Connect with us

Lifestyle

On June 11, the journalist paid tribute to his ancestor during a ceremony dedicated to black soldiers who served in the Civil War

Published

on

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was the middle of the night in the summer of 2021 after I — Darren Sands — finally found the missing piece of my family history.

My great-great-great-grandfather Hewlett Sands, born into slavery in Oyster Bay, New York, in 1820, was one among over 200,000 names listed on the Civil War Memorial in Washington, DC. This meant that he was a soldier who served in a regiment of United States Colored Troops who fought for the Union – and the freedom we still rejoice today.

As the screen lit up, I used to be overcome with a mixture of emotions – anxiety, elation, and pride. This was the first step in understanding his life story. I would like to share what I learn about him!

Advertisement

I had to resist the urge to run to the Spirit of Liberty statue and trace his name etched on the nearby Wall of Honor with my fingers. I held back until the sun got here up.

On June 11, I returned to the memorial to honor him and all who served our country, which for its first two centuries viewed most Black people as other people’s property. On Wednesday, in a special ceremony, I helped proceed greater than 150 years of commemoration of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, when on June 19, 1865, I learned that that they had been freed. It has long been a sacred holiday for a lot of black Americans, nevertheless it was only recently recognized as a federal holiday.

Associated Press reporter Darren Sands, right, reads the names of soldiers of the United States Colored Troops regiments, including his great-great-great-grandfather Hewlett Sands, at the Civil War Memorial as a part of the June 19 observance on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

I didn’t go only for myself and my family. I wanted to rejoice too Frank Smithcivil rights activist and memorial director whose work to preserve lesser-known American history helped me understand where I got here from and who I used to be.

One of Smith’s biggest wishes is for the National Park Service to assign a full-time ranger to the memorial. If there was ever a candidate, it might be Marquett Awa-Milton. I first met him after I got here to find the name of my ancestor. He serves the memorial daily in full Civil War regalia, and after I arrived he was taking selfies and petting visitors with a rifle hanging above his head.

Advertisement

Soon the ceremony began. Smith, who once presided over the event with only his staff and little fanfare, opened the ceremony by greeting about 150 people, a lot of whom were in the shade as temperatures rose. Smith then asked me and twenty other volunteers to read the names of soldiers who were in Galveston after the end of the war, including the twenty sixth. After I read the name Hewlett Sands aloud, I took my wife Jummy’s hand and showed her the tiny corner of the monument symbolizing his sacrifice. I felt again the same mixture of pride and gratitude that I first felt in the summer of 2021.

“Congratulations on finding your ancestor,” Smith told me again last week, just as he told me the first time in 2021 after I found the Hewlett Sands connection. I feel it says the same thing to anyone who finds their ancestor on the wall, thanks to all the men who sacrificed themselves.

I learned about Hewlett Sands while researching my family history, hoping to weave it into a book I’m writing about Coretta Scott King’s work to try to transform America into a peaceful society after the assassination of her husband, Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968.

In the many a long time since the Civil War, there was much displacement amongst my ancestors; people left and never got here back, and lots of family histories were lost.

Advertisement

But I do know the men of Sands served bravely in World War II. The newspaper ran a headline about “Sands Family Fights” with photos of several of them. We knew far more about World War II than we did about the Civil War.

According to the records I discovered, Hewlett Sands was born on November 29, 1820, into the home of the Townsend family, a wealthy and influential family on Long Island that held many enslaved people before New York abolished slavery in 1827.

It is unclear to me how he spent most of his life between 1820 and 1852. He apparently worked as a farm laborer and whilst a clam digger. When he was 32, he met and married a young widow named Anne Amelia Payne, who took Sands as her surname.

In April 1861, Confederates fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina, starting the Civil War.

Advertisement

In January 1864, Hewlett Sands received a $300 bounty and joined the twenty sixth U.S. Colored Troops because it prepared for war with 1000’s of other soldiers on Riker’s Island. His draft documents show that he was 42 years old, although in fact he was about to turn 44 years old.

According to military records, after surviving difficult conditions at camp, his regiment boarded a ship called the Warrior in March 1864 for South Carolina, where it participated in the Battle of Honey Hill and other engagements.

Associated Press reporter Darren Sands points to the name of his great-great-great-great-grandfather Hewlett Sands, which was listed with the names of other United States Colored Troops at the Civil War Memorial during the June 16 observance on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Life after the war for Hewlett Sands was defined by a series of economic difficulties. He fell and lost sight in one eye; and he he lost his inheritance he intended to pass it down to his family from generation to generation. He died on April 8, 1901 at the age of 81.

But his and Amelia’s son, James Edward Sands, married and had two children, one among whom was Alfred Sands. Among Alfred’s children was my grandfather Alonzo, who served with his brothers in World War II. In June 1960, Alonzo and Catherine Sands gave birth to a boy, Lonnie, who is my dad.

Like Hewlett Sands, I grew up on Long Island in the town of Roslyn, where I developed a love of reading. I first examine the lifetime of Martin Luther King at the Bryant Library, and at age 11 I used to be giving speeches about him and his influence on my life. It was in Roslyn that I made a decision, as a boy, that I wanted to be a journalist, after a compassionate Newsday reporter visited me to explore our family’s history in a story about a neighborhood controversy.

Advertisement

Featured Stories

Now, working as a journalist on the Juneteenth story, I feel like a part of my mission is to educate and inform people about all of it. And to give you the chance to share it with my dad, my mom – my whole family.

I feel very strongly connected to the concept that Hewlett Sands risked his life not just for his family, but in addition for a higher ideal. I feel what all of those men had in common was the feeling that they were doing something that will impact generations they’d never meet.

No one alive has ever seen Hewlett’s grave, and I went there recently. On a clear day, my dad and I discovered his gravestone with the words What. D twenty sixth US INF. Somehow we felt a little closer to him and a little closer to one another.

Advertisement

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com

Lifestyle

Tunde Oyeneyin Peloton about what to do when you don’t feel like moving

Published

on

By

“I wanted to run this morning, but I didn’t do it because my body said you didn’t need it,” explained a 39-year-old fitness star, adding that she did some mobility as a substitute on her foam roller.

“I worked. I felt my heart rate was growing. I felt a little sweat, but I poured love for my body, not burden my body just because the plan said that I should run this morning – she continued. “Listening to your body sometimes means deviating from the plan and you provide you with a brand new plan.”

Listening to your body just isn’t just about how you feel physically. Among the social, political and economic climate, finding motivation to move the body might be difficult.

Advertisement

“I am the same as a person,” said Oyeneyin. “When I feel hard outside, I feel it in myself, in my heart, in my body. Sometimes the heaviness of the world shows in my body. “

When the world becomes overwhelming, the teacher said that he gives himself a grace.

“I do know that sometimes when the world feels heavy and feels dark, movement just isn’t what I need to do and permit myself. I devote just a few days I would like, after which I’m within the space where I can finally see and keep in mind that movement can be what leads me through a storm. Movement can be what gives me grace to see the sunshine on the opposite side – she noted.

Oyeneyin, who has been in Peloton for six years, is a strength on the earth of fitness. Powerhouse instructor and creator have experience as a star makeup, and once fought for doubt before she got here up with the movement. Her book “Speak: Find your voice, trust the intestines and go from the place where you are, where you want to be” Chronicle of her journey to confidence.

Advertisement

“When I move, whether it’s 10 minutes or an hour, I feel something in my body that I have never done before. There is lightness. The weight is metaphorically raised – she said.

On days when she is attached to the time or little motivation, she noticed that she would force herself to move for 10 minutes and suggests that others would try.

“99,99999% of time, I exceed 10 minutes” – added the creator. “The mind and body began to connect.”

Apart from that, Peloton applicationShe said, she is filled with motivation to move.

Advertisement

“I don’t think there is something in the application that you will not take motivation,” said Oyeneyin, adding: “Are you a skier and you want to build strength, we have it in the application. If you are a golfer and want to strengthen the golf game, we have it in the application. If the world feels heavy and you need to reset and you need 10 or 20 minutes of mindfulness meditation, we have it in the application. “

For her, she said that mediation is coming running.

“Running is a spot where I find peace and consolation on the earth. There I can concentrate on my breath and training – she explained.

She continued: “And for many people whom I am lucky to follow me on the platform, they find their relief on a bike. So everyone is something for themselves, no matter who you are. “

Advertisement

Movement and exercise can cost a small cost for some: their glam. Some allow the fear of sweating hair to stop them from harder during training.

“Although I don’t want to sweat, I also want my carved arms,” ​​said Oyeneyin.

“I’m in front of the camera. I work in front of a life camera. So I understand – continued the athlete Nike. “I try, I might like to look cute, but at the tip of the day, if you force me to select one between the opposite, I need to be strong. I can sweat and be sexy. “

Have you already abandoned your fitness goals in the new year? Peloton's instructor Adrian Williams has some tips

(Tagstotransate) lifestyle

Advertisement
This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Brigette Romanek debuts the “glamous” collection in Crate & Barrel

Published

on

By


The well-known interior designer Brigette Romanek introduces her first collection with Crate & Barrel-54-part line that mixes glamor and ease, bringing a classy, but relaxed touch of a beloved house seller.

After presenting your knowledge about interior design with stars clients, similar to Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Kelly Rowland, Crate & Barrel, Romanek tapped to create a collection that embodies her characteristic funny aesthetics inspired by California.

“We are all so busy in our daily lives that thanks to my approach to design, I want people to stop and breathe when entering any room,” Romanek he said . “Working, Crate & Barrel and I both shared a true passion to encourage beautiful moments through the design, and everything, from furniture to decorations in this collection, are aimed at supporting this calming lifestyle.”

Advertisement

Celebrated for easily combining aesthetics with functionality, the CRATE & Barrel Romanek collection is rooted in a timeless design with visually nice surprises and thoroughly created to make sure peace and flexibility in any space. Her knowledge about mixing various materials shines in wealthy layers of travertine, historic brass and bleached forests.

“The process of cooperation with Brigette was so inspiring and we had the honor to bring her a unique vision, bold creativity and artistically selected style for our clients,” said Sebastian Brauer, senior vp of CRATE & Barrel. “This collection seems effective and relaxed, combining modern, clean lines with natural and luxurious materials.”

Chest and barrel expressed His emotions during the announcement of the collection on Instagram on February 20.

“Confession: We have been keeping it secret for a year, and today! 🎉 @brigetteromaniac X @Crateandbarrel The collection is here! “The seller signed his position.

Advertisement

“This is not your average cooperation. Think brave and vibey – just like the amazing designer star herself. We love how it is about abandoning the rules of designing and creating a house that seems to be super personal: “Returning home should feel like a breath. Like entering your individual sanctuary. “

From plush chocolate velvet sofas at a price from 2499 to USD 2,899 to Oak Wood Credenzas (1999 USD) and chest of drawers (2,699 USD), Brigette Romanek for the CRATE & Barrel collection adds luxury to each space. Store Collection in Crate & Barrel, while the supplies are last.

(Tagstotransate) Brigette Romanek

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
Advertisement
Continue Reading

Lifestyle

“Rhop” stars react to the judgment of Karen Huger, because the series announces that it plans to continue without a star

Published

on

By

“The Real Housewives of Potomac” will last without “Great Dame”, Karen Huger. After Huger was sentenced to a yr in prison for the fourth conviction of Dui, the sources reported People magazine That Bravo plans to go forward with the production of the tenth season of the series in the absence of the star. Bravo didn’t confirm or deny the reports.

“This is very terrifying, but I accept full responsibility for everything that happened with my car accident,” apparently Huger said after the sentences. “No, I’m not an alcoholic, let’s be clear.”

Advertisement

Just as fans reacted to social media messages, some of the solid members publicly spoke publicly about their reactions at the end of Huger’s legal saga.

“My jaw has fallen,” said Wendy Osefo People magazine. “I couldn’t believe it. At the end of the day we can have our differences, but I always wish it well and I just keep her in prayer, 100%. “

Similarly, Ashley Darby recalls crying “like a child” when she discovered before her Exposing yourself at the Tamron Hall show.

“I really encourage everyone to keep Karen in your prayers,” said Hall. “I really care.”

Advertisement

For Gizelle Bryant, who began her profession Real Housewives in Huger in 2016, the legal “Grand Dame” fights caused a lot of emotions. After breaking away from the video from Huger during the Rhop congress, Bryant shared her response to the most legal verdict of the star during her “Gizelle 21 questions live” on Wednesday.

“It happened today. I do not have her wig. I’m nervous – she joked US weekly. “I’m shocked … I’m seriously nervous about her safety. Karen shouldn’t be cut into prison, she added. “I pray that she is fine and that the Lord is with her.”

Although Bravo has not confirmed or denied whether or not they would filmate Rhop without Huger, each Omefo and Bryant seem open to the possibility of continuing her absence.

“In this group we found a way to move with her presence and without her presence,” said Osefo. “Looking at the congress, I think that we maneuver in a positive way as an individual as an individual. I wish her all the best, but I think that the Potomac brand is still strong. “

Advertisement
Karen Huger skipped Rhop season 9 rehabilitation exit

(Tagstranslate) Real Housewives of Potomac

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending