I’m often asked, why has Milliken’s Bend been so forgotten? There are a number of factors: Even at the time the fight at Milliken’s Bend occurred, June 7, 1863, it was quickly overshadowed by other larger and momentous events. Most … Continue reading →
It is a common misconception that there were Buffalo Soldiers during the Civil War. To be sure, around 300,000 black men served as soldiers in the Union army, but they were not known as Buffalo Soldiers. This distinctive name would … Continue reading →
As we close out Black History Month, and begin Women’s History Month, this seems like a fitting time to discuss how black women in the region of Milliken’s Bend were affected by the war. One of the finest works I … Continue reading →
One of the finest works on American slavery is Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made.Written in 1974 by the late Eugene Genovese, it is a study that still stands the test of time. Genovese’s focus is on the … Continue reading →
It often bothers me when I hear people say, “Lincoln set the slaves free.” He did not. What he did do was to issue a proclamation that – by declaration – freed those persons held in bondage in certain specific … Continue reading →