LIFE ON THE LAND

LIFE ON THE LAND: Memoir of a Farmer’s Daughter is a description of life while growing up on a cotton farm owned by a black family in Northeast Texas. Many African Americans lived and worked on farms, particularly cotton farms, during the time of my childhood, but few African Americans owned the land on which they lived and worked. “Cotton was king” during that time; cotton was everywhere for miles and miles. Cotton provided livelihoods for many people, but most of them did not have the security of ownership. A few rich farmers owned most of the land; therefore, they determined how the land was used. My parents were determined to be a part of the ownership group. They knew that buying and maintaining a farm was a big undertaking, but they both enjoyed farming and were dedicated to making it something that they could take pride in as a legacy for their children. Many people, especially youth, have no first-hand information, parents, or even grandparents connected to the mid-1900s and are unable to visualize the relationships between blacks and whites, particularly those who lived in rural areas. Talking with young people today reveals their confusion when informed that my family raised cotton and that I picked cotton. They ask if I were a slave. I explain that my family owned the land and the cotton that I picked and that “I am older but not that old.” We were not slaves and certainly not masters. As black people relating to white people, our lives were a mixture of peaceful interactions side by side with definite boundaries and separations. My family worked the farm and provided us with an environment that was enjoyable, filled with love and a sense of pride without any need to receive or expect to receive more from others. There were times, however, when we noticed that white neighbors often enjoyed certain advantages that were not available to people of color--running water and nicer schools, for instance. We wondered why we could not have the same conveniences. As children growing up, however, we worked, played, went to school, and built hopes and dreams within our world as it existed, just as children of today live life within their existing environments. The second part of LIFE ON THE LAND: Memoir of a Farmer’s Daughter is a glimpse of life after growing up on the farm. The work in the fields with the hot sun beating down on us and encouragement from our parents served as motivation to finish college and move on to teaching and becoming an administrator in public schools. My administrative work took place in primarily large school systems where some of the students did not have the same privileges and opportunities for success as their counterparts. I wanted to help effect high quality educational experiences for all children, including those who might “fall through the cracks” because their backgrounds could keep them from some of the resources needed for success. I was determined that the students I served would have high quality educational experiences regardless of their backgrounds. I firmly believe that every child has a right to a great education and that all students can be successful, given the appropriate support, guidance, and instruction. I hope that readers will grasp my passion for educating all students. I agree with Nelson Mandela in his quote, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The final part of LIFE ON THE LAND: Memoir of a Farmer’s Daughter completes the cycle, bringing us back to the farm where I grew up in Northeast Texas to take a last glimpse of the environment as it currently exists and what it means to our existing family and to the generations to come.