah Henson. She shares her family's knowledge and admiration for Henson's legacy, which includes helping enslaved individuals escape and establishing the Dawn Settlement, a place where freed Blacks could learn trades and rebuild their lives. She also addresses the controversy surrounding Henson's portrayal in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which misrepresented his story. Anderson highlights the need to correct the false and derogatory usage of the term "Uncle Tom" and emphasizes the true strength, faith, and dedication exhibited by her ancestor. Reported by Juleyka Lantigua.

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EP 12: The Fight for Eatonville, the First Official Black Town

Eatonville, Florida was the first Black town in the U.S. to incorporate. Originally thought of as a “test case” to see if Blacks could govern themselves, Eatonville became a model for Black towns that sprung up around the country after the Civil War. The historic legacy of the town now hangs in the balance as development threatens to pave over history. Julian Johnson, founder of 1887 First describes the fight to preserve the town’s rich cultural heritage for future generations and advocating for what is owed to descendants and residents of a town that has long been stifled from reaching its full potential. Reported by Patrice Mosley.

You can follow Julian and his group on TikTok @1887First.