7. Self Discovery Through Military Ancestry

If I knew then what I know now…

• 1959. In the third grade we read, aloud, ‘Little Black Sambo’. It took my mother’s ire to get that racist children’s book out of the classroom and out of the school curriculum.
• 1964. In junior high, I was humiliated by my History teacher when she said that ‘negro’ is not to be capitalized since it didn’t represent a people from a specific country.
• 1968. Senior high saw the birth of the Black Student Union, Ujamaa, because there wasn’t any relevant Black literature in the school library.
• 1969. My college ‘lit n’ comp’ professor wasn’t amused when I tried to liken the Greek Tragedies to the travails of the ghettos.

It wasn’t until I was in my mid fifties that I learned of an ancestor that had a direct link to American history; a link that could have bolstered my pride and self-esteem if I knew about it in my primary education days.

John Stevenson, my great-great grandfather, served as a soldier for the 29th Connecticut (Colored) Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. He was born around 1834 presumably in slavery. His parents were noted as slaves on the 1880 census and one newspaper obituary states that he was indeed a slave. By 1855, we know that he is a free man living in Madison county, New York.

What I find absolutely remarkable is that he made his way from Cazenovia, New York all the way to Connecticut to volunteer. That takes gumption, courage and purpose. He served from 1863 until December 1865. Along the way he was wounded in battle. After the war, he became a member of the Cazenovia, New York branch of the Grand Army of the Republic which, in turn, was one first integrated veteran’s organization in the country. This group was also credited as starting what we know as Memorial Day. John spent the rest of his life fighting for an equitable pension based on his war injuries. He died in 1914.

If I had known all this when I was in school, imagine how I could have impacted my peers and educators. Nevermind, I’m beaming with pride and dignity today. My challenge now is to inform the world that African ancestored people did, in fact, fight for their freedom and played an important role in dismantling slavery. My ancestors were not completely idle, passive spectators in the Civil War. I am the descendant of at least one 19^th century freedom fighter.

-George Geder; copyright 2008