Natchez National Historical Park Invites Public Input on a Long-Term Vision for the Forks of the Road Site

Report by the Natchez National Historical Park

(Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. – On November 19, Natchez National Historical Park will begin a civic engagement process on the future of the Forks of the Road site at D’Evereux Drive and Liberty Road. The site is the location of the second largest domestic slave market in the Deep South during the antebellum period, where tens of thousands of enslaved men, women, and children were trafficked.
 
At the height of the pre-Civil War explosion in cotton production, these individuals were torn from their homes and families in states as far away as Virginia, Maryland, and Kentucky and transported by ships or marched a thousand miles overland to the Forks of the Road. From there, they were sold by traders to labor in rural and urban areas in Natchez and the surrounding counties. In 1863, the Forks of the Road became one of the area’s first recruitment locations for formerly enslaved people to join the U.S. Colored Troops.
 
This initial civic engagement effort will help the National Park Service prepare preliminary concept plans and includes opportunities to participate in public listening sessions and provide comment. Preliminary concept plans developed as a result of the feedback from these sessions will be shared with the public in 2025. The Forks of the Road site is a new addition to the national historical park, and this planning process will address development for visitor access, preservation of resources, accessible visitor infrastructure, and visitor capacity. The goal of this plan is to create a place where the fundamental resources and values of the park are protected and where visitors can have meaningful experiences. 
 
“We are pleased to offer this opportunity for the public to provide early input on future development and management at the Forks of the Road,” said Superintendent Kathleen Bond. “Since 2017, the National Park Service (NPS) has been working to acquire enough of the site to provide visitor access and has coordinated with park partners to identify opportunities for quality visitor experiences and thoughtful interpretation of the history and ongoing legacy of the site. We now wish to gather feedback from the public and stakeholders that will help us put formal planning for the site’s future on the right track.” 
 
Public listening sessions will be held in Natchez to discuss the purpose of the concept plan project and garner feedback from the public on future ideas for the site on November 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Historic Natchez Foundation and November 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture. During the meetings, the planning team will explain the plan process, collect public ideas for the future of the site, showcase methods for further public comment, and answer participants’ questions. A similar virtual meeting will be held on November 26 from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. CT.  

More information about the meeting locations, meeting formats, and a link to join the virtual meeting can be found on the project website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/FOTR_Concept_Plan.  

 
Beginning on October 21, written comments may be submitted by visiting https://parkplanning.nps.gov/FOTR_Concept_Plan and selecting “Open for Comment” on the left menu bar and selecting “Preliminary Civic Engagement Information.” 

 
Written comments may also be submitted by mail to:
 
National Park Service 
Denver Service Center 
Attn: Forks of the Road Master Plan / Charles Lawson 
1 Denver Federal Center, Building 50 
Denver, CO 80225 
 

To ensure the planning team has the opportunity to consider your ideas during the initial phase of the planning effort, comments must be submitted online or postmarked by November 30. Additional opportunities for commenting and public engagement will be offered throughout the life of the planning effort.

About the Forks of the Road Master Plan 
 
The 2017 boundary expansion of NATC authorized the incorporation of the Forks of the Road site into the park, and the first parcels of the Forks of the Road site came under NPS ownership in the spring of 2021. The site is comprised of urban parcels that have been developed and redeveloped over decades, though certain portions remain largely undeveloped. Particularly, some city-owned parcels contain a remnant historic road that dates to the slave market period (1833 to 1863) and a brick bridge that narrowly post-dates this period (circa 1888). Over this road trace, many enslaved persons walked their final steps on their thousand-mile journey in coffles down the length of the Natchez Trace. Few other resources are intact from the period of significance, a situation common of sites related to the slavery story in America. This erasure of history from the landscape underscores the need for thoughtful planning to provide for a powerful visitor experience at the site.
  
Consultation and coordination among the public, partner organizations, and other stakeholders is vitally important to this planning process, and successful implementation of the park's future plans will depend on continued coordinated efforts with partners. 
 
 

Dr. Akinyele Umoja to speak at ceremony honoring Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- Dr. Akinyele Umoja, a professor at Georgia State University, will be the guest speaker at the November 9 ceremony honoring the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice. The Deacons have been awarded a Mississippi Freedom Trail marker, which will be unveiled following the ceremony. 

The ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m. at Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church at 228 North Dr. M.L. King Jr. St. The unveiling of the marker will occur at 319 North Dr. M.L. King Jr. St., which is the site of the two-story building that was home to Donnan's Barbershop. The barbershop  was the meeting place for the Deacons. 

The event is free and open to the public. 

Umoja is a leading authority on the Deacons for Defense and Justice. He is the author of “We Will Shoot Back: Armed Resistance in the Mississippi Freedom Movement” (NYU Press, 2013).

‘Sugar King of Louisiana’ is topic of Oct. 22 meeting of Natchez Historical Society

By Roscoe Barnes III
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
Oct 10, 2024 | 4:47 PM

Peter M. Wolf is the author of "The Sugar King: Leon Godchaux: A New Orleans Legend, His Creole Slave, and His Jewish Roots." (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. – Peter M. Wolf, a respected author and biographer, said he looks forward to speaking about Leon Godchaux, the “Sugar King of Louisiana,” at the Tuesday, October 22 meeting of the Natchez Historical Society. Wolf’s presentation is part of a lecture series that is funded by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council through funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“I’m delighted to have been invited to talk about my book in Natchez,” Wolf said. “I understand the Natchez Historical Society is filled with experts and I’m pleased to have an opportunity to have a talk with them.”

Wolf is the author of “The Sugar King: Leon Godchaux: A New Orleans Legend, His Creole Slave, and His Jewish Roots” (Xlibris, 2022). He is the great-great-grandson of Godchaux. His presentation is free and open to the public. It will be held at the Historic Natchez Foundation, 108 S. Commerce St. The program will begin with a social at 5:30 p.m., followed by Wolf’s presentation at 6 p.m.

Wolf’s book tells the compelling story of Godchaux, who arrived in New Orleans in 1837 as a “penniless, illiterate, Jewish 13-year-old from France.” Although he had hopes and dreams, he never learned to read or write in English or French. However, by the end of his life, Godchaux became the owner of 14 plantations and the largest sugar producer in the region, as well as the top taxpayer in the state, which earned him the name, “Sugar King of Louisiana,” according to Wolf’s website.

Wolf said that Godchaux refused to enter the sugar business until the end of slavery.

Two Black men played vital roles in Godchaux’s success. Joachim Tassen, who was enslaved, and Norbert Rillieux, who was a free man of color and inventor, made significant contributions to Godchaux’s work.

Wolf is a fifth generation native of New Orleans. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University, a Master of Arts from Tulane University, and a doctoral degree from New York University. His research has taken him to Paris as a Fulbright scholar and to Rome as a visiting artist and scholar at the American Academy in Rome. He currently serves on the advisory board of the Tulane University School of Architecture, and as a trustee of the Louisiana Landmarks Society.

Wolf’s book on Godchaux has received rave reviews from noted scholars and historians. Henry Lewis Gates Jr. wrote, “Peter Wolf’s The Sugar King is an absorbing ancestral journey.” Lawrence N. Powell noted “There are eye-openers in nearly every chapter.”

Wolf is a prolific writer. His other books include “My New Orleans, Gone Away, A Memoir of Loss and Renewal” (Delphinium Books Inc., 2013); “Land Use and Abuse in America: A Call to Action” (Xlibris, 2010); “Hot Towns: The Future of the Fastest Growing Communities in America” (Rutgers University Press, 1999); and “Land in America: Its Value, Use and Control” (Pantheon Books, 1981).

For more information on the October 22 presentation, call 281-731-4433 or 601-492-3004 or send email to info@natchezhistoricalsociety.org

 

Honoring the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice

Top of the Morning column published in The Natchez Democrat (Wednesday, October 9, 2024, page 4A)

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Top of the Morning

 Honoring the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice

 By Roscoe Barnes III

Thanks to Visit Mississippi and the Mississippi Humanities Council, a group of Black men who bravely confronted the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s, will be honored with a Mississippi Freedom Trail marker.

The group of which I’m speaking is the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice, the paramilitary organization that provided armed protection for civil rights workers and the Black community against the Klan and other White supremacy groups.

The Deacons will be honored on Saturday, November 9. They will be recognized in a special ceremony at 2:30 p.m. at Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church at 228 North Dr. M.L. King Jr. St. The ceremony will be followed by the unveiling of the marker at 319 North Dr. M.L. King Jr. St., the site that was home to Donnan's Barbershop, the meeting place for the Deacons.

This event is free to the public. It is organized by the Natchez Civil Rights Trail Committee.

Speakers will include Dr. Akinyele Umoja, author of “We Will Shoot Back: Armed Resistance in the Mississippi Freedom Movement” (NYU Press, 2013); Willie Carter, owner of Donnan's Barbershop; Alderwoman Felicia Bridgewater-Irving, Ward 4; Rev. Dr. Robert James, president of the Mississippi NAACP; Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, president of the Natchez NAACP; John Travis Spann, program and outreach officer for Mississippi Humanities Council; and Mayor Dan Gibson.

The Mississippi Freedom Trail markers are approved by Visit Mississippi and Mississippi Humanities Council. The markers serve to commemorate the people and places in the state that played a pivotal role in the American Civil Rights Movement.

 As for the significance of the Deacons, you should know that the Natchez Deacons played a critical role in the success of the Civil Rights Movement in Natchez and throughout Mississippi. Their compelling history is presented in Dr. Lance Hill’s book, “The Deacons for Defense: Armed Resistance and the Civil Rights Movement” (UNC Press, 2004) and Dr. Akinyele Umoja’s book, “We Will Shoot Back: Armed Resistance in the Mississippi Freedom Movement (NYU Press, 2013).

Stanley Nelson, author of “Devils Walking: Klan Murders Along the Mississippi River in the 1960s" (LSU Press, 2016), said it best when he commented on the courage of the Deacons: “After police repeatedly refused to shield activists from physical attacks by Klansmen and segregationists, the Natchez Deacons arose to provide that vital protection. They never provoked a fight, but if activists were attacked, armed Deacons fiercely defended them.”

The Natchez Deacons organized in September 1965, following the attempted assassination of Natchez NAACP President George Metcalfe, whose car was bombed by the Klan on August 27, 1965. Metcalfe survived the bombing, but he suffered serious injuries.

James “Big Jack” Jackson, a barber, served as the founding president of the Natchez Deacons. They met at Donnan’s Barbershop, where he worked. In addition to Jackson, the original members included James Stokes, Otis Fleming, Richard “Dip” Lewis, Hugh Ransom, and Leroy Clay. Clifford M. Boxley, aka Ser Seshsh Ab Heter, assisted them with fundraising in California and in acquiring firearms. He later joined the organization.

The Deacons assisted with rallies and marches, and they helped to enforce the boycott of White-owned businesses. The boycott and other forms of protest led to Natchez city officials conceding to a list of demands presented by the Natchez NAACP.

As we reflect on the contributions of the Natchez Deacons, we would do well to remember the assessment of Dr. Umoja. He noted: “As they began to assist the establishment of other paramilitary affiliates across the state, the Natchez group helped form the Mississippi Deacons for Defense and Justice....Without a doubt, the Deacons made the Natchez and Mississippi movements more effective.”

For more information on the November 9 unveiling ceremony, call 601-492-3004.

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

ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is the cultural heritage tourism manager for Visit Natchez.

Willie Carter invites the public to join him in honoring the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice!

A Mississippi Freedom Trail marker that pays tribute to the Natchez Deacons will be unveiled Saturday, November 9.

In the attached photo, Willie Carter stands in front of the two-story building that once served as the command post for the Natchez Deacons. Carter is the owner of the building, which is located at 319 N. Dr. M.L. King St. It will be the site of Natchez’s second Mississippi Freedom Trail marker. The marker will be unveiled Saturday, November 9. The unveiling ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m. at Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church at 228 North Dr. M.L. King Jr. St. After the ceremony, everyone is invited to walk across the street to see the new marker.
 
Natchez’s first Freedom Trail marker recognized the NAACP Headquarters at 9 St. Catherine St., which is now the Dr. John Banks House. It was unveiled in April 2023.
 
The Mississippi Freedom Trail markers are approved by Visit Mississippi and the Mississippi Humanities Council. The markers serve to commemorate the people and places in the state that played a pivotal role in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Honoring the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice

Unveiling of Mississippi Freedom Trail marker set for Nov. 9

James "Big Jack" Jackson 

Founding president of the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice. Photo courtesy of Janet Herbert and Dr. Lance Hill 

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- A Mississippi Freedom Trail marker honoring the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice will be unveiled Saturday, November 9, with a ceremony at 2:30 p.m. at Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church at 228 North Dr. M.L. King Jr. St. 

The ceremony will be followed by the unveiling of the marker at 319 North Dr. M.L. King Jr. St., which is the site of the two-story building that was home to Donnan's Barbershop, the meeting place for the Deacons. This event is free to the public. It is organized by the Natchez Civil Rights Trail Committee.

Speakers will include Dr. Akinyele Umoja, author of “We Will Shoot Back: Armed Resistance in the Mississippi Freedom Movement” (NYU Press, 2013); Willie Carter, owner of Donnan's Barbershop; Alderwoman Felicia Bridgewater-Irving, Ward 4; Rev. Dr. Robert James, president of the Mississippi NAACP; Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, president of the Natchez NAACP; John Travis Spann, program and outreach officer for Mississippi Humanities Council; and Mayor Dan Gibson.

Other program participants include Dr. Neifa Hardy, community liaison to the Mayor; Rev. Birdon Mitchell, pastor of Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church; Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, culture heritage tourism manager for Visit Natchez; Rev. Clifton Marvel, pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church; and Tony Fields and the Zion Chapel AME Ensemble.

The Deacons for Defense and Justice was a paramilitary organization that provided armed protection for the civil rights workers and the Black community in the 1960s.

The new Freedom Trail marker will be the second one erected in Natchez. The first one, which recognized the NAACP Headquarters at 9 St. Catherine St., was unveiled in April 2023.

The Mississippi Freedom Trail markers are approved by Visit Mississippi and Mississippi Humanities Council. The markers serve to commemorate the people and places in the state that played a pivotal role in the American Civil Rights Movement.

For more information on the November 9 unveiling ceremony, call 601-492-3004.

It’s time to honor the legacy of Prince Ibrahima

Top of the Morning column published in The Natchez Democrat (Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, page 4A)

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Top of the Morning
 
It’s time to honor the legacy of Prince Ibrahima
 
By Roscoe Barnes III

The story of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori (1762-1829) is one of the most well-known stories to come out of the Natchez-Adams County area, but surprisingly, there is no historical marker or plaque that bears his name. There's nothing in Washington (Adams County) or Natchez that shares his extraordinary life history and nothing that honors his legacy.

This is unfortunate, but I'm hopeful this will soon change. A historical marker or monument for this important figure in our history is long overdue.

As most of us well know, Ibrahima was an African prince who was captured in 1788 and sold to slave traders. He eventually wound up in Mississippi. He spent 40 years enslaved on the Thomas Foster plantation near Washington in Adams County, just outside of Natchez, before he gained his freedom.

The world learned of Ibrahima through Dr. Terry Alford's book, "Prince Among Slaves: The True Story of an African Prince Sold into Slavery in the American South (Oxford University Press, 1977). In 2008, Unity Productions Foundation produced the film, "Prince Among Slaves," which was based on Alford's book. In May 2024, the film “From Prince to Slave” was shown at the Natchez Convention Center. The film was a collaboration between the elders of Timbo, the home of Ibrahima, and the U.S. Embassy in Guinea.

Over the last few decades, much has been written about the prince, and many parts of his story have been documented. Today we know about his descendants in the Natchez area and other parts of the United States, as well as those in West Africa. His story, including his faith as a Muslim, continues to generate interest among writers, historians, and scholars of multiple disciplines.

In an effort to determine the best way to honor him and display his story for years to come, I have spent several months doing research. During this time, I have had great conversations with local historians and Ibrahima descendants, all of whom agree that something needs to be done. Alford has been especially helpful in answering questions and guiding my research. David Dreyer, local historian, graciously gave me a tour of the places visited by Ibrahima, including Thomas Foster's plantation, where Ibrahima was enslaved. I’ve also received help from Historic Natchez Foundation, the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

As I think about this topic, I am drawn to several sites that played a pivotal role in Ibrahima’s life. They are all noted in Alford’s book. They include:

* Under-the-hill. This is where Ibrahima arrived in Natchez as an enslaved man, and it’s also where he and his wife, Isabella, departed Natchez in 1828 with their freedom. It was from this location that they boarded the Neptune and waved goodbye to their children, who remained enslaved.

* Andrew Marschalk’s printing shop. Marschalk was a newspaper publisher. This building, which no longer exists, was located at North Wall and Franklin streets. It is where Ibrahima met with Marschalk and read from a book with text in Arabic. Marschalk initiated efforts that resulted in Ibrahima’s freedom.

* Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church. This church is located at M.L. K. Jr. Road and Airport Road. The original building no longer exists. Ibrahima visited the church with the Foster family.

* Area near Historic Jefferson College. It was in this area between 16 Old North St. and Highway 61 North in Washington that Ibrahima recognized Dr. John Coats Cox in 1807 at the market place. Cox tried for many years without success to buy Ibrahima’s freedom.

Obviously, there are other important sites, but the ones listed here deserve serious consideration when we think about honoring the prince.

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

ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is the cultural heritage tourism manager for Visit Natchez.