Where Are Michael's Ancestors From?

[LovelyOne]

This is so fascinating...it is highly common for African-Americans (particulary the ancestors of the transatlantic slave trade) to have "Indian" ancestry. It's just that...most African Americans, I think, don't know anything about their African or "Indian" ancestry. It's kind of sad because so many records were destroyed, and the names of the slaves were completely "Europeanized".

I had no idea his father wrote a book lol.

 

[AllTheLovelyFlowers]

I had no idea that Michael's family had Louisiana roots. And a grandma whose last name is Daniel. My great grandmother's maiden name was Daniel and I am from Louisiana.

 

[the floacist]

Thanks for posting.

I wish it [the book] was able to be released in America, because translations (especially free generators) can be rough and hard to enjoy reading.

 

[Datsymay]

I had no idea that Michael's family had Louisiana roots. And a grandma whose last name is Daniel. My great grandmother's maiden name was Daniel and I am from Louisiana.

Go back and trace your roots, Flowers, you may well be related to MJ. My cousin met this woman who wanted to marry him, so he told my mother that she was from near her ancestral nome and my mother discovered that the woman was indeed her cousin, They had the same family name.

 

[Datsymay]

Thanks for posting.

I wish it [the book] was able to be released in America, because translations (especially free generators) can be rough and hard to enjoy reading.

Maybe we can get intouch with Joe and ask him to release it in english cause I think that much of the meaning is lost in translation.

 

[cinderella]

it's interesting but still hard to understand....
anyway, thanks for sharing

 

[movingcoolcat]

Maybe we can get intouch with Joe and ask him to release it in english cause I think that much of the meaning is lost in translation.

I would have loved to read that book, beats reading "speculation, rumors and gossip". Family history going far back, is part of understanding peoples action today. My sister has done a lot of investigation regarding our family, and it makes it easier to understand the reasons why things happen.
Not to get in to that disc. again Datsymay, but you know when you react against Joe being blamed for acting like he did? Reading the parts of this book posted on the forum, makes you see him as a person, understand how things came about etc...
Michaels family history seems very strong, and the people seem to me to be "survivors", they have struggeled, fought and not given up. Its a family history to be proud of. Makes me understand how Michael got his strenght and will power.

 

[Datsymay]

Chapter 2

Childhood


I have grown during the times of weak conjuncture from 1929 to 1935. People could not find work - there just was no work. They also had too little of food. If you have grown in 30's, you learn to save money. I in any case will not forget how hard was to earn it. And I tried later to teach my children, to treat money accurately so they never be in such a distress as people earlier.
Everybody suffered from the weak conjuncture. Besides that that time was full of racial prejudices. One of my first memoirs - that I, 4 year old kid, stand in line for rice, canned food, Oatmeal flour and sugar rations. Since the economy has been destroyed, whites too had to stand in a queue, but they always stood ahead. Blacks received what remained. Blacks were not allowed to have dinner at the same restaurant, as whites, or to drink from the same draw-well.
Already during childhood it was obvious to me that whites have more rights. For example, if white lady went along the street, we had to leave from the sidewalk and quietly stand in waiting, while she will pass. Only after that we could go further. Fortunately for me, we did not live in rich quarter of our city, and I needed to participate in this nonsense and not too frequently.
I am grateful to my parents that despite of all inconveniences which they have undergone, they always warned me of racism. When many years later I was the manager at my children, I intentionally appointed performances in those places where lived both white, and black. So they from the very beginning had fans of all races, and later it has essentially added them of popularity. However in days of my youth for the black artist it was absolutely impossible to address to the mixed public.

I owe a lot to my father, he was for me an example. Samuel was very hard-working man, and he became director of the high school. Mostly he went in a suit with a tie, and drove a new "Phord". And I have been amazed, that he presumed to himself a new car, when he needed to feed the big family. But I was proud of him because we then were unique blacks in our city who had such a car. It was class.
Also I admired my father because he has constructed our house by himself. The plan has been thought carefully over so that it was possible to make easily an extension if there will be necessary more places. When our family became bigger, he simply attached one more room. For this purpose he brought down trees, cut with their axe and put long beams on the ground in a square. Then he connected them with each other and on it constructed a floor. I then was still very small, it was difficult for me climb through them, I sat down on these beams from above and skipped on them, as on a horse.
As well as many people at that time, my parents planted vegetables in the to a garden. The daddy could see on phases of the Moon when it is necessary to sow, and he borrowed a horse to pull a plough. When I was about 8, I have tried to help him, but was enough strong to force a horse to keep the furrows. We willingly worked in a garden, laughed and joked during the teamwork. We had so much of peas, string beans, corn, potatos, peanuts, melons and other vegetables, that we never bought it in shop.
When we were small, our father frequently sang to us every possible songs. I and now remember, for example " Swing low, sweet chariot ". He had a beautiful high he also sang in chorus. Samuel constantly sang or whistled. We liked to listen to him: his songs told about a usual life and when he sang something sad, tears flew on his cheeks. I have learned to sing, because listened to the father.
My father whom I called Pops, was very friendly and smiled a lot. Besides he could fix anything you like. His one more good feature - he always finished any business. From my father I have learned to never surrender, and I constantly encouraged my children that they finished their work.
Dad took care so we had what to eat doesn't matter how hard the times were. My force - from him. He used to say: "Joe, no matter what you do have to do it as better as possible" . He believed, that only that way it is possible to find peace of mind, and all my I life took this advice seriously.
We then lived in 1,5 miles away of small town Durmott, about 100 miles to the south from Little Rock. Houses there were inpainted and in with the time the tree has decayed. There was a pair of shops: grocery, shop of clothes, the hairdresser, except for that, mail and a big prison. In total Durmott hardly could count total more than 1000 inhabitants, and everyone knew all about the neighbours.
The most exciting days were Friday and Saturday when in the evenings people going out to the city. Our neighbours partyed, drank wine and whisky, fried a fish, and music was so loud, that was audible in the next quarter. At restaurants played musical automatic devices, people danced. As soon as men got drunk, fight because of any woman began. However, black should remain in their part of city - earlier blacks and whites could not party together.
My father didn't drink ever. If he went out to the city to have a good time, he always took mum with himself. She liked very much to go to dance somewhere, but more often she remained at home and watched that father has been fed when he will come from work.
My parents had to wark hard and and we didn't have enoigh money. But we loved each other and it was the most important. Just as Nero loved his family, Samuel loved us. He told to me, that in days of his youth they were treated so bad on a plantation, that their only pleasure was time which they could spend together as family, in the morning and in the evening before and after the work. The deprivations that he went through in the childhood have led to that he very much valued the family life, and it was transferred to me.
My cousin grandmother Verna lived in Durmott, only 50 m away from us. When we arranged washing, I went with buckets to her pump, filled them and poured out in a huge iron tank. When it was filled, I made under fire under it, she added a soap. She boiled our linen in alkaline until it was washed off. Then she pulled it out there with a stick and rinsed in a bath. We had 3 linen cords on which all of us hanged it out. One of pleasures of my childhood - a fresh smell of the clean linen dried by the sun.
Other pleasure was meal. Every morning mum milked our cow and baked rolls. Verna held pigs and that's why in our small smoking shed in a garden, always hung the ham and bacon. We slaughtered animals, and that meat was much more tasty, than everything, that it is possible to buy today. We used to go to shop more likely to visit to city and to keep abreast of the latest news. We did not need almost to buy anything since we made everythign by ourselves.
My great grandmah was known in all the town as "Ms. Verna Brown". When I was born, she was already elderly. She was hard-working and loved the life on the farm. And she loved her trees: nuts, plums and peaches.
Verna had geese, ducks and hens. When she wanted to fatten the chicken, she caught her, locked in a small narrow shelter and fed only with corn. It proceeded 3 weeks, then she slaughtered the bird.

Back then there were no refrigerators. The seller of ice went along the street and shouted: " Ice! Ice! ". The climate was hot and damp, and many people held on their verandah a special chest for ice. Verna had it especially big. She filled it approximately 50 pounds of ice to keep her products.
For a breakfast she usually prepared for fried eggs with a ham and bacon, sometimes a porridge. Her pastes were the best. Verna was an excellent cook, her meals has made me strong. She also taught me to be polite and to stay away of problems. I never saw, that her drinks something stronger than lemonade. Because of my father and Verna giving me a good example and because of religious reasons I never drank no alcohol. And I have transferred it to the children. I am proud of that no one of them does not drink.
Verna had 3 sons: Sylvester, Timothy, (we called him T.W), and Tommy, the most younger. T.W was similar to me and my dad. He laughed like dad and was same friendly as it him. Sometimes he even talked like dad. And he cared of his family as my father.
Verna was deeply believing in God and has imparted to us her moral values. At her presence it was forbidden to us to swear, and certainly we should pray before meal. The card play was considered as the same sin, as well as alcohol.
I always had to accompany her when she went to Sunday school, to studying the Bible or to church. Already at doors I heard, how the chorus sings the traditional black church hymn: " Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home... ". If Verna did not hold my hand very strongly, I ran away from there at the first opportunity because I was frightened by how some people prayed. Women jumped, drop on benches, asked others to brush them away, as though they had an attack. They told me, that sacred spirit on them the sacred spirit has came down on them but I thought, they simply pretended. It is possible to study the Bible and to listen to the preacher easy, and to not behave so. It was not clear for me, why these women shouted and rushed on a floor, I did not think, that it is necessary to do so to be religious. I wouldn't do this in any case and Verna did not do that.

Sunday service always passed equally. The preacher spoke something, the crowd answered: " amen, amen". The more they repeated "amen", they burnt more. The preacher paced there - here before an altar, briskly gesticulated. I have darted a glance on Verna and saw that she cries; fortunately, she reacted to the sermon more likely internally, than externally, and not so bustly, as people around her.
I could not wait, when we till leave from church. Not that that I reluctantly was there - but shouts of these people frightened me. When the chorus sang last hymn, I sighed with relief. Simply it was not pleasant to me, that people had to keep each other from writhing in spasmes and from wounding.
After the ending of service women with cry directed to the door. It looked like the ending of Jackson 5 concert . I stand offstage and I see, how girls in the forefront cry and faint, and they are being taken away. These women in church looked the same..
Of course, after the service, the young priest shook hands with everyone good-bye. Every Sunday numerous women invited him to a dinner, he always could choose, at whom he will have dinner. Almost all our priests were young, nice men, and always it seemed to me, that they stand at a church door and only and wait, that somebody has invited them.
Exept the hours spent in church, life was not so rich with events. A river "Big Bayou" proceeded around our house. From one riverside to another has been thrown a bridge . One evening I stood there and have found out a gipsy camp on the other riverside.
I have run across on other coast so I could see better. From apart I have heard their music. It has seemed to me the most exciting music which I ever heard, therefore I have crept closer. The gipsy stood around of something that I did not see, I was too small to look beond their heads. Without thinking twice, I have risen on four and have crept between their foots. It was a fire on which the corn was fried. They have begun to smile, when have have found out in me the boy from the opposite house.
When corn was ready, they have invited me to have a meal together with them. Then the beautiful young woman in a long dress and with long black hair which she has tied with a black - red shawl with white brushes, danced around of fire. Silver ear rings in her ears sparkled in view of a fire. I could look at her for hours.
Eventually in family have noticed my absence and have called me. It was not pleasant to them, that I was at the gipsy. " Joe, better go home ", they shouted. The next evening I was there again. I just had to be with them because I really liked their music. I spent there every evening and remained, until parents did not call me.
When the gipsy have turned the camp to go in other place, I missed their songs and dances. They came back 2 more times and each time remained for some weeks. Some people complained, since the gipsy lived on their ground and ate their corn, but for my family it meant nothing. We had enough corn. When I was 8, they have left finally and have not returned any more. But always, when I see a fortuneteller in the street, I think of my friends - gipsies.
A lot of years later my younger son Randy, incredibly musically gifted, has named his group " The Gypsys ". Of course I, very much liked the name, it has reminded me of my carefree youth, and about long stuffy evenings when I sang and danced with gipsies at light of the Moon under the stary sky.
__________________

 

[Datsymay]

I would have loved to read that book, beats reading "speculation, rumors and gossip". Family history going far back, is part of understanding peoples action today. My sister has done a lot of investigation regarding our family, and it makes it easier to understand the reasons why things happen.
Not to get in to that disc. again Datsymay, but you know when you react against Joe being blamed for acting like he did? Reading the parts of this book posted on the forum, makes you see him as a person, understand how things came about etc...
Michaels family history seems very strong, and the people seem to me to be "survivors", they have struggeled, fought and not given up. Its a family history to be proud of. Makes me understand how Michael got his strenght and will power.

That isthe truth. The book is posted on the old MJJF site. I will try and post it here if people want to read more.

 

[AllTheLovelyFlowers]

Yes, post it. I would love to read it.

 

[Rawr]

Sorry to go off-topic, but what the hell?

I can't ask if he has white relatives, yet they can ask where his ancestors are from and not get the thread closed within minutes?

:huh:

Anyways, back on topic, THANK YOU for putting the English chapters of Joe's book on here!

 

[LindaC781]

I wonder if Mike had any ole Native American cousins that spit chewin tobacco across the room in to a spitoon....I had one like that. We visited him once - his name was Zian Lowrey...and you had to take your shoes off before you came in, on account the floors were sticky...

 

[LindaC781]

Then there was this REALLY old ancestor we looked up...his name was Baldy Kersey...and he had about 20 wives, one of which he was legally married to...came in handy, on account that the guy had to keep goin to court every week...he had a bit of a problem in the kleptomania department. Got so bad the shopkeepers would see him comin into town, and they'd close up shop... Every time he had to go to court, one of his wives would be his "alibi"..."Oh no sir!! He was with ME that night"...

 

[Ebony]

Thanks for sharing. Yeah there are a lot of African Americans, includling my family, from Native American ancestry. So this does not surprise me. Michael spoke about being half Indian and this explained his facial features (i.e.: high cheek bones, etc.). I think he was giving an interview to M. Basheer. I am really interested in purchasing Joe's book. Looks like some interesting information in there. Thanks again for the information in Joe's book.

 

[LindaC781]

Here is some history of those of the Choctaw Native American descent:


From: http://sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/RedBones.html


Welcome!

Native Americans of South Carolina


Wagons West

A Late Migration of "Red Bones"

From Holmes Co., FL to Rapides, LA

Copyright ©2005, Steven Pony Hill, all rights reserved.

In late 1857 or early 1858 a large number of families left the Choctawhatchee River area of northwest Florida and journeyed west to Rapides Parish, Louisiana. These families, often described as "mixed-bloods" joined an older settlement of Willis, Goins, Perkins and Sweat families to produce what is known today as the "Red Bone" community.

It appears that a smaller group of families left the same area of Florida in1853, but met with less success. The Taylor and Houser families "all of whom claimed to be Catawbas," never made it further than Alabama. (1)

According to oral history the 1850's migration was a "wagon train led by Alfred Mayo." By comparing the 1850 Florida census and the 1860 Louisiana census a fairly accurate assessment can be made about the size and composition of this migration. (2) (3) The majority of families were originally from South Carolina and had settled in Florida in about 1828. Those persons on the "wagon train" were:

" William Bryant: (born 1810 NC), his wife, Mary (b. 1815 GA)

" Bartram Butcher: (born 1822 NC), his wife Elizabeth (b. 1826 GA)

" Benjamin F. Hagan: (born 1820 GA), his wife Elizabeth (b. 1830 FL)

" Stephen Hagan: (born 1825 GA), his wife Emilene (b. 1838 FL)

" Dempsey Fennell: (born 1817 GA), his wife Margaret Turner (b. 1828 FL)

" Major H. Stanley: (born 1825 NC), his wife Elizabeth Perkins (b. 1826 ALA)

" Robert Knight: (born 1833 GA)

" Jane Bartlett: (born 1824 GA)

" Stephen Turner: (born 1795 SC), his wife Margaret J. (b. 1814 NC)

" Alfred Mayo: (born 1792 SC), his wife Catherine (b. 1804 SC)

" Martin Mayo: (born 1820 FL), his wife Rebecca (b. 1820 SC)

" Samuel Mayo: (born 1830 FL), his wife Susan (b. 1840 GA)

" Simeon Martin: (born 1836 ALA), his wife Elizabeth (b. 1836 ALA)

" Anthony Burns: (born 1827 FL), his wife Ann (b. 1828 FL)

(1) R.B.I.A., National Archives, Letters Received, Miscellaneous, 1853, A-172, Brig.-Gen. G.B. Hall to Capt. I.C. Casey about Certain Indians in his County, November 12, 1853.

(2) 1850 Federal Census of Walton County, Florida households 265 & 266

1850 Federal Census of Walton County, Florida households 11, 13, 43, 46, 60, 63, 112

1850 Federal Census of Washington County, Florida household 257

(3) 1860 Federal Census of Rapides Parish, Louisiana households 95, 97, 106, 111, 112, 137, 138, 146, 150, 151, 154, 165

Rev. Joseph Willis, Father of the Red Bones

Copyright ©2005, Steven Pony Hill, all rights reserved.

In the early 1800's a number of small settlements were founded in western Louisiana near the border with Texas, which have perplexed researchers and historians. These isolated communities were called "Red Bones" by the local folk, and their social standing hovered somewhere between whites and blacks. The community members themselves claimed to be Indians, descendants of tribes of the Carolinas. One of the earliest persons to settle this area was the Reverend Joseph Willis, also known as the father of the Red Bones.

Joseph Willis was born between 1755 and 1758 in New Hanover, North Carolina (not far from Robeson County home of the Lumbee Indians). Joseph was born to the Indian slave of Agerton Willis, and so, by law Joseph was also considered a slave. When Agerton died in 1776, his will provided for Joseph to receive his freedom and inherit the entire estate. Unfortunately, Joseph was still a minor and the estate was placed under the control of Agerton's brother, who subsequently objected to a slave receiving any of the property. The will never became legal, and Joseph remained in slave status for another eleven years.

In November 1787, a bill was introduced by Joseph's white cousin, John Willis a member of the General Assembly of North Carolina, entitled "a bill to emancipate Joseph, a Mulatto Slave, the property of the Estate of Agerton Willis, late of Bladen, deceased."1 The bill passed its third reading on December 6, 1787 and Joseph was free. Many years later in Louisiana, Joseph would tell his grandchildren who were tending to him in his last months, that he left North Carolina "with nothing but a horse, bridle and saddle."

Joseph Willis entered South Carolina at the time of the Revolutionary War and served under General Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox." By 1790 Joseph was living with his wife, Rachel Bradford, in Cheraws County (now Marlboro, Chesterfield and Darlington Counties), South Carolina.2 It was also here that Rachel died about 1794. Joseph moved to Greenville County, remarried to Sarah an Irish woman, and purchased 174 acres.3

In Greenville County, Joseph became more active in the church and joined the main Saluda Church. He attended the Bethel Association as a delegate from Main Saluda from 1794 to 1796. In late 1797 or 98, Joseph made his first trip to Mississippi to spread the Baptist faith. Records show that Joseph had first made the trip west of the Mississippi "in search of Willis Perkins," a Baptist who had settled there earlier.

Joseph Willis has been marked in the history books as the "First Baptist Preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ West of the Mississippi River."

By 1833 the Reverend Joseph Willis became pastor of Occupy Baptist Church near Pitkin, Louisiana. This is less than a half-mile from Tenmile Creek. 4 He served as pastor there for 16 years. It was also there that he married his last wife Elvy Sweat, who was many years younger than he. During this time a man named John Phillips recorded an affidavit from Joseph stating that his mother was a Cherokee Indian and his father was English. This affidavit was registered at the courthouse in Alexandria, Louisiana. 5

The Reverend Joseph Willis died on September 14, 1854. He is buried at Occupy Baptist Church cemetery.

Only three years after the death of Joseph, a wagon train from the east led by Alfred Mayo would arrive with more families of mixed-Indian blood. In South Carolina small settlements of mixed-Indian families had been commonly called "Red Bones", and this label apparently followed them west of the Mississippi. These intermarried with the Willis, Sweat, and Perkins families who were already settled, and the 'Red Bone' community of today was founded. 6

Aimuel Willis, youngest son of Joseph Willis

1. At the time this Bill was passed, a "Mulatto" was legally described as "a person of Negro or Indian blood to the fourth degree."

2. Recorded on the 1790 federal census as a family of "All other free persons."

3. Again here recorded as "other free persons."

4. The areas of Pitkin and Tenmile are the home of the "Red Bone" settlements.

5. In Luisianna records, the Willis family is recorded as "free persons of color" and "mulatto."

6. The histories of the Red Bones record that this wagon train "headed by Alfred Mayo left Georgia", however, Alfred had been living in Holmes County, Florida since at least 1830, and was still present there on the 1850 federal census.

THIS IS A COPY OF A POSTING I PLACED ON A RED BONE RESEARCH GROUP:

Thought I would drop a note to describe our Indian community here in Nortwest Florida (just west of Tallahassee)and our connection to the mixed-blood Indian families who settled into Rapides, LA. In 1828 several Indian families came down from SC and settled in along the Choctawhatchee River. These families included Alfred Mayo (his white wife Catherine Youngblood), William Bryant, Bartram Butcher, Stephen Hagan, Rinchen Ammons, Dempsey Fennell, Major Stanley (his wife Elizabeth Perkins), William Chavis, Robert Knight, Robert Bartlett, Stephen Turner, Allen Gibson, Samuel Perkins, Anthony Burns, William Smith, and Roderick Chavis.(1850 census Holmes & Washington Co. FL)

Another group of families who travelled down with them settled nearer to the Apalachicola River. These were Jacob Scott (his wife Polly Harmon), Isham Scott, Joseph Scott,, Elizabeth "Betty" Perkins, Rebecca Goins, Absalom Scott (his wife Rose Bell), Richard Jeffries, John "Jack" Jones, Samuel Smith, Martin Brooks, and John Bunch.(1850 census Jackson & Calhoun Co. FL)

In 1857 or 1858 most of the families living near the Choctawhatchee packed up and went to Louisiana.(1860 census Rapides Parish LA) Some of the Hagan and Mayo family members stayed, and moved east closer to the Apalachicola group. (1860 census Jackson Co. FL)

In 1870 there was a Charles Johnson (b. 1820 NC) living here with his family and grandson Bryant Davis (my uncle's great-grandfather)(1870 census Jackson Co. FL)

In the late 1870's a man named Henry Johnson (b. 1838 TO 41 I believe in LA)...he intermarried with our group and founded the Johnson name in one of our settlements. (1880 census Calhoun Co. FL)

I find it interesting that our Indians here, and the "Red Bones" in LA share a large number of common social and cultural practices including a straong matrilinial tendency (tendency for the female to continue being referred to her maiden name even after marriage...tendency for children to carry the mother's surname, etc.)

the following are the "Red Bone" heads of households who were living in Rapides Parish LA prior to the arrival of the "wagon train" in the late 1850's......

James Bunch (b. 1813 NC) Thomas Nash (b. 1831 LA) Lemuel Swett (b. 1811 LA) Michael Nash (b. 1802 LA) Wiley W. Goins (b. 1791 GA) Gadi Swett (b. 1790 MISS) Lovy Swett (b. 1815 MISS) Nathan Perkins (b. 1805 LA) Soloman Dial (b. 1824 LA) Isaac Perkins (b. 1790 SC) Robert A. Perkins (b. 1824 LA) Ephraim Swett (b. 1805 LA) Isaac Perkins jr (b. 1826 LA) Willis Perkins (b. 1790 SC most likely the son of the man Rev. Joseph Willis went to LA looking for) William West (b. 1827 LA) Nathaniel West (b. 1834 LA) Joseph P. Willis (b. 1824 LA) William Willis (b. 1810 LA) Lemuel Willis (b. 1812 LA) Joseph Willis (b. 1796 LA) Elijah Dial (b. 1833 LA) Thomas Dial (b. 1770 SC) Edgarton Willis (b.1785 NC)

Joshua Perkins: born Nov. 1759 - taxed in Washington Co. NC in the 1780's in the same list as George Perkins and Gilbert Sweat. On 25 May 1830 he was described as a "free man of color" and made a deposition for Gilbert Sweat in St. Landry Parish case. Joshua testified that he was born on the Little Pee Dee River in what was then called Marion Co. SC in the same are as Gilbert Sweat (in 1737 welsh baptists from Delaware were granted land along the Pee Dee in what is now Marlboro and Marion by the Cheraw Nation), that he and Sweat had travelled the same route from SC to NC to TENN to Big Black River MISS and finally to LA about 1804. Administartors of Joshua's estate upon his death were his daughters; Mary Perkins Ashworth, Sarah Perkins Ashworth, and Elizabeth Perkins Goins.

14 AUG 1809 Marion Dist. SC: Thomas Hagans refused to pay the tax on "all free Negros Mulattoes and Mestizos" claiming that he was a white man. Two white men testified that they were acquainted with Thomas Hagas grandfather, Thomas Ivey when he had been living on Drowning Creek in NC. They stated that Ivey was "of Portuguese descent, that his complexion was swarthy, his hair black and straight - that his wife Elizabeth was a free white woman, very clear complexion."('Portuguese' being a term used then to describe persons of mixed Indian-Spanish blood, much like 'Creole' and "Metis' is used today) They testified that Thomas Ivey's daughter, Kesiah Ivey married Zachariah Hagans and they were the parents of Thomas Hagans.

I am currently putting together ifo I have found on the ancestry of the so-called "Clifton Choctaw" who also live in Rapides. The evidence is pointing to the fact that they descend from a couple of mixed-blood families who travelled down from the VA/NC border along the same path as the Perkins and Sweat families (and at about the same time).

As far as I can see this group mainly descend from the Clifton and Tyler families...the Cliftons came down from Hillsborough, Orange County NC in about 1820 along with the Tyler family who came down from Henrico County, VA. These two families had already intermarried prior to migrating down, and continued to do so after they arrived in LA. There was some interraction between these families and the "Red Bone" families prior to 1870, but had become completely seperate by 1880. This Clifton group were consistantly censused as "mulatto" in 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900...all the way until 1930 where they are recorded as "Indian"...by 1930 they were joined by the Thomas and Smith families (who had migrated to LA from FLA along with the Mayo's) and they were also listed as "Indian" in 1930.

The Tyler family is well documented to descend from Priss Tyler (born about 1718) a Catawba Indian who was induced by an Indian trader named Captain Robert Hicks to come to Virginia with him in about 1733. Hicks sold her into slavery. Her children (Joseph Tyler, Nan Tyler, Betty Tyler, Priss Tyler, Bartlett Tyler) all sued for their freedom in Luisa County Court in 1769 and 1771.

The Clifton band in Rapides seems to have adopted a "Choctaw" identity, much like the "MOWA Choctaw" who also maily descend from the Byrd, Goins, and Reed families of the NC/VA border.

I find it fascinating that some of these smaller groups have adopted a "Choctaw" identity while the "Red Bones" have stayed true to their true ancestry...that they descend from Carolina Indians. PONY HILL

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "Sammy Tippit" To:

Subject: bass and sweat families Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2006 18:54:15 -0500

Dear Mr. Hill,

My name is Sammy Tippit and I’m an author and international conference speaker. I grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My father became very ill when I was small and died before I was married. Consequently, I knew very little about my greater family, who were from Vernon Parish, Louisiana. I had visited them as a small child, but because I grew up in the city and they lived in the pine forests of central Louisiana, I didn’t know much about them. My grandparents on my father’s side of the family died before I was born. My father’s mother was Eliza Bass Tippit, and she died five years before I was born. Because of a strange set of events this year, I had to research my heritage. A gentleman who lives in Portugal contacted my sister and said that he had evidence that he was our brother. After many discussions and eventually submitting to DNA testing, we discovered that he was not our brother. However, that set me on a quest to discover my roots.

I’m a Christian minister who travels extensively internationally. My work is completely cross cultural, which comes very naturally to me. I’ve discovered that my grandmother, Eliza Bass Tippit, was the great granddaughter of John Bass. John was evidently a friend of Joseph Willis and was with him in the starting of at least two Baptist churches in Louisiana – the Calvary Baptist Church in Bayou Chicot and also the Amiable Baptist Church near Glenmora. John married Delaney Taylor. Her mother married Gilbert Sweat after the death of her first husband, and they gave the land for the Bayou Chicot church to be built. This was the first Baptist Church west of the Mississippi River. I’ve learned most of this information from my cousin, Jane McManus, who has written a genealogical book on our family and done extensive research on the Basses.

One area that is a little hazy to me is how John Bass came to Louisiana. Jane has him listed as the son of Jeremiah Bass who came from North Carolina to Mississippi. I’m looking for information on how and why Jeremiah and John Bass would have come to Louisiana. The Louisiana census of 1810, 1820, and 1830 has John Bass, Gilbert Sweat, and Joseph Willis listed as “free people of color.” In one of your articles, I noticed that you referenced Gilbert Sweat and the Bass families as living among the Lumbee Indians. Is there a place where I can find more information on the Lumbee Indians and possibly documentation on Jeremiah and John Bass.

One other area of interest about what you have written in some of your articles is that of Alfred Mayo. My wife grew up in Beaumont, Texas and we met randomly while we were both attending Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. My wife’s grandmother was a Mayo. We’ve discovered that her father and uncle were grandchildren of Aflred Mayo. My wife’s great great uncle, A. D. Mayo baptized my grandmother in August 1891, according to records of the Laurel Hill Baptist Church. Do you know where I can find information on Alfred Mayo and his wagon train to Louisiana.

I really would appreciate any direction that you could send me, or any information that you might have. I’ve learned of my “Redbone” background, but I’m not sure that I fully understand it. Because cross cultural ministry has been my life for the past 41 years, I really would like to know as much as I could about where I came from. You can get an idea of the extent of that cross cultural ministry on our website listed below. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Sammy Tippit

WEBSITE: www.sammytippit.org

EMAIL: sammyt@sammytippit.org

Pony Hill responds:

The mixed-blood families from SC travelled to Florida, MIss. and LA for the same reason other poor farming families did at the time..it was easier to accumulate land out on the border territories, to escpae debtors, to escape oppressive "free person of color" taxation, some to escape the law.

In the late 1600's there was a group of families living near the chesepeake bay area of VA (Surry County, Henroco, Northampton, etc.) who were a very mixed people...they were the descendants of men who had been captured from a Portuguese ship by a Dutch man-of-war which then sailed to VA and sold them as slaves. These men had been attached to the Portuguese colony in Angola and were at the least tri-racial (Angolan, Portuguese European, and Tupaya Native Brazialian). Early slavery in VA at that time was more like indentured servitude and the men were living with Indian wives on the Gingaskin reserve lands while they worked for their masters. Almost all of these men were freed by either the death of their masters, or buying themselves out by 1670.

By 1700 many of the descendants of these people had spread to the Pamunkey reservation in King William Co., the Saponi lands near fort Christana, and the Tuscarora resrvation in Bertie Co. NC where their were Chowan, Nansemond, Saponi, Catatwba and of course Tuscarora Indians living.

By the time these families began living in Robeson County (home of the Lumbee) and along the PeeDee in SC (where the "Red Bones" came from) these families were a mixture of two types - those of the Portuguese-Indian-white mixture and those of Indian-white mixture....thru the years these families have always claimed to be "Indian" then when challenged to explain the non-white/non-Indian "look" (i.e. bushy hair, body hair, etc.) they would claim "portuguese".

Copyright ©2005-2006, Steven Pony Hill, all rights reserved.

Return to Native American Page

"Turks" of South Carolina Page

American Roma Records Home Page

SCGenWeb Home Page

Anyone with information on Native Americans in this area please contact me.

References

Copyright ©2005, Steven Pony Hill, all rights reserved. this document is copyrighted and may not be sold, nor given to anyone who may attempt to derive profit from same, without written permission of the author.
***
My family name is Tyler. I have Bass relatives as well as relatives from the Lumber River area of North Carolina.

 

[movingcoolcat]

Thanks for sharing Linda- its realy interesting.
I remember as a child reading about the fate of the native indians, it made me cry and get realy angry.

I think its four different peoples stories that has shaped mutch of my personal view on politics, justice etc..and that is the history of the slaves in US, the story of the native indians and the aboriginals in Australia, and the story of the jewish people.
Reading about this made a huge impact.

 

[Bee.]

Thanks for posting that, Dats, regarding the family history of the Jacksons. I think it is the duty of everyone to know their history. I know mine. I am glad that my parents told me and my siblings about our ancestors and the great things that they did. I really do believe that if many people knew their family history, their lives will change.

That is interesting - I did not know that Mike's grandfather was a school teacher. Maybe that is why MJ is so good with children. I am shocked by that because Joe did not get an education but yet his father was a teacher. BTW, what Dats is posting is a good book. I hope that it can be release in the USA so that people will read the book instead of the tabloids and know the truth.

 

[Datsymay]

Thanks for posting that, Dats, regarding the family history of the Jacksons. I think it is the duty of everyone to know their history. I know mine. I am glad that my parents told me and my siblings about our ancestors and the great things that they did. I really do believe that if many people knew their family history, their lives will change.

That is interesting - I did not know that Mike's grandfather was a school teacher. Maybe that is why MJ is so good with children. I am shocked by that because Joe did not get an education but yet his father was a teacher. BTW, what Dats is posting is a good book. I hope that it can be release in the USA so that people will read the book instead of the tabloids and know the truth.

Yes, Bee, thank you for your support. I love Joes book, It is full of history. It is also interesting to think that Joe's grandfather was a slave and he knew him. This should explain a lot about Joe and why he was so protective of his kids. His father was the son of a slave.

 

[LindaC781]

Thanks for sharing Linda- its realy interesting.
I remember as a child reading about the fate of the native indians, it made me cry and get realy angry.

I think its four different peoples stories that has shaped mutch of my personal view on politics, justice etc..and that is the history of the slaves in US, the story of the native indians and the aboriginals in Australia, and the story of the jewish people.
Reading about this made a huge impact.

My father wrote a book about our family...never got it published though. In it are a lot of very interesting stories about John Brown's gang (my ancestor helped start the raid on Harper's Ferry VA.) The story of a LOT of Americans is NOT all "black" and "white". Intermarriage back then was very common. In fact, my family intermarried a lot....I even have Jewish roots also!! IN fact I have an ancestor named Moses Levy that was one of the founding fathers to a Jewish synagogue in Newport Rhode Island....here is a picture of inside Touro Synagogue in Newport Rhode Island. It is on the National Register of Historic Places:

Here is a copy of George Washington's Letter to the congregation of Touro Synagogue. THis is historic, because it talks about the importance of religious freedom.

I wonder just how many different nationalities make up Michael Jackson's family. It would be so cool to do some geneaological research and write another book on ALL of Michael Jackson's family history. History that pre-dates his great grandfather...Now THAT would be some interesting reading.....

Yes. It IS interesting. AND it is important to know who we are by delving into our family history. It helps define who we are and how we got here...What else is interesting is that several of my ancestors actually settled in Dalton Georgia...they were a civilized people. Very learned. This was a very solid town... Here is a link to the historic site. Who knows? Maybe some of Michael's ancestors came from this tiny community....

http://ngeorgia.com/ang/New_Echota_Historic_Site

 

[Datsymay]

Originally posted by tasha

 

[LindaC781]

Originally posted by tasha

Wow!! Who is that in the first picture?

 

[Datsymay]

Bee, here is the history of Joes school days. This is very intersting read,

Chapter 3

School Years


The first school that I ever attended was Durmott High, a mix from initial and the high school. If there was a rain, the road to there was rather tiring because of the viscous dirt reached up to ankles. Cars too could not ride on this street, they immideately stucked. But at a dry weather this road was rather pleasant.
In 1 and 2 grades I had not so good estimations. Probably, the thing was that I unwillingly went to school. My teacher was so strict, that I started to shiver, if she called my name. If I had to go to the blackboard, I froze with fear.
"Joe, tell me what are this numbers", she has told to me. Though I knew the answer, I could not make words. She had something like small oar with little holes and if she beat someone with it, the skin got in the holes and it was more painful from it. Other pupils too were afraid of this teacher, but I think, nobody was afraid so strongly, as me. I never loved her and cried secretly if she carped at me that I can't write anything on the blackboard.
Once the teacher has wanted to find out, how much talented her pupils are. Some my schoolmates have brought their paintings, others read verses and fragments from plays. When everybody finished, she has looked at me and has asked, what am I able to do. All have instantly turned heads in my side. The only thing, that I could is to sing, eventually we, with the dad did all time. So I have stepped forward and started singing. I was so is scared, that sang all fastly and fastly so I could stop and sit down again. When I was approximately in the middle of the song, all the class started to laugh loudly. Shamed, I have stopped and have returned on the place.
" Joe, you actually sang this song very well" - other children laughed only because you were so nervous ", my teacher has told. It was clear to her, that my schoolmates sneered over me because I shivered so much.

I felt awfull but after that humiliating incident I have sworn to get to myself in show business. " I will show all of them ", I have decided.
At this moment my dream also was born - I wanted to write songs and to sing, or, may beto become an actor.
In couple of years after me, my parents had 2d child - my sister Verna Mae; (my 3 brothers Lawrence, Luther and Thimothey, and sister Lula were born later). Verna Mae was very lovely girl, and she was very kind to everybody.
In my days children obeyed the parents and if they didn't they were punished with a belt. Children had to do the duties assigned to them by parents and that's how it was accepted in our house.
Verna Mae was a real little housewife. She cooked porridge and fried eggs to us for breakfast, and kept the house in faultless cleanliness. When mum in the evening after the heavy working day came back home, beds already have been laid, and Verna Mae already has cleaned all rooms and has wiped the dust everywhere. She was the good assistant to mum and they were very close.
It was exact also with my daughter La Toya - she constantly was near to Katherine, and Rebbie, my senior daughter, she too very good houswife. Jermaine irons his things by himself, even T-shirts, at a Jackie's house, there's an ideal order. And all of us are accustomed to keep our cars in such cleanliness, as if they just were washed.
Verna Mae willingly helped the neighbours, she looked after many children of our neighbours, and everyone knew, how clever she was. In past people still paid attention to neighbour's children, not like today when life, firstly in big cities, becomes more and more featureless.
And of my younger brother Lawrence Verna Mae cared, as mother. At 7 years she looked after her two younger brothers. She read to them in light of oil lamp. I liked to look, how her big brown eyes and pretty round facy gleam in view of a lamp with gold and red.

Than Verna Mae got sick. they gave her a spoon and she was too weak to hold it. Within 2 months doctors constantly examined her. Eventually she could not move no more, only looked at us. To speak she could very little, and one evening I have heard, her telling mum: " Everything will be ok. Everything is all right with me". After that she has died. Mum and I have sobred out all the eyes to ourselves .
Later we have have found out, that she had something like a paralysis, but nobody could tell to my parents the true diagnosis. With sadness and solemness we went behind a vehicle on which there was a coffin. It was very silent, you only could hear knock of hoofs of mules, a scratch of rusty wheels and silent crying. Father has helped the priest to omit a coffin in a tomb, then 3 elderly men have came out and have thrown ground on it.

I looked at a tomb and hated it. Me and the sister were close, and I missed her very much. All this has happened so suddenly.
Now there were only 4 of us, children. Mum worked, and Pops was at school. Since I was the grown-up, mum has tought me to cook, wash and iron.
Every morning we were washing ourselves and brushing our teeth. Mum already waited for us in kitchen so that before school to give out to us our medicine - the spoon of sickening on taste cod-liver oil . It was old domestic means - she always asserted, that it will prevent us from cold.
Pops taught in the other small town so far away, that he could arrive home only on weekend. I was awfully glad to see him every time and he always pulled out something for us from his pocket - a delicacy or a toy.
Sometimes in the evening mum collected fruit, and I helped her to wash the jars for conservation. For other day she fried meat while I with brothers have fished in marshy small river before our house. We deserted fishing tackles and if the fish did not peck, we stirred up water with sticks until it became so muddy from ooze, that the fish did not receive more air. Then we should simply collect it when it, with choking, rose on a surface. As a rule, it meant, that water snakes rose too, therefore we should be cautious. Anyway we always caught enough fish.
Beside there passed the railway, which went from Louisiana through Lake Villige on Litlle Rock. If our clockes stopped, all of us anyway could tell, what is the time, because the passenger train always whistled, when passed near our house. I never have not found out, whether the driver of the locomotive whistled because he passed by our house or because he wanted to inform about the arrival to the city...
Once I walked on rails. On the bridge through Bayu I have suddenly heard loud whistling. I have turned back and saw, that the fast train goes on me. There was no time to run across to the other side, and in the river I could not jump too, it was full of poisonous snakes. Besides the jump from such height was dangerous.
Then I got omitted downwards between cross ties and have seized them with both hands. All my body was shaked, while the train rushed over me. I was hardly hald on. It was not a movie where below there would be a safety net, and I have not been trained for execution of tricks like Klint Eastwood, but I've managed to hang on there because my life depanded on that. I ectrimley happy that I lived through it. To parents, I of course never told about this adventure , I did not want to worry them.
It is my characteristic feature. For many years I did not share my expiriences with anybody, when my children had problems in show business. Jermaine in this way is same as I, probably, it also has sharpened our health. But I simply like that..
On Weekends mum took me, Lawrence, Verna Mae and little Luther by train to the grandmother. Though she lived only in 50 miles from us, the trip took the whole day.
When I was 8, the Pops was offered more highly paid place of a teacher on a plantation in Gum Ridge. In his contract was, that we also should raise vegetables and a cotton. The new house was only in 8 miles away, but it seemed to me, that we are moving to the end of the world.
At first I did not want to come into this house at all because rooms have been located one by one and have seemed to me too small. If you faced the entrance door, it was possible to examine all house at once.

This place was made even more terrible by the dense wood that was right behind the house, through which I had go to school. Since I was very much afraid to go 5 miles on the deserted road, father has bought a horse whom he has named Prince. I used the best efforts to accustom Prince to wood road, but he did not want to, so I have again allocated him on pasture and have walked by feet. The further I came into the woods, the more terrible it became to me. Around of me something rustled in thrickets, strange sounds were heard. First I have stopped as driven, and then rushed to run and have not stopped, until I got out of the woods. I didn't even noticed, that my hands bleed, because prickly bushes have scratched them .
Hardly breathing, I have approached to school, I couldn't breath enough for a long time and besides was strongly late . On tiptoes I have approached to the back door, have silently opened it and have crept inside.
I have almost reached the place when the voice of the teacher was herd:
- Joe Jackson, Are you late? - she has asked.
- Yes, mam, - I have answered hasty.
And then, to my shame, I had explain the reason of the delay before all the class. It was so unpleasant, that I have decided to not be late any more.
When the school day had ended, I had to walk this awful road again. Besides it was already 4 o'clock and it started started to get dark. I have counted till 10 and ran. I ran all through this awful wood, that as far as I knew, was full of wild animals. When I have come running to our house, I have fallen without forces.
This dreadful day has given me stimulus, to learn to ride the horse, and soon I went on Prince to school. I have adhered his thick circuit to a tree before the school building, but despite of a circuit, he managed to be released in the first day and escape home. Furious, I have gone home on foot through this damn wood. Prince was a horse with a habit.
Once father has harnessed him in our old cart. We have gone to a wood, and the daddy has tumbled down the big fur-tree which we then have sawn on fire wood. We have shipped logs on a cart, and have sat down from above.
- Gee-up! - Pops has ordered and pulled the bridles. Prince only has slightly turned his head. Father slightly beated him with the end of bridle from behind, Prince has not moved on centimeter.
Pops has jumped off from a cart and has thoughtfully scratched in a nape. Then he has collected some dry leaves, put them on the back of the horse's behind and set them on fire. Prince has again turned his head and has looked at a smoke and then he unexpectedly jumped so my father hardly had time to jump aside and as a rocket he ran away. Попс has seized bridles, but Prince did not allow to constrain himself any more and when we have arrived home, the most part of fire wood has fallen out of a cart. And Prince' burns have stayed on his back for long time.

When I was 10, I have entered a soccer team of my school. We did not carry body stockings and helmets, and played in the usual clothes. I was fast but when they threw the ball to me, it always slipped through my hands and was pressed into a breast. It was painfull, and consequently I started to play basketball instead of football.
When I was in 5 grade, we have again moved to our house in Durmott. I at once have noticed, that my friends to the childhood have changed. They too have grown. And also in my class there was a guy who was jealous of me because all the prettyest girls made eyes to me. He was called Samuel Washington, and before my arrival he was the most popular. It was completley unpleasant to him, that I have drawn to myself the general attention. Samuel was faster and stronger than me, and once after scholl he has beaten me up. I tried to protect myself, but I didn't have no chances. When I came home, I bleed from my mouth, my eye was wombed and the nose was broken.
Mum was furous when she saw me. I already thought, that she will punish me now. That would be the last straw. But she only has told: " Joe, never allow to nobody to scoff yourself. You're one of Jacksons, and nobody dare to beat Jacksons! ".
Her reaction has calmed me. All the night long I laid and thought of her words. She, like a trainer, has adjusted me and has given me courage, to go to school and to act against Samuel. She was right. If I won't protect myself, he will beat me again and again.
I have risen early in the morning and have pointed a long stick with my pocket knife. At school Samuel all time steadfastly looked at me as though he wanted to jump at me again.
The bell has rung out, and I went to exit. We have hradly left, as he attacked me again. I protected myself by the pointed stick, and it cut through Samuel's right cheek and has come out from another side. In the same second he has stopped as driven, the face is cut like terijacki. He has tried to pull out the stick and when at he has failed, he started to scream, as I never heard in my life, and ran home.
When I came back home, I have immediately told about all to mum. " You should not attack him with such sharp stick ", she swore. She at once has thought, that I will have troubles, and certainly that Samuel's perants will come to school.
Next day the teacher has called me up to herself. I thought, she again wants to beat me with this stupid oar, but she was quiet and instead of it has sent me with a note to her friend who taught in the other class. With feeling of the executed duty I have transferred him the note and then he took out of a case a much bigger oar and beat me up on the eyes of all class so bad, that my white shirt was painted red and blood has formed puddle on the floor. Other children as pasted sat on the places.
When mum has seen my shirt which was wet of blood and the covered with wounds back, she went to school and has arranged there such scandal, that the teacher who beat me, has shyly apologized in front of her. He thought, that I was the bad guy and wanted to teach me a lesson. But my parents knew, that I only was protecting myself. The meeting at director has been called, and they wanted to expel me from school, but parents have solved this question.
Then me and Samuel have become friends, and I did not need to be afraid of him. We are friends still today. Girls praised me to the skies because I was protecting from the strongest guy in class, and nobody attack me anymore.
__________________

RemyismeView Public ProfileFind More Posts by RemyismeAdd Remyisme to Your Buddy List

11-02-2005, 12:27 PM

​

 

[Datsymay]

Wow!! Who is that in the first picture?

That is the young Joe Jackson. See how similar he is to MJ.

 

[LindaC781]

That is the young Joe Jackson. See how similar he is to MJ.

WOW!! Now I see what everyone was talking about with Michael taking after his dad. Two VERY GOOD LOOKING MEN I must admit!! WOW!!

 

[Datsymay]

Yes, yes. Chip off the old block. I have always said, that of all the children, MJ is the most like him. You will find that they are both dreamers too and they both have the same work ethic.

 

[Datsymay]

Chapter 4


Changes


I was in 6th grade when we had to move into a bigger city. My parents did not understand each other as good as before. Father wasn't home for weeks because he had to teach in some other place and during this time my mother had an affair with one militarian. After 11 years of marriage my parents have divorced.
Unexpected news, that my mother has married again and moved to Pine Bluff, has taken the father unawares. He quited his job and sold Prince so he could give us money for the trip. Than he left to Oakland by first train because he found out that there is a need for people for work on shipyard. When my tears have dried up, I wrote to him as frequently as I could. From time to time he answered me.
Back than Pain Bluff has seemed wonderfull to me(probably because I've never left Arkansas). Streets have been asphalted, and there was more cars. Besides here, there were good schools and colleges, that's why there was a lot of youth in the city.
My mum loved the new husband very storngly, and his armie grade made a big immpression on me. Our stepfather treated us very well but for me to live with him was not the same as to live with my father. I probably was the only one who felt like that.
Once in the evening about 11 o'clock when I just went to bed, someone knocked at the door. "Joe" someone whispered. I have scaredly risen and have looked outside. There there was my father. I have cried in all throat: " Pops has arrived from California!! ".

Next day he met mum and spoke with her for very long time. Apparently, she missed him more, than it seemed her, in fact she at once has agreed to collect her things and return to him again. Before father had left he has given us enough money that all of us could go to Oakland together with mum.
Soon after that my 3 brothers, sister and I have got on the train with mum. Through the window I observed, how cable columns are carried away near us. " We really leave from here! ", I have told silently.
The meal during the trip was strange. I have got used to eat what we raised. What they gave on the train, I didn't really like, but I was so happy that I didn't care. Brothers and Lula were happy too that they were going to see father but not as much, they were younger and didn't spend time with him as much as me.

At last we arrived to Los Angeles, and mum for some reason did not want to go further. So we have sat down on the following train which was driving back, and I have cried all 3 days while we traveled. When we again were in Pine Bluff, I have explained all to the father in the letter, and Pops have answered, that he could take away me. I remember well, that each his letter stated: " I will be there soon ".

About in 3 months I have again heard silent knock in my window, and nothing could make me more happy. I have told mother that I have go to the father to Oakland, and have tried to persuade her, to let off brothers and the sister together with me. But she did not want to hear anything about it. She nevertheless could not keep me, I was already 13 then. So I have left with my father.
I really liked Oakland. Every early morning Pops got up and prepared breakfast for us. Then he left for work. After a while I have written to mother and have persuaded her to arrive on a visit together with my brothers and the sister. When she has got off of the train, tears of pleasure have scattered from my eyes. Father too was delighted - he started to sing.
My sister Lula was the mollycoddle. After death of Verna Mae she was the only girl, and my mother has spoilt her. When in the morning we were ready to go to school, Lula still slept. We awakened her, but we hardly left the room, she fell asleep again. Only an old domestic means could help here. We filled a zinc bucket with an ice water and poured it out on her head. With a scream she jumped out of the bed. However, the funniest thing was that though Lula could not rise in the morning from bed, at school was the cleverest.
After mum has lived with us about one year, she has again left, this time to Gary, Indiana. Other children accompanied with her, but I have remained with the father, in the house near to a gulf.
From the bay window you could see the sea. On the one side the port was seen, on another was shipyard. The ships sailed with soldiers on board, which were going to 2d world war. I always read the names written on their grey boards, and admired the soldiers dressed in beautiful uniform. In some months they came back, covered with wounds and exhausted, and I with pity observed, how they go down from the ship, leaning against each other.
2 years have passed. I have found friends at Prescott Scool. My mum wrote me letters and frequently called. She missedme very much.
There was not much of free workplaces, and I almost spent each weekend in finding any earnings. I carried newspapers and was the messenger in grocery shop. As a result I earned so much that I could buy bicycle spare parts and make myself a bicycle (I couldn't afford a new bicycle).
Working after school has helped me to not get in inconvenient position. In past boys of my age considered a a special glamour to be in some gang. By the way you wore the jacket, they could see, to what gang you belong. The strongest gang in Oakland was "Harbor Home" gang. They did not like me, because I have not joined them. One night they threw a brick to my window and broke the glass, I have woken up just in time to evade.
" The gang! " - I have whispered.
But I have thought of my mum's advice - not to let anyone to terrorize you. Next day after school I went to that place where this gang usually hanged out and called their leader. I have beaten him up. Other dude tried to mess with me and didn not have no luck too. He has fallen down under my impact. They attacked me one after another but I've managed to win them all.
Probably, they would think well before they throw a stone to my window if they knew, what reputation I had in Indiana. Well, they had to feel it on their own skin. After that they said: " If you will argue with Joe Jackson, he'll beat you up ".
After the fight with the gang I have decided to improve my fight technique, because I have to suppurt my reputation. Our house seem to me a suitable place for trainings. Unfortunately, doors were from a strong oak so no matter how much I kicked them, there were no signs. From that I had callouses on fingers' bones; I learned to hold the big finger and a wrist so I could kick as quick and strong as possible. And once I have really punched a hole at the doors. But I have almost broken to myself a hand. When father has come home from shipyard, he has declared to me, that I do not dare to break his doors.
That's why I have changed the tactics and called any potential contender in district, doesn't matter how senior and bigger he was. The method was very simple: if the contender still could stand up after my impact with the right hand, I rendered one more impact, putting in it the whole weight of my shoulder. If after that he did not fall, than he still had to try to catch me …
When summer break have begun, I again searched for work for myself. I have found out, that in 100 miles to the south there's a need for youth for collecting of cotton and vegetables. Without thinking twice, I have gone with my school friends to Bakerfield.
I have left home for the first time. Mexicans, blacks and Japaneses worked together on fields. We lived in huts, and teamwork in heavy conditions has rallied us. Especially it was pleasant to me, because some young Mexican girls were very beautiful, and it's been some little time before I have received some invitations to visit them on weekend.

When we collected the cotton, and it is heavy, exhausting work, they paid us for weight. All workers started simultaneously. When I after a pair of minutes I looked back, the others were far behind. But one Mexican all time outstripped me. He cleaned off 2 lines of cotton while I managed only with 1 line, and collected up to 600 pounds a day. I worked as quickly as I could, but my best result was 300 pounds. Others collected no more than 200, and it is a lot too.(Later Tina Turner told journalists, that she collected 60 punds a day, and that she considered spiders and the worms living on plants, disgusting).
My father secretly looked after me, and called my chief all the time to ask about me. So he for sure knew, that I was a good collector of a cotton.
When we came back in the evening from fields, tired and sweaty, we first went to the shower. This building was away from huts. Man's showers were on one side, women's on another. Once in the evening me and 4 more guys have made the way there and sat above the female showers on the ceeling beams. From there we observed, how young girls got undressed and took a shower. They giggled, teased each other and behaved so funny, that I too have burst out laughing and have lost balance.

I have fallen down from my beam directly on girls. They have beat me the wet towels, and all the time while I was there loughed at me. I was ashamed of what I did, but I was young, and it was so much fun! Nevertheless I have decided not to do such things anymore.
Once we have gone to the river to swim for a while. My friends balanced on a tree trunk which was putten through a small crevice. I went the last. All others already came over to of other side and waited for me. Involuntarily I have glanced in a precipice. During this moment the tree has turned over, and I have departed to a black hole. Around I heard rattlesnakes, there was so much of them, that they in a literal sense sang! There remained only prays!
Fortunately, I have got out from there alive and healthy but when I have got out , I have been scratched and peeled and my friends had to pull out all these thorns and splinters from my skin. Though I was still the teenager, I had feeling, that I have 9 lives like a cat, and 5 of them I already used. After that small incident we have gone to huts by other road.
I loved this part of California with its hilly landscape where the yellow and orange poppy blossomed, and smelled with wild sage. Today California is far from being so beautiful, as 50 years ago because environmental pollution is noticable here too.
It's, among all other, 1 more reason why I so am proud of Michael: he so does so much to protect the nature. He protests against all kinds of pollution, endows the big sums of money for protection of an environment and does all he can to prevent destruction of world around.
Time on the farm has passed very quickly, and I had to come back to Oakland because school has began again. There I also earned my pocket money so I could buy scholl books, and from time to time jeans or a shirt. And I have saved so much money that I could visit mother.




__________________

 

[LindaC781]

This just shows that the type of upbringing of Michael just couldn't be helped. Joe didn't come from much, and learned to defend himself the hard way growing up. Life wasn't easy for Joe. He did the best he could under his circumstances. I bet all of that shaped him into the father that he was for Michael and his family....Wow. Thank you so much for posting all of this.

Is there a place where you can actually buy this book? I am so interested in reading it now...after reading all of these passages!

 

[Datsymay]

This just shows that the type of upbringing of Michael just couldn't be helped. Joe didn't come from much, and learned to defend himself the hard way growing up. Life wasn't easy for Joe. He did the best he could under his circumstances. I bet all of that shaped him into the father that he was for Michael and his family....Wow. Thank you so much for posting all of this.

Is there a place where you can actually buy this book? I am so interested in reading it now...after reading all of these passages!

This is the whole point Linda why I defend him. I understand. And if you read MJ's Oxford speech, you will find that he understands too.
The book was published in Germany, it was translated by a German fan on this board.I would love to be alble to read it in English. It is very well written too, and well researched. I wasn't expecting so much wealth of information.

 

[Datsymay]

Chapter 5.

Trip To Indiana


My mother constantly asked, when I will come to visit it her in Gary, and I finally have collected money for the trip.
I have been rewarded for this trip on the bus, on bumpy, narrow, filled with hollows, highways because I have seen so much interesting on road. I will never forget how I have seen Indians for the first time, when the bus has stopped on small refuelling in the middle of desert, near to the Grand Canyon.
Gary was not the way I expected. The city was dirty and small, and I thought, that it will be something grandiose because William Marshall, actor James James Edwards and pair of known boxers came from here. I'd better get back on the bus and drive back home. Then I nevertheless was delighted, when I have seen, that me aunt and mum came to meet me to the station.
" I am so glad to see you, Joe! ", mum has cried and strongly hugged me. She and aunt almost strangled me with the kisses, and I tried not to show my embarasment. Though I understood, that she is very glad and cannot constrain her feelings, when she has gone to catch a taxi, I have sighed with relief.
While we drove to the city, I again thought, of how ugly it was and though I was glad to see mum, I wanted be inagain in Oakland again.
At last we have arrived to settlement, where my mum lived in the big house at the family of the brother. Hardly we came, as all have run up to me. Girls that obviously immideately have liked me, with giggleing have surrounded me while guys kept more likely with restraint and cautiously examined me.
Mum has prepared a small celebratory supper in my honour. Now it is named Soul food and then it was simple a barbecue, with peas, vegetables, hot corn bread, my favourite pie and a sweet potatos. I so have gorged on, that hardly could move. All with a smile looked at me when I have hardly risen from the table. Then we have put music on and danced in honour of today's holiday.
there passed some time before the guys started to trust me, but once everybody had to understand that there won't be no problems with me. I simply wanted to spend good time here. When I told them about schools where I studied, or about my work on a farm in Bakerfild, they listened to me with curiosity because many from them knew only work on a foundry. My life in California has fascinated them.
With time I have got used to Indiana and began to wonder, how could the school be here in autamn. Till mum has not found her own house, we lived with the uncle, the aunt and their children. Then mum, I and the stepfather have moved 10 miles from here, closer to factories of East Chicago.
Now on a school break I always went to visit Pops by the bus. I travelled all the time here and there between mother and father and tried to make them both happy. I seemed to myself a ping-pong ball.
I really wanted to achieve something in a life. Now work in sphere of entertainments doesn't seem something special for the young black man and then recently has passed the time of silent movies and there was not much of black actors. But I constantly went to cinema, watched all new movies and dreamed to play in them. Someday I too will be on top, I have promised to myself.
A little later I have returned to Oakland again. Now Pops, every Wednesday evening drove me to box trainings. I liked to look on this, all seemed so real.
I have decided to learn to box and started to attend one popular Box hall in our city. For hours I beated the pear and trained with a skipping rope to become faster. Or my trainer ordered to me to lie on a back and threw a stuffed ball on my stomach so it become stronger. Also he taught me to evade from impacts so it was impossible to knock me out.
My trainer watched me closely. Once I trained with a pear, he has approached me and said: " Joe, you are good enough now. Now you will go to the ring, and we will watch, what you gonna do there".
I considered, that everything is all right, at least before the fight ,when I for the first time saw the contender. " This guy too healthy ", I has complained.
" You will be on a ring for only 2 roundes, besides there will be a helmet on you", he has calmed me.
Well all right, I have thought, I'll try. I was much smaller than him, but faster. So I climbed through the ropes and went to the corner. My nees were shaken. This dude was similar to the wolf ready to attack me at any moment .
When the gong has sounded, I "have danced" a pair of circles on the ring. The opponent tryed to kick me, and I've evaded. He has again tried to hook at the left. I "have dived" and have thought too myself: " Well, it is not too bad ".
I have jumped up high and have struck him with left hand directly in area of heart. He has tried to reach me with right hand, but I have deviated and have put 4 impacts successively directly above the line of the belt. He has moaned.
While I processed his face,he has managed to cut me on an ear. I have reeled, deafened, but the gong has rescued me. Yes, it was a mean opponent. If you beat with such force, the head almost flies away. To me my health was expensive to allow to scoff like myself like.
" I will not go on the next round ", I have told the trainer, he stood below and looked from there at me.
" Joe, you cannot leave now. Comon, finish him!", he has ordered me.
The signal of the beginning of the following round has sounded. I boxed as if I struggled with the whole gang and so strongly strucked my contender in a chin, that he shivered in all his body. And when I have added to him on the right, he has fallen as knocked down.
The referee held a bottle under his nose, and only in some seconds the guy could move his head,and then a hand. When he has bent a foot in a knee, we have understood, that he is all alright. I have left the ring and while I went to the locker room, all public shouted " Joe, you will become a great boxer! "
Since this moment it was indifferent to me, how strong my opponet is. I trained daily to become better, and watched, that they won't brake me a jaw or nose. I willingly distributed impacts, but did not like, when they beat me (Known boxers, like George Forman, Mohammed Ali and Mike Tyler are the same). I participated in many competitions of box fans and have won all of them, the majority with a knockout and few times with a kick in the eyes. All went to that I will become a professional.
But then there was a fight which I will never forget. After 4 roundes my both eyes have swelled, under one there was a laceration, the nose has been broken, from a mouth there was a blood. My contender was much more skilled than me. Certainly, I am skilful to stand for myself, but I was not going to be reconciled with such wounds. I went to the trainer and shyly informed him, that boxing is not exactley waht I needed.
Probably, I would become a champion. But some of my friends have died on the ring, others had serious problems with health and mentality. I never accepted participations in fights anymore.
After about 2 years I have returned to East Chicago again. I was warmly met, but not with the same joy as at the first time. Sometimes I wrote to the father, after a while he visited. He has stayed with us for a little and then left for Arizona. I hated, that my parents live separately, but could not do anything about it.
When I have left school, I first of all have found work - it was necessary to earn for a life. I still dreamed of show business, but at first I had to think, how am I gonna achieve it. Despite of my youth and that I was very thin, I have got a job on the railway. When shift railway cross ties, it needs 20 strong men with heavy iron ticks. We worked all the day under the scorching sun, pulled out old cross ties and put new, accompanied with rhythmical knock of hammers of two men hammering into cross ties in nails.
We shifted about mile of cross ties a day. I weighed 140 pounds also could not gain waight in any way because I sweated too much. I was all skin and bones. Sometimes my hammer was broken from the handle and fell to somebody on a head. I was lucky I didn't husrt myself.
Now this work is done by machines.
Eventually the stepfather has helped me to get a job on a factory, and I have learned to operate the crane. I have worked a little on the crane, and then I was offered a job in foundry to shop. There I all over again had the worst work: I should work as a pneumatic hammer in a blast furnace. Our chief has told me, that I should take a wooden stool and go to a furnace. They have pulled out steel and cooled the furnace the whole day before few teams, of 4 men had to go inside.
We had to put on boots on a thick sole to move on massive wooden floors. It was impossible to stand on the floor in the furnace, it was heated 'till white. Our task was to clean the dirt and slag from steel with the pneumatic hammer which has stuck on stone walls, and scratch off the rests from the floor so it was possible to replace the broken stones.
It was hot as in a hell. Nobody could hold on there longer 10 minutes even if was very hardy. Weaker men should leave at once. I have gone inside and have put the stool which at once was ignited on a floor, and have risen on it. Then I have lifted the hammer on a level of a belt and started to clean walls.
When I have left from there, I was all in black fat soot. My eyes were hurt as they were burnt when I have removed the protective glasses and the mask. They gave us to drink and some have fainted.
Then have raised me, and I had to work in a flue, but it was not much easier. I had to get into a hole which conducted in the underground tunnel, it reached a floor of a blast furnace. The tunnel was only 3 foots in diameter, exactly so wide so it would be possible to get in there. Already in some meters I have been covered with a thick layer of a dust. Besides I had to move very slowly cautiously in this awful heat, not to lean against the walls, or I would receive heavy burns.
I had a bucket and a cord with myself and since the dust which I collected in a bucket, was poisonous, all this time I held my breath. Only when others pulled me out by the cord, I again could breathe again. In our team there was 10 people. The chief watched, that everyone left with a full bucket. From this work people felt without feelings too. I have never fainted, but from heat I recieved awful headaches.
My experience on a foundry has clearly let me know, that I have to do something else. When at the end of the working day I stood under the shower, I even more often thought of career in show business. But I could not quite so simply because I did not have other way to earn money for a life. Besides I wanted to marry. There was one young lady with whom I have been in love. At least I so thought. Josephine and I gave each other a word, and we were together 3 years. Unfortunately, she was not loyal to me, and we constantly had arguments because of that. In 3 years we broke up and each one of us when his way. Several years ago I have found out, that she has died.
__________________

 

[Laila666s]

that was such an interesting read. thanks dastymay.
i could see it all as a movie. I'd love to direct it.