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In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World

In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World
In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World
In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World
In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World
In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World

WASHINGTON — The "In Slavery's Wake" exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture explores the enduring legacies of slavery and its impact on African American life from the Civil War to the present. Through powerful artifacts, historical narratives, and personal stories, the exhibit examines how formerly enslaved individuals navigated freedom, faced systemic challenges, and shaped the cultural, political, and social landscape of the United States. Visitors are invited to reflect on the complex journey toward equality and justice while gaining a deeper understanding of the resilience and contributions of Black Americans in the wake of emancipation.

 

Washington, DC at Night

Washington, DC at Night
Washington, DC at Night
Washington, DC at Night

WASHINGTON — Views of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial at Night along the National Mall.

 

PLL Action in Baltimore

PLL Action in Baltimore
PLL Action in Baltimore

BALTIMORE — It was scorching hot outside, but I still had a great time with Little Kent 2 as we watched the Maryland Whipsnakes dominate the Philadelphia Waterdogs in Premier Lacrosse League action today.

 

Portici, Chinn Ridge, and Sudley at Manassas National Battlefield Park

Portici, Chinn Ridge, and Sudley at Manassas National Battlefield Park
Portici, Chinn Ridge, and Sudley at Manassas National Battlefield Park
Portici, Chinn Ridge, and Sudley at Manassas National Battlefield Park
Portici, Chinn Ridge, and Sudley at Manassas National Battlefield Park

MANASSAS, Va. — The Manassas National Battlefield Park features several sites that chronicle the events and actions of the Civil War in and around the Manassas area.

Portici was the plantation house of Francis Lewis and served as the Confederate headquarters during the First Battle of Manassas. The surrounding grounds were the site of the 1861-1862 winter encampment for a brigade of Confederate troops. On Aug. 30, 1862, during the Second Battle of Manassas, Union cavalry stopped the Confederate cavalry as they sought to cut off the Union army's line of retreat.

Located on "Hazel Plain," the two-and-a-half-story frame farmhouse of Benjamin Chinn and his family overlooked the Warrenton Turnpike and Young's Branch. During both battles of Manassas, the plantation was engulfed by war and witnessed some of the heaviest fighting.

In 1860, the crossroads hamlet of Sudley Springs consisted of fewer than a dozen households but featured a prosperous mill, a prominent church, and a hotel for visitors attracted to the mineral waters of a nearby spring. During the Second Battle of Manassas, on Aug. 29, 1862, Federal troops repeatedly attacked Stonewall Jackson's left flank in this area, and only darkness prevented a fatal collapse of the Confederates. Today, only the Sudley Church remains as a testament to times past.

 

Walking the National Mall

Walking the National Mall

WASHINGTON — I enjoyed today’s walk with my fellow Savannah State alum and soror L. Michelle Woods and Miss G. (Go Bubbles Soap) around parts of the National Mall. Our stops included the Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and World War II memorials, and the Washington Monument.