Open Letter to CLEMSON 🐅 Requesting Action✍🏾
Open Letter to CLEMSON University & The City of CLEMSON Government
Attn: State Representation, SCDOT Clemson African-American Burial Ground Plan, Call My Name Project, & all those with Genuine Interest,
On this Memorial Day 2021, I feel very compelled to express great concern for the progress and the direction of The Clemson African-American burial ground plan. As a direct Descendant of one of the very first enslaved African Americans in the history of Clemson, I believe that my voice, ideas, and my opinions should fairly be considered and included into future plans to honor the Formerly Enslaved at Clemson.
During a recent Community Forum Zoom discussion (5/26/21), I was extremely disappointed to learn that Clemson University has failed to discover any solutions which allows the University and the City of Clemson to Move Forward in reasonable timing to honor history that has already been forgotten, ignored, delayed, and covered up.
Many citizens with connections to the burial grounds were contacted in mid-2020 and informed that there was a huge announcement along with an official apology to the African American Community forthcoming from Clemson University in the Spring of 2021.
We were assured Last Year that the descendants would be happy about the upcoming announcement in the Spring because this announcement would allow for some closure.
Understandably, it was very frustrating and somewhat disturbing to arrive at the appointed time of reconciliation and at the doorsteps of restoration, healing, and Progression only to learn that your promised time of resolve is only delayed by the demand of additional research.
Research in some regards that has already been proven factual. Information that is conclusive enough to proceed with some form of action that exceeds research.
We must open the doors of opportunity to all citizens with the intentions of repairing relations of the past in order to move forward.
Delivering a message of hope to appease some in the African American Community is much a different reality than actual actions of change.
This type of mentality has only complicated things in the African American Community. It has raised the anxieties of all African Americans who feel that their accomplishments, inventions, and achievements will never be properly honored without first being victimized or a Martyr of a suppressed movement.
The Men Of Color Having Answers Foundation (M.O.C.H.A.) first discovered a way to honor Nancy Washington Legree, whom Clemson University Publications first promoted as a story of one of the first enslaved African Americans in Clemson South Carolina.
The M.O.C.H.A. Foundation wrote a proposal to dedicate an almost Century old Unnamed Pedestrian bridge after Nancy Washington Legree in September of 2020. The Clemson City Council Unanimously voted in favor of naming the unnamed Pedestrian Bridge in honor of Nancy Washington Legree on October 19, 2020. This Innovative Plan to add to history without the battle of a removal came at a time when Americans were fighting over confederate monuments and markers being removed and replaced from state and federal grounds. The M.O.C.H.A. Foundation’s plan was a source of irrefutable resolve that our organization had prematurely assumed would be welcomed by the Clemson Community.
This plan was also a way to honor the history of an African American woman whose history had been respected by the forefathers of Clemson University.
The Men Of Color Having Answers Foundation (M.O.C.H.A.) also sent written request to Clemson University’s Governing Body in November 2020 requesting scholarships to aid the Descendants of those that University had known to have enslaved.
Our organizations request to Clemson University to grant scholarships to the descendants was never acknowledged; nor was there any genuine attempt to correct any possible misunderstandings by Clemson University.
The Men Of Color Having Answers Foundation (M.O.C.H.A.) has offered Two Solutions to the City of Clemson and also Clemson University which we believe are reasonable actions of resolve. The M.O.C.H.A. Foundations ideas of change have Not Genuinely been accepted or acted upon because of a system that has allowed the Privilege to dictate which citizens are worthy of bringing forth Effective Change by way of the African American Community.
During the Clemson Sponsored Community Zoom meeting, I also learned that Clemson has spent millions of Dollars in attempt to develop Strategies, Plans, and the development of ideas to honor those enslaved at Clemson; yet The M.O.C.H.A. Foundation has offered Solutions that have not been properly utilized and therefore the Clemson Community has been Void of Positive and Meaningful Change. This is despite Millions of dollars of taxpayer’smoney, donations, and gifts being used to develop ideas that Oppression has chosen to Omit from the process.
Answers that have already been submitted to Clemson but Privilege permits Clemson the allotted time and the excess of funding to purchase similar Solutions that have already been provided by The Men Of Color Having Answers Foundation.
If you truly do believe that “All Men are created equal,” then let us start affording the African American Community the same liberties, privileges, and Opportunities that are enjoyed by the White Citizens of this state/country.
By ignoring or refusing to be inclusive to Effective ideas of change from some, only halts a true mission of change and is a greater disservice to the citizens of the city of Clemson and to the State of South Carolina.
This same system of Oppression that forces Its Black Citizens to fight for or battle over small real estate or ownership of fresh ideas that somehow Maneuvers themselves through the cracks of an unjust system. A deep system of Oppression that purposely suppresses and destroys the dreams of its less fortunate citizens.
Lack of Opportunity is why some Black Citizens feel as though they must borrow ownership of another man’s ideas of Effective Change without giving proper recognition; in order to seize the moment.
Issues and reminders of the past which have continued to haunt African Americans in Clemson, have enabled many to believe that our Opportunities are few and therefore an unnecessary battle ensues between families who are familiar with one another.
This battle is not healthy for the African American Community, neither has it proven to Unify citizens who have lived amongst each other for Centuries now. It has continued to divide families, friends, and people of different races for decades.
Oppressive views along with a failure to discover effective methods which allow the people to move forward has causedClemson’s African American citizens to fight one another about Centuries of Neglected and ignored African American History; while others enjoy Privileges that seem to only be granted to a particular group of people.
How can you explain; a Black man writes a proposal that is Unanimously supported by a City Government over 6 months ago and No action has proceeded, yet one county over a white family is surprised and gifted a bridge that they had no clue would presented in their honor. We must Understand Privilege and stop allowing Black citizens to feel as though they must make a choice regarding the support of other African Americans who potentially go unsupported by a much larger system. This choice usually turns friends into enemies, simply because our opportunities for advancement have been minimal at best.
The Clemson University leadership has Failed in ways to Advance, properly educate, unite, understand, and empathize with the people who first allowed the University and the City to succeed.
Therefore, the African American Community in Clemson has been forced to make a choice of Honoring Centuries of Hidden African American history or adding support to an idea that has already been approved by Clemson City Council. The Legree Resolution which would name an Unnamed Pedestrian Bridge in honor of an Enslaved African American whose history was respected by the forefathers of Clemson University and the Beginnings of the City of Clemson, formerly named Calhoun.
The Men Of Color Having Answers Foundation (M.O.C.H.A.) request that All Citizens would be equally afforded the opportunity to contribute to the betterment of their community, state, and to the nation.
In many ways, we are all obligated to add additional support in attempt to correct an early beginning of our nation that has proven to be unfair to citizens of color.
Please help us to repair, heal, and effectively moved forward with ACTIONS of Effective and Immediate Change.
CLEMSON PUBLICATIONS have already came forward acknowledging that Black People built the School and the City, let us move forward with Effective Actions from the information that we already know and not just be subjected to zoom meetings and discussions about future plans.
Sincerely,
The Men Of Color Having Answers Foundation (M.O.C.H.A.)
https://themochamission.org/solutions