1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.BZ 2 00:00:07,506 --> 00:00:10,256 (poignant music) 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.BZ 4 00:00:22,413 --> 00:00:25,163 (cars whooshing) 5 00:00:38,310 --> 00:00:41,726 (truck engines whirring) 6 00:00:51,216 --> 00:00:53,966 (poignant music) 7 00:00:55,463 --> 00:00:58,045 (wind blowing) 8 00:01:05,340 --> 00:01:09,813 - Racism was terrible in this part of town. 9 00:01:10,859 --> 00:01:13,832 - It always had been racist in Jasper. 10 00:01:14,730 --> 00:01:18,780 - People had to go to the back door and it was Mr. Felcher, 11 00:01:18,780 --> 00:01:22,983 you had to call mister to a child and all that kind of jive. 12 00:01:24,299 --> 00:01:25,170 Very divided. 13 00:01:25,170 --> 00:01:27,722 A white section and a Black section. 14 00:01:29,069 --> 00:01:33,900 - Everyone stayed at his place and did his own thing. 15 00:01:33,900 --> 00:01:36,632 They didn't mingle or socialize or anything like that. 16 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:43,319 - Jasper was a town of mixed emotion in my opinion. 17 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:45,870 I'm not sure that that is a good description, 18 00:01:45,870 --> 00:01:49,230 but that would be my way of saying it had some good people, 19 00:01:49,230 --> 00:01:51,870 and some people who were not so good 20 00:01:51,870 --> 00:01:55,620 as far as the relationship between Black and white. 21 00:01:55,620 --> 00:01:59,192 I remember one particular time walking downtown, 22 00:02:00,269 --> 00:02:03,510 and I stepped to the side of the street 23 00:02:03,510 --> 00:02:05,609 to let a gentleman pass, 24 00:02:05,609 --> 00:02:08,520 and he walked by me about two steps, 25 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,669 and turned right around, and said, big boy, 26 00:02:11,669 --> 00:02:15,870 I should kick your, whatever. 27 00:02:15,870 --> 00:02:18,000 And I never shall forget, 28 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:19,919 I had a little temper at that time, 29 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,460 and I replied to him, if you do, 30 00:02:23,460 --> 00:02:27,120 this will be the last one you'll kick in this world. 31 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,219 And I often think about that. 32 00:02:29,219 --> 00:02:34,219 But now I would probably smile and say, I'll pray for you 33 00:02:34,229 --> 00:02:35,733 because you need prayer. 34 00:02:36,853 --> 00:02:39,520 (car whooshing) 35 00:02:40,846 --> 00:02:43,596 (poignant music) 36 00:02:54,330 --> 00:02:55,680 - It was a shock. 37 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:57,013 We hadn't had nothing that terrible. 38 00:02:57,013 --> 00:02:58,923 We had had men's killed here before, 39 00:02:59,939 --> 00:03:03,387 but it wasn't nothing like my son, James Byrd Jr.. 40 00:03:04,407 --> 00:03:09,407 That was something that hadn't happened in a long time. 41 00:03:10,651 --> 00:03:12,300 (poignant music) 42 00:03:12,300 --> 00:03:14,312 I couldn't say what led up to it, 43 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,334 but it could have been anywhere 44 00:03:18,334 --> 00:03:20,669 'cause as long as where there is hate, 45 00:03:20,669 --> 00:03:22,469 you'll look for something like this. 46 00:03:27,856 --> 00:03:29,183 (gentle music) 47 00:03:29,183 --> 00:03:30,240 - I did a little research 48 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,569 on the population history of Jasper. 49 00:03:33,569 --> 00:03:36,060 If you look back, back in those earlier years, 50 00:03:36,060 --> 00:03:37,770 the population each year, 51 00:03:37,770 --> 00:03:40,590 at least from my time back in the 1930s, 52 00:03:40,590 --> 00:03:42,599 populations increased. 53 00:03:42,599 --> 00:03:44,219 And then after the 2000, 54 00:03:44,219 --> 00:03:46,650 when all the craziness was going on, 55 00:03:46,650 --> 00:03:48,210 the population seemed to decrease. 56 00:03:48,210 --> 00:03:50,189 And I don't know if that was the reason, 57 00:03:50,189 --> 00:03:52,502 but it began to decrease to where it is now. 58 00:03:53,939 --> 00:03:58,770 There needs to be some kinda way to kind of stabilize that. 59 00:03:58,770 --> 00:04:01,229 And I think what I'm personally seeing 60 00:04:01,229 --> 00:04:06,229 is that some of the Black folks who left, along with myself, 61 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,500 who've gone off, and done well in other parts, 62 00:04:10,500 --> 00:04:12,240 and then come back and are trying to give back 63 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:16,439 to the community, and we're trying to help create jobs, 64 00:04:16,439 --> 00:04:18,480 and create some leadership. 65 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,192 And I see that happening now. 66 00:04:21,416 --> 00:04:24,000 (gentle music) 67 00:04:39,755 --> 00:04:42,509 This is the old school campus, old J.H. Rowe campus. 68 00:04:42,509 --> 00:04:45,660 And in our minds, it was just a magnificent campus, 69 00:04:45,660 --> 00:04:48,509 and it was just disappearing with integration. 70 00:04:48,509 --> 00:04:50,790 Integration happened in 1968. 71 00:04:50,790 --> 00:04:54,720 These nice buildings and things were just being torn down, 72 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,730 and names were changing, and stuff like this, 73 00:04:56,730 --> 00:04:59,519 'cause there was no history for us. 74 00:04:59,519 --> 00:05:01,709 We were J.H. Rowe Tigers 75 00:05:01,709 --> 00:05:06,540 and the mascot had become J.H. Rowe Bulldogs. 76 00:05:06,540 --> 00:05:08,160 And my group that I grew up with, 77 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:09,959 we just thought that was inappropriate. 78 00:05:09,959 --> 00:05:12,899 So we wanted to keep the J.H. Rowe Tiger alive, 79 00:05:12,899 --> 00:05:14,550 and that's where it started from. 80 00:05:15,389 --> 00:05:17,189 We put together a committee 81 00:05:17,189 --> 00:05:20,370 and we decided that we would try to put a monument down here 82 00:05:20,370 --> 00:05:22,800 that would remember J.H. Rowe Tigers. 83 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:24,329 And as you can see on the monument here, 84 00:05:24,329 --> 00:05:26,853 we got two tigers up there on the pedestal, so. 85 00:05:29,189 --> 00:05:33,509 I'm an industrial engineer and I have the ability to design 86 00:05:33,509 --> 00:05:34,740 and all that kind of stuff. 87 00:05:34,740 --> 00:05:39,180 And so I was named the chairman of the committee, 88 00:05:39,180 --> 00:05:43,117 and then we went to work on designing and building it. 89 00:05:43,117 --> 00:05:45,269 I wanted it to be all Black labor. 90 00:05:45,269 --> 00:05:48,420 So we did all of this with all Black labor. 91 00:05:48,420 --> 00:05:51,899 - My role was I'm a shovel man. 92 00:05:51,899 --> 00:05:56,899 I know how to read blueprint and form up for concrete, 93 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,999 and pour concrete, and finish concrete, that's what I done. 94 00:06:00,999 --> 00:06:03,600 I also got another friend of mine that named Tony Brick. 95 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:04,589 He's another Black guy. 96 00:06:04,589 --> 00:06:06,360 He knew how to lay brick. 97 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,449 We got him and he laid all the brick. 98 00:06:09,449 --> 00:06:12,240 - These bricks that you see on that wall there 99 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,339 came from the old Rowe school. 100 00:06:14,339 --> 00:06:17,250 So there's about 3,600 bricks 101 00:06:17,250 --> 00:06:20,187 that we used from the old school to build this with. 102 00:06:20,187 --> 00:06:23,189 And we sold those bricks for a hundred dollars a brick. 103 00:06:23,189 --> 00:06:24,689 And that's how we financed it. 104 00:06:26,339 --> 00:06:28,480 All of these are in alphabetical order 105 00:06:29,370 --> 00:06:31,379 starting with Betty Fay Adams, 106 00:06:31,379 --> 00:06:35,312 and it goes right on along in alphabetical order, 107 00:06:36,389 --> 00:06:39,483 probably about five, 600 names on this wall. 108 00:06:40,709 --> 00:06:44,737 This is the school's alma mater, 109 00:06:44,737 --> 00:06:47,730 "To our dear Rowe High homage we pay, 110 00:06:47,730 --> 00:06:50,639 for in our lives you are ever a ray. 111 00:06:50,639 --> 00:06:53,910 In adoration and hearts full of pride, 112 00:06:53,910 --> 00:06:57,595 our love will forever with Rowe High abide." 113 00:06:57,595 --> 00:07:02,595 I, for one, was happy with separate and equal, 114 00:07:04,019 --> 00:07:05,850 but it wasn't separate and equal. 115 00:07:05,850 --> 00:07:09,839 But we did a hell of a job with what we had, I think. 116 00:07:09,839 --> 00:07:11,459 - There are no other place like this 117 00:07:11,459 --> 00:07:15,122 within a hundred miles of Jasper that I know of, 118 00:07:16,110 --> 00:07:17,980 where when they integrated 119 00:07:19,259 --> 00:07:21,302 they've done something of this magnitude. 120 00:07:22,589 --> 00:07:25,050 - This wall of honor was generated 121 00:07:25,050 --> 00:07:28,500 primarily for the same reason as the memorial. 122 00:07:28,500 --> 00:07:32,250 There's an area in Jasper that has a recognition 123 00:07:32,250 --> 00:07:35,822 of military folks and there's not a Black person on there. 124 00:07:36,899 --> 00:07:39,442 And that's where I came up with that idea from. 125 00:07:39,442 --> 00:07:42,810 - This is my dad's brother, Uncle Raymond. 126 00:07:42,810 --> 00:07:46,649 He's one of the only veteran honored with the Purple Heart. 127 00:07:46,649 --> 00:07:49,019 He passed in Vietnam in 1970, 128 00:07:49,019 --> 00:07:52,019 about four months before the end of the war. 129 00:07:52,019 --> 00:07:55,560 - Those of us who served and those of us who died, 130 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,310 there were four people, four people from Jasper area 131 00:07:59,310 --> 00:08:01,319 that died in Vietnam. 132 00:08:01,319 --> 00:08:04,410 And there's no recognition anywhere in Jasper 133 00:08:04,410 --> 00:08:08,040 about that except at the Lone Star Youth Council. 134 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,814 - I wanted to try to preserve some history for what we done, 135 00:08:11,814 --> 00:08:13,290 and we done some good things, 136 00:08:13,290 --> 00:08:16,019 and then we had a lot of people that done, 137 00:08:16,019 --> 00:08:21,019 our parents done what they could do back in the day. 138 00:08:21,209 --> 00:08:23,009 So we supposed to do what we can do. 139 00:08:24,584 --> 00:08:27,166 (upbeat music) 140 00:08:49,950 --> 00:08:51,779 - He was almost home. 141 00:08:51,779 --> 00:08:55,470 You can't say they did it because he was in the community 142 00:08:55,470 --> 00:08:56,302 disturbing the peace or anything. 143 00:08:56,302 --> 00:08:57,873 But he was almost home. 144 00:08:59,100 --> 00:09:02,460 And they said, this man, this young man, 145 00:09:02,460 --> 00:09:04,350 I'm not gonna call his name. 146 00:09:04,350 --> 00:09:09,350 And he was told, he wanted to be initiated in the Klan, 147 00:09:10,860 --> 00:09:12,450 and that's the way they do it. 148 00:09:12,450 --> 00:09:14,309 You got to had a murder or something. 149 00:09:14,309 --> 00:09:15,659 So they just picked him up, 150 00:09:17,580 --> 00:09:19,320 and carried him out to Huff Creek, 151 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,139 and just put him behind a truck, 152 00:09:22,139 --> 00:09:25,982 and just pulled him until they pulled his body apart. 153 00:09:26,932 --> 00:09:29,515 (somber music) 154 00:09:31,409 --> 00:09:33,870 - They picked James Byrd up in town 155 00:09:33,870 --> 00:09:37,679 and they drove him out here to Huff Creek. 156 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:40,129 And they crossed the bridge right there with him. 157 00:09:41,129 --> 00:09:42,960 It was dark at night 158 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:45,813 and they pulled up in this dim road right here 159 00:09:45,813 --> 00:09:47,813 so they could hook him up with the chain 160 00:09:49,019 --> 00:09:51,870 just in case somebody would come by and see him. 161 00:09:51,870 --> 00:09:54,570 They hooked him up in here with the chain 162 00:09:54,570 --> 00:09:56,169 and then they come out with him. 163 00:09:57,575 --> 00:10:00,225 From what all indication they said he was still alive 164 00:10:01,230 --> 00:10:02,852 and they drug him up this road. 165 00:10:03,965 --> 00:10:04,980 (somber music) 166 00:10:04,980 --> 00:10:08,552 His head hit a culvert when they went around the curb, 167 00:10:08,552 --> 00:10:11,096 and he was swinging his arm like that. 168 00:10:11,096 --> 00:10:14,909 And his head hit that culvert and it took his head off. 169 00:10:14,909 --> 00:10:16,049 Probably didn't know his head was off, 170 00:10:16,049 --> 00:10:18,210 but they kept on going to the cemetery, 171 00:10:18,210 --> 00:10:20,309 and that's where they were planning on dropping him at 172 00:10:20,309 --> 00:10:22,409 where he needed to be at, at the cemetery. 173 00:10:23,850 --> 00:10:27,553 They took the chains off of James Byrd right here 174 00:10:27,553 --> 00:10:30,903 in the middle of the road, took the chain off of him, 175 00:10:31,980 --> 00:10:32,812 threw it on the truck. 176 00:10:32,812 --> 00:10:35,580 Then they took off and left his body it right here. 177 00:10:35,580 --> 00:10:38,684 And came on to the car wash to wash the chains off 178 00:10:38,684 --> 00:10:40,889 and wash the truck off. 179 00:10:40,889 --> 00:10:42,190 That's where they got 'em. 180 00:10:43,330 --> 00:10:44,759 (somber music) 181 00:10:44,759 --> 00:10:46,200 Well, they called me at church 182 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,659 and asked me would I come out here. 183 00:10:48,659 --> 00:10:51,750 They had the road blocked off, and they thought it was a guy 184 00:10:51,750 --> 00:10:55,049 that worked for me because they couldn't identify him, 185 00:10:55,049 --> 00:10:57,840 he looked like a guy that worked for me. 186 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:01,802 So I was out here doing the whole ordeal. 187 00:11:03,158 --> 00:11:05,741 (somber music) 188 00:11:12,264 --> 00:11:16,347 (poignant music playing faintly) 189 00:11:21,504 --> 00:11:23,940 - Well, Juneteenth means everything to me. 190 00:11:23,940 --> 00:11:27,899 For it to be finally recognized as a federal holiday, 191 00:11:27,899 --> 00:11:29,700 that even means more. 192 00:11:29,700 --> 00:11:32,549 And when Juneteenth became a holiday, 193 00:11:32,549 --> 00:11:37,049 it was celebrated three years ago in downtown Jasper. 194 00:11:37,049 --> 00:11:37,883 And it's at a park down there, 195 00:11:37,883 --> 00:11:39,596 it's a real nice park down there. 196 00:11:39,596 --> 00:11:42,690 And they had it down there, but there were no participants. 197 00:11:42,690 --> 00:11:44,639 Black folks just wouldn't go. 198 00:11:44,639 --> 00:11:47,340 You know, Jasper has been a pretty rough place, you know, 199 00:11:47,340 --> 00:11:48,870 for Black folks. 200 00:11:48,870 --> 00:11:51,240 And a lot of folks have those memories. 201 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:53,220 I was on the Chamber of Commerce 202 00:11:53,220 --> 00:11:57,057 when they tried to have it that year and it didn't work out. 203 00:11:57,057 --> 00:12:01,740 And so the executive director of the chamber, 204 00:12:01,740 --> 00:12:04,710 she told me they would finance it if I'd run it. 205 00:12:04,710 --> 00:12:06,236 And so I said, okay, we'll do it. 206 00:12:06,236 --> 00:12:10,263 And they did exactly that, and we too contributed. 207 00:12:11,129 --> 00:12:13,379 We thought that if we got a hundred people to show up, 208 00:12:13,379 --> 00:12:14,879 that would be a good start. 209 00:12:14,879 --> 00:12:17,789 Well, lo and behold, there was more than that 210 00:12:17,789 --> 00:12:20,669 and we couldn't even count the number of folks 211 00:12:20,669 --> 00:12:22,379 that showed up last year. 212 00:12:22,379 --> 00:12:25,409 So this year, we prepared for 200 folks, 213 00:12:25,409 --> 00:12:28,379 but then everybody and his brother started donating stuff, 214 00:12:28,379 --> 00:12:29,549 donating watermelons. 215 00:12:29,549 --> 00:12:32,820 The folks that own restaurants donated the ribs 216 00:12:32,820 --> 00:12:35,169 and we had somebody else to donate the sausage. 217 00:12:37,225 --> 00:12:39,808 (upbeat music) 218 00:12:41,527 --> 00:12:44,320 - Oh yeah, that look good, man. 219 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,268 Yeah, that's that good-looking stuff there boy. 220 00:12:47,268 --> 00:12:49,606 ♪ Make me happy ♪ 221 00:12:49,606 --> 00:12:53,711 ♪ And make me smile with glee ♪ 222 00:12:53,711 --> 00:12:57,883 ♪ Now never will I feel discouraged ♪ 223 00:12:57,883 --> 00:13:00,750 (foil crackling) 224 00:13:00,750 --> 00:13:04,458 (guests chattering) 225 00:13:04,458 --> 00:13:07,953 (upbeat music playing faintly) 226 00:13:07,953 --> 00:13:10,537 (lid creaking) 227 00:13:16,022 --> 00:13:17,991 ♪ Johnny got a meat skin laid away ♪ 228 00:13:17,991 --> 00:13:22,226 ♪ To grease that wooden leg so they say ♪ 229 00:13:22,226 --> 00:13:24,196 ♪ Johnny got a meat skin laid away ♪ 230 00:13:24,196 --> 00:13:28,486 ♪ To grease that wooden leg so they say ♪ 231 00:13:28,486 --> 00:13:30,399 ♪ Grease that wooden leg so they say ♪ 232 00:13:30,399 --> 00:13:34,080 ♪ Grease that wooden leg so they say ♪ 233 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,051 ♪ Johnny got a meat skin laid away ♪ 234 00:13:36,051 --> 00:13:40,251 ♪ Johnny got a meat skin laid away ♪ 235 00:13:40,251 --> 00:13:42,057 ♪ Grease that wooden leg so they say ♪ 236 00:13:42,057 --> 00:13:46,360 ♪ Grease that wooden leg so they say ♪ 237 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:50,909 - This is Sandy Creek and about a hundred yards downstream 238 00:13:50,909 --> 00:13:54,120 is where my great-grandfather Billy McCrea, 239 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:59,120 who was a freed slave, set up his homestead down there. 240 00:14:02,700 --> 00:14:03,899 - [Billy McCrea] Next time you see, 241 00:14:03,899 --> 00:14:07,962 there come a whole troop of Yankees, all riding horses, 242 00:14:09,852 --> 00:14:13,169 big guns a-hanging on in there, and all like that you know. 243 00:14:13,169 --> 00:14:14,003 Yeah. 244 00:14:14,003 --> 00:14:16,409 We all would standing looking at them, all going home. 245 00:14:16,409 --> 00:14:19,363 And I said, I ask them, I said, I ask them, 246 00:14:19,363 --> 00:14:21,427 I say, Mama, where they going? 247 00:14:21,427 --> 00:14:23,610 Said they all going home now. 248 00:14:23,610 --> 00:14:25,799 - When I found out about how Billy McCrea 249 00:14:25,799 --> 00:14:27,929 was in the Library of Congress 250 00:14:27,929 --> 00:14:30,826 that just made us search a little bit more, 251 00:14:30,826 --> 00:14:32,879 just to find out a little bit more about him. 252 00:14:32,879 --> 00:14:36,005 - So Grandpa Billy had a big house, and a cabin, 253 00:14:36,005 --> 00:14:38,789 and all of this stuff up here on Sandy Creek. 254 00:14:38,789 --> 00:14:42,539 He was born in 1851 and he died in 1947. 255 00:14:42,539 --> 00:14:45,629 So he was about 96 years old when he passed away. 256 00:14:45,629 --> 00:14:48,990 But there was a group called the WPA, the Works Progress. 257 00:14:48,990 --> 00:14:50,429 His name was John Lomax. 258 00:14:50,429 --> 00:14:53,519 They came out and interviewed Grandpa Billy. 259 00:14:53,519 --> 00:14:58,519 The way I felt about after I heard him sing and talk, 260 00:14:58,980 --> 00:15:00,269 I said, well, oh my goodness, 261 00:15:00,269 --> 00:15:01,873 when I read his slave narrative, 262 00:15:01,873 --> 00:15:04,799 I couldn't even make out half the words that was on there. 263 00:15:04,799 --> 00:15:07,620 And he ending up singing like BB King 264 00:15:07,620 --> 00:15:10,208 and speaking like Martin Luther King. 265 00:15:10,208 --> 00:15:13,458 (Billy McCrea singing) 266 00:15:39,330 --> 00:15:40,830 - [Billy McCrea] How you like that? 267 00:15:40,830 --> 00:15:43,139 - [John Lomax] That's a good one. 268 00:15:43,139 --> 00:15:47,610 - Lomax started recording these musicians 269 00:15:47,610 --> 00:15:50,970 in areas such as East Texas and what have you, 270 00:15:50,970 --> 00:15:53,039 ordinary folk. 271 00:15:53,039 --> 00:15:57,690 But he was fascinated with that music, blues, and jazz, 272 00:15:57,690 --> 00:15:59,009 and just country, 273 00:15:59,009 --> 00:16:02,190 and just the people's music fascinated him. 274 00:16:02,190 --> 00:16:05,309 He recorded it, he took it upon himself 275 00:16:05,309 --> 00:16:09,000 to record everyday life of a different culture. 276 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:10,710 That wasn't his culture, 277 00:16:10,710 --> 00:16:13,080 but he recognized that that was value. 278 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,200 And without him having done that, 279 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:18,690 future generations, my generation, 280 00:16:18,690 --> 00:16:20,669 the generation following me 281 00:16:20,669 --> 00:16:24,914 would not know about that music because it would be gone. 282 00:16:24,914 --> 00:16:27,903 ♪ Come on, boys, let's go to hunting ♪ 283 00:16:27,903 --> 00:16:30,753 ♪ Come on, boys, let's go to hunting ♪ 284 00:16:30,753 --> 00:16:33,729 ♪ Dog in the woods, he done treed somethin' ♪ 285 00:16:33,729 --> 00:16:36,820 ♪ Dog in the woods, he done treed somethin' ♪ 286 00:16:36,820 --> 00:16:39,846 ♪ Come on, boys, let's go to hunting ♪ 287 00:16:39,846 --> 00:16:42,860 ♪ Come on, boys, let's go to hunting ♪ 288 00:16:42,860 --> 00:16:45,956 ♪ Dog in the woods, he done treed somethin' ♪ 289 00:16:45,956 --> 00:16:49,015 ♪ Dog in the woods, he done treed somethin' ♪ 290 00:16:49,015 --> 00:16:52,106 ♪ Come on, boys, let's go to hunting ♪ 291 00:16:52,106 --> 00:16:55,130 ♪ Come on, boys, let's go to hunting ♪ 292 00:16:55,130 --> 00:16:58,037 ♪ Dog in the woods, he done treed somethin' ♪ 293 00:16:58,037 --> 00:17:01,063 ♪ Dog in the woods, he done treed somethin' ♪ 294 00:17:01,063 --> 00:17:06,064 ♪ Dog in the woods, he done treed somethin' ♪ 295 00:17:06,166 --> 00:17:08,750 (gentle music) 296 00:17:11,913 --> 00:17:14,519 - I've done some research about Professor Rowe 297 00:17:14,519 --> 00:17:16,833 and I just thought he was a genius of a man. 298 00:17:22,589 --> 00:17:26,339 When you think about the times when this was going on, 299 00:17:26,339 --> 00:17:29,640 I just don't know how on earth he was able to pull it off, 300 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,609 to get this school, become the principal. 301 00:17:32,609 --> 00:17:34,470 He didn't have a college degree 302 00:17:34,470 --> 00:17:36,720 when he became the principal of the school, 303 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:39,450 but he got his degree while he was the principal 304 00:17:39,450 --> 00:17:40,769 of the school. 305 00:17:40,769 --> 00:17:43,650 The school was called the Jasper Colored School then, 306 00:17:43,650 --> 00:17:48,151 it wasn't J.H. Rowe, it became J.H. Rowe after his death. 307 00:17:48,151 --> 00:17:49,230 (gentle music) 308 00:17:49,230 --> 00:17:50,579 I was a good student. 309 00:17:50,579 --> 00:17:53,339 I was a good student and I was a good athlete. 310 00:17:53,339 --> 00:17:57,779 But I was a student athlete, which I preach today. 311 00:17:57,779 --> 00:18:00,809 I think kids ought to be student athletes, you know, 312 00:18:00,809 --> 00:18:02,819 don't forget about education 313 00:18:02,819 --> 00:18:04,682 and I got a very good education. 314 00:18:05,773 --> 00:18:06,960 (gentle music) 315 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,750 - I am the curator, basically. 316 00:18:09,750 --> 00:18:12,363 I'm local, I take care of the museum. 317 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:18,029 After my elementary school years, 318 00:18:18,029 --> 00:18:21,603 I came here to J.H. Rowe High School. 319 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:26,222 I was a student and athlete. 320 00:18:27,059 --> 00:18:30,599 And I considered myself good in both. 321 00:18:30,599 --> 00:18:32,747 Didn't have many run-ins with people 322 00:18:32,747 --> 00:18:34,589 'cause I knew how to stay away from 'em. 323 00:18:34,589 --> 00:18:36,792 I was taught how to stay away from that. 324 00:18:36,792 --> 00:18:41,579 I lived the farthest out so the school gave me the keys 325 00:18:41,579 --> 00:18:45,059 to a vehicle that I would take athletes home, 326 00:18:45,059 --> 00:18:48,720 parked the car in my yard, my parents yard rather, 327 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:50,849 and come back to school the following day, 328 00:18:50,849 --> 00:18:52,599 they entrusted me with the vehicle. 329 00:18:54,125 --> 00:18:57,208 (vibrant jazz music) 330 00:18:58,525 --> 00:19:00,153 - It's still the only school 331 00:19:00,153 --> 00:19:03,690 that had a state championship in Jasper County 332 00:19:03,690 --> 00:19:04,522 in football. 333 00:19:05,460 --> 00:19:07,893 And these were the athletes, the coaches. 334 00:19:08,940 --> 00:19:13,940 And that jacket there is a replica of the championship team. 335 00:19:15,259 --> 00:19:18,342 (vibrant jazz music) 336 00:19:20,732 --> 00:19:24,119 And this is a replica of the sanitation type stuff 337 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:26,220 that we had back in those years. 338 00:19:26,220 --> 00:19:27,900 That's an outhouse. 339 00:19:27,900 --> 00:19:30,359 And we had several of those on the campus, 340 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:32,279 but that's what we had to do, right there. 341 00:19:32,279 --> 00:19:35,313 They had mens and boys outhouses. 342 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:37,289 Just thought it was important 343 00:19:37,289 --> 00:19:41,490 that when we were having a tour, I just open it up, 344 00:19:41,490 --> 00:19:45,779 show 'em the stall and the type paper we were using. 345 00:19:45,779 --> 00:19:48,059 We were using "Sears and Roebuck" catalogs 346 00:19:48,059 --> 00:19:51,123 and anything else we could find to use as paper. 347 00:19:51,990 --> 00:19:55,143 We lived in some really unsanitary conditions. 348 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:57,630 (vibrant jazz music) 349 00:19:57,630 --> 00:20:01,890 This building was originally a Prince Hall Masonic building. 350 00:20:01,890 --> 00:20:06,890 In 1993, I believe it was when it was converted 351 00:20:07,319 --> 00:20:08,609 to the Lone Star Youth Council. 352 00:20:08,609 --> 00:20:13,289 We became a 501(c)(3) organization in 1993. 353 00:20:13,289 --> 00:20:17,220 The Lone Star Youth Council is a very good organization. 354 00:20:17,220 --> 00:20:19,109 The building is available for rental 355 00:20:19,109 --> 00:20:22,680 and we also give scholarships, just off the top of my head, 356 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:26,309 we've probably given over $200,000 worth of scholarships 357 00:20:26,309 --> 00:20:27,210 to our youth here. 358 00:20:28,385 --> 00:20:31,469 (vibrant jazz music) 359 00:20:39,809 --> 00:20:42,660 These photographs that you see here on the wall 360 00:20:42,660 --> 00:20:45,869 were all taken by Alonzo Jordan. 361 00:20:45,869 --> 00:20:49,950 There were no other photographers during the era 362 00:20:49,950 --> 00:20:51,930 that took pictures of African Americans. 363 00:20:51,930 --> 00:20:53,279 And he was the only one. 364 00:20:53,279 --> 00:20:56,970 He took all of these pictures along with all the principals 365 00:20:56,970 --> 00:20:59,730 and also with all of the pageantry 366 00:20:59,730 --> 00:21:01,329 that went on during those years. 367 00:21:05,945 --> 00:21:09,195 (gentle country music) 368 00:21:23,164 --> 00:21:28,123 - I, Helen Jordan, I'm 95 years old, I was 95 in September, 369 00:21:28,123 --> 00:21:30,452 was married to Jordan in 1939. 370 00:21:32,279 --> 00:21:33,880 We lived together until he died. 371 00:21:35,141 --> 00:21:37,710 (gentle country music) 372 00:21:37,710 --> 00:21:40,079 Alonzo was a devoted Deacon, 373 00:21:40,079 --> 00:21:42,542 he was a barber and a photographer. 374 00:21:44,279 --> 00:21:47,846 He photographed about 12 high schools, 375 00:21:47,846 --> 00:21:51,269 and he loved his job, and loved his work, 376 00:21:51,269 --> 00:21:52,682 and loved the brethren. 377 00:21:54,230 --> 00:21:56,519 - My name is Eddie Shelby, 378 00:21:56,519 --> 00:21:59,190 Mr. Jordan and my father, Cleveland Shelby 379 00:21:59,190 --> 00:22:01,500 were Prince Hall Masons. 380 00:22:01,500 --> 00:22:06,500 Sometimes they held meetings, stressing family values, 381 00:22:06,750 --> 00:22:09,569 a sense of community, a sense of belonging, 382 00:22:09,569 --> 00:22:12,779 and a sense of responsibility to the community. 383 00:22:12,779 --> 00:22:16,500 Alonzo Jordan was one of the first professionals we had 384 00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:17,700 in this community. 385 00:22:17,700 --> 00:22:21,869 He set an example by being a church member, 386 00:22:21,869 --> 00:22:25,349 by being a barber, by being a photographer. 387 00:22:25,349 --> 00:22:29,190 But most important, by giving us a sense of belonging 388 00:22:29,190 --> 00:22:31,682 to the community and responsibility to it. 389 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:36,990 - See, in the Black community, we didn't have photographers. 390 00:22:36,990 --> 00:22:41,990 Mr. Jordan was sort of a icon to us. 391 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:47,480 Jordan's Studio, the only Black studio in Jasper 392 00:22:50,099 --> 00:22:51,809 or in East Texas. 393 00:22:51,809 --> 00:22:54,599 His way of taking pictures 394 00:22:54,599 --> 00:22:57,363 just made you want to be a photographer. 395 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,539 - Black photographers had been ignored 396 00:23:00,539 --> 00:23:02,880 by the larger community for years, 397 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,789 even though they were incredibly important 398 00:23:05,789 --> 00:23:08,190 to the Black community because they were preserving 399 00:23:08,190 --> 00:23:10,380 part of our history and our culture. 400 00:23:10,380 --> 00:23:12,150 There were these photographers 401 00:23:12,150 --> 00:23:15,299 who documented the Black community for decades. 402 00:23:15,299 --> 00:23:17,220 And it was Documentary Arts that came along 403 00:23:17,220 --> 00:23:21,932 and said we want to preserve these works of art. 404 00:23:23,164 --> 00:23:26,498 (calming country music) 405 00:24:00,817 --> 00:24:04,151 (calming country music) 406 00:24:17,479 --> 00:24:18,974 When I was working as a columnist 407 00:24:18,974 --> 00:24:21,180 for the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram", 408 00:24:21,180 --> 00:24:24,809 I got a call one day from a woman, who happened to be white, 409 00:24:24,809 --> 00:24:26,309 who said she had in her possession 410 00:24:26,309 --> 00:24:28,980 something that she thought I would wanna see. 411 00:24:28,980 --> 00:24:32,849 And as we talked, what she had was something that her mother 412 00:24:32,849 --> 00:24:35,250 had actually given to her as a child, 413 00:24:35,250 --> 00:24:37,440 but that she had kept for a long time, 414 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,180 and had really sort of forgotten about 415 00:24:39,180 --> 00:24:41,339 until she was going through things, I think, 416 00:24:41,339 --> 00:24:43,769 after her mother passed away, and says, 417 00:24:43,769 --> 00:24:45,990 she wondered why her mother had this photograph? 418 00:24:45,990 --> 00:24:48,039 'Cause it was a photograph of a lynching. 419 00:24:49,598 --> 00:24:52,650 (somber music) 420 00:24:52,650 --> 00:24:54,750 There were copies of this photograph 421 00:24:54,750 --> 00:24:56,309 that had been put on postcards 422 00:24:56,309 --> 00:24:59,613 and sent all over the country, perhaps all over the world. 423 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:05,309 - When I think about the woman who shared this photo 424 00:25:05,309 --> 00:25:08,250 with Bob Ray Sanders, it raises a lot of thoughts 425 00:25:08,250 --> 00:25:09,480 in my brain. 426 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:13,259 I'm gonna say she felt socially compelled 427 00:25:13,259 --> 00:25:16,950 to tell the world here's further proof 428 00:25:16,950 --> 00:25:19,710 of what did happen historically 429 00:25:19,710 --> 00:25:22,106 and more people ought to know about it. 430 00:25:22,106 --> 00:25:25,589 And this image doesn't lie, this is truth. 431 00:25:25,589 --> 00:25:30,147 - People used to get dressed up, put their Sunday best on 432 00:25:30,147 --> 00:25:31,646 to go and see a hanging. 433 00:25:31,646 --> 00:25:36,646 And they'd go back home, and eat a good dinner, 434 00:25:36,900 --> 00:25:41,900 and sleep good at night after seeing something like that. 435 00:25:41,940 --> 00:25:45,059 - [Bob] And I mean children and older people, 436 00:25:45,059 --> 00:25:48,779 and it was the entertainment for the day. 437 00:25:48,779 --> 00:25:51,299 - From the African American community, 438 00:25:51,299 --> 00:25:53,970 there is a large segment 439 00:25:53,970 --> 00:25:57,180 that believes we need to leave the past in the past. 440 00:25:57,180 --> 00:26:01,109 There's an old African saying about the Sankofa bird, 441 00:26:01,109 --> 00:26:03,150 you have to look back to know where you're going, 442 00:26:03,150 --> 00:26:05,940 but there's a large segment that says, don't do that, 443 00:26:05,940 --> 00:26:08,250 look forward, climb up, 444 00:26:08,250 --> 00:26:12,032 and let the climb be what you're after. 445 00:26:12,032 --> 00:26:15,059 That when you look too far back, it's too much ugliness 446 00:26:15,059 --> 00:26:16,500 and it just pulls us down. 447 00:26:16,500 --> 00:26:19,440 But you have to see it because it's reality. 448 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,180 Life is not always pretty. 449 00:26:21,180 --> 00:26:24,750 It's beautiful sunshines, and all like that, horizons. 450 00:26:24,750 --> 00:26:26,670 But living life is tough, 451 00:26:26,670 --> 00:26:30,900 and those photographs prove that that happened, 452 00:26:30,900 --> 00:26:32,549 and we just have to deal with it. 453 00:26:33,846 --> 00:26:37,829 - "This is only the branch of a Dogwood tree, 454 00:26:37,829 --> 00:26:40,532 an emblem of white supremacy. 455 00:26:41,609 --> 00:26:44,500 A lesson once taught in the Pioneer's school 456 00:26:45,599 --> 00:26:48,063 that this is the land of a white man's rule. 457 00:26:49,619 --> 00:26:52,680 The Red Man, once in an early day 458 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:55,742 was told by the whites to mend his way. 459 00:26:56,849 --> 00:27:00,210 The Negro now, by eternal grace, must learn 460 00:27:00,210 --> 00:27:02,432 to stay in the Negro's place. 461 00:27:03,329 --> 00:27:06,450 In the Sunny South, the Land of the Free, 462 00:27:06,450 --> 00:27:09,660 let the white supreme forever be. 463 00:27:09,660 --> 00:27:13,710 Let this a warning to all Negroes be 464 00:27:13,710 --> 00:27:17,487 or they'll suffer the fate of the Dogwood tree." 465 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:21,390 People read that poem, 466 00:27:21,390 --> 00:27:24,182 I'm sure many of them recited it over time. 467 00:27:25,019 --> 00:27:27,390 That poem is haunting in itself 468 00:27:27,390 --> 00:27:30,509 because it says what the majority of people 469 00:27:30,509 --> 00:27:33,869 in that town thought about the other people in that town 470 00:27:33,869 --> 00:27:34,803 and in this place. 471 00:27:35,896 --> 00:27:38,646 (poignant music) 472 00:27:56,232 --> 00:27:58,500 - I was waiting for him. 473 00:27:58,500 --> 00:27:59,430 He was supposed to come by 474 00:27:59,430 --> 00:28:02,250 and carry one of his neighbors to church. 475 00:28:02,250 --> 00:28:04,700 But something happened that morning, I didn't go, 476 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:07,259 and it was about afternoon 477 00:28:07,259 --> 00:28:08,430 before the police come and told me 478 00:28:08,430 --> 00:28:11,817 that my son James Byrd Jr., they found a body 479 00:28:11,817 --> 00:28:13,116 and they thought it was his. 480 00:28:15,336 --> 00:28:17,992 I didn't have but two boys, rest of them was girls. 481 00:28:19,970 --> 00:28:24,423 If he had been in the neighborhood raising sin, 482 00:28:25,319 --> 00:28:26,487 it'd been hard but I could accept it. 483 00:28:26,487 --> 00:28:28,019 But he was coming home. 484 00:28:29,383 --> 00:28:32,383 My son, and they just overtaken him. 485 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:37,144 (somber music) 486 00:28:43,857 --> 00:28:45,692 He was a person 487 00:28:45,692 --> 00:28:47,224 only harm he did was to hisself. 488 00:28:47,224 --> 00:28:51,680 Wasn't nothing too good for him to do for anybody. 489 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:53,262 And he loved music. 490 00:28:55,289 --> 00:28:56,276 He was very young. 491 00:28:56,276 --> 00:29:00,599 He was in his forties when they killed him. 492 00:29:00,599 --> 00:29:03,663 - It had a pretty tremendous effect. 493 00:29:04,890 --> 00:29:09,119 We had never seen anything that heinous before, 494 00:29:09,119 --> 00:29:11,819 not in my lifetime. 495 00:29:11,819 --> 00:29:15,359 It took some doings from the people in this town 496 00:29:15,359 --> 00:29:16,799 to keep a lid on things. 497 00:29:16,799 --> 00:29:18,450 And I was here, and I lost, 498 00:29:18,450 --> 00:29:21,839 I guess around about 16 days of work, 499 00:29:21,839 --> 00:29:25,349 working with our sheriff at that time and our DA 500 00:29:25,349 --> 00:29:28,500 trying to keep a lid on things around here 501 00:29:28,500 --> 00:29:32,730 because they could very easily have gotten outta hand. 502 00:29:32,730 --> 00:29:37,289 - And so the FBI came in and investigated that crime, 503 00:29:37,289 --> 00:29:40,140 one of the worst crime in the United States ever happened, 504 00:29:40,140 --> 00:29:41,789 to kill a Black man at that time. 505 00:29:43,432 --> 00:29:46,589 (somber music) 506 00:29:46,589 --> 00:29:49,480 - We met at the Courthouse Square, 507 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,710 I think a day or two after the incident 508 00:29:52,710 --> 00:29:54,900 and it was hundreds of people there 509 00:29:54,900 --> 00:29:56,640 on the Courthouse Square. 510 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:59,759 I belonged to the Minister's Alliance and we had a vigil, 511 00:29:59,759 --> 00:30:03,990 we prayed and did all that we could to help the community. 512 00:30:03,990 --> 00:30:06,779 They asked us not to go down there 513 00:30:06,779 --> 00:30:08,970 when the Black Panthers came 514 00:30:08,970 --> 00:30:10,920 and when the Ku Klux Klan can came, 515 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:12,960 they came and marched, and everything, 516 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,150 and we didn't go down there. 517 00:30:15,150 --> 00:30:17,069 And they were ready and ready to come 518 00:30:17,069 --> 00:30:19,972 and to stand on the Courthouse Square and to proclaim it. 519 00:30:19,972 --> 00:30:23,039 The Ku Klux Klan came to, said it 520 00:30:23,039 --> 00:30:24,690 maybe it was the right thing to do 521 00:30:24,690 --> 00:30:25,920 or they wanted to put in after 522 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:28,769 but the Black Panthers came loaded. 523 00:30:28,769 --> 00:30:30,539 You know, I don't know whether the guns were loaded or not, 524 00:30:30,539 --> 00:30:32,849 but they had 'em, and I saw them myself. 525 00:30:32,849 --> 00:30:36,059 Al Sharpton came and Jesse Jackson came 526 00:30:36,059 --> 00:30:38,670 in support of trying to get rid of the hate 527 00:30:38,670 --> 00:30:40,952 that might be within our community. 528 00:30:41,849 --> 00:30:43,950 - So we had people from all over the world 529 00:30:43,950 --> 00:30:46,349 came to Jasper, Texas. 530 00:30:46,349 --> 00:30:47,490 And we got justice. 531 00:30:47,490 --> 00:30:48,809 That's all we wanted, justice. 532 00:30:48,809 --> 00:30:50,730 We wanna see them men to be punished. 533 00:30:50,730 --> 00:30:53,048 We couldn't let 'em go all free 534 00:30:53,048 --> 00:30:54,990 because we got justice on it. 535 00:30:54,990 --> 00:30:57,299 Two of 'em got the death penalty 536 00:30:57,299 --> 00:30:59,819 and one got life without parole. 537 00:30:59,819 --> 00:31:02,670 But it didn't bring James Byrd back, his life back, 538 00:31:02,670 --> 00:31:06,690 he got destroyed, it was sadness for the family, yeah, 539 00:31:06,690 --> 00:31:07,890 so we got justice, yeah. 540 00:31:09,785 --> 00:31:12,451 (intense music) 541 00:31:32,323 --> 00:31:35,279 - I knew Berry, one of the guys that participated 542 00:31:35,279 --> 00:31:37,740 in the killing of James Byrd. 543 00:31:37,740 --> 00:31:42,359 I knew him pretty good because he worked for a tire company 544 00:31:42,359 --> 00:31:43,710 that I'd done business with 545 00:31:44,609 --> 00:31:46,349 and I thought he was a good friend of mine. 546 00:31:46,349 --> 00:31:48,480 And it's just something I would've never thought 547 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:49,380 would've happened. 548 00:31:50,519 --> 00:31:55,519 And I had to testify to that in court during the trial 549 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:59,970 that I knew Berry and I done it 550 00:31:59,970 --> 00:32:01,680 because I knew it was the truth. 551 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:03,089 I knew him. 552 00:32:03,089 --> 00:32:04,140 I thought I knew him. 553 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,522 You never know an individual. 554 00:32:09,630 --> 00:32:14,630 Some people act differently when they're with a group 555 00:32:15,930 --> 00:32:18,303 than they would if they were by themselves. 556 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:22,170 So I think he got in with some hardcore, 557 00:32:22,170 --> 00:32:25,353 two hardcore people, and he couldn't back up. 558 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:28,111 He couldn't get out of it. 559 00:32:28,111 --> 00:32:31,170 Berry was a good fella as far as I know, 560 00:32:31,170 --> 00:32:35,613 but when you get with the wrong group, things happen. 561 00:32:36,527 --> 00:32:40,009 (intense music) 562 00:32:40,009 --> 00:32:41,279 (gentle music) 563 00:32:41,279 --> 00:32:44,250 - The Huff Creek community is a Freedom Colony. 564 00:32:44,250 --> 00:32:49,250 Once slavery ended and Black folks became freed men, 565 00:32:49,470 --> 00:32:50,759 then they had to have somewhere to go. 566 00:32:50,759 --> 00:32:53,430 So they got together, and they would settle in areas, 567 00:32:53,430 --> 00:32:54,839 and they called 'em Freedom Colonies. 568 00:32:54,839 --> 00:32:55,710 And that's what this is. 569 00:32:55,710 --> 00:32:57,779 This is one of the Freedom Colonies. 570 00:32:57,779 --> 00:32:59,849 And this is Huff Creek Cemetery. 571 00:32:59,849 --> 00:33:01,559 It's a Freedom Colony cemetery. 572 00:33:01,559 --> 00:33:04,460 And then the school back there is a Freedom Colony school. 573 00:33:05,670 --> 00:33:09,660 We put the marker up there so as to have something 574 00:33:09,660 --> 00:33:11,940 for the kids to understand when growing up 575 00:33:11,940 --> 00:33:14,400 that there was a reason for this building. 576 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:16,890 It went through the first through the sixth grade. 577 00:33:16,890 --> 00:33:18,416 And they had two teachers there. 578 00:33:18,416 --> 00:33:20,613 And they taught there for 16 years. 579 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:24,332 And the school closed in 1960. 580 00:33:24,332 --> 00:33:25,289 (calming music) 581 00:33:25,289 --> 00:33:26,970 The Huff Creek Elementary School 582 00:33:26,970 --> 00:33:29,252 and the Rock Hill Elementary School 583 00:33:30,119 --> 00:33:32,940 are Julius Rosenwald funded schools. 584 00:33:32,940 --> 00:33:35,190 And Julius Rosenwald Fund 585 00:33:35,190 --> 00:33:38,759 was a fund created by Julius Rosenwald 586 00:33:38,759 --> 00:33:41,220 who was a Jewish philanthropist. 587 00:33:41,220 --> 00:33:43,500 And they, in turn, would provide 588 00:33:43,500 --> 00:33:47,099 a certain percentage of funding, maybe half to the community, 589 00:33:47,099 --> 00:33:48,809 and then the community would do the other half 590 00:33:48,809 --> 00:33:50,160 to get these schools built. 591 00:33:51,551 --> 00:33:54,869 In my mind, the way to get people to understand 592 00:33:54,869 --> 00:33:56,940 about Black history is to do it. 593 00:33:56,940 --> 00:33:59,403 And that's what we have embarked on doing. 594 00:34:01,079 --> 00:34:05,309 We lived it and we just need to bring ourselves together 595 00:34:05,309 --> 00:34:07,799 to get it out there in the public. 596 00:34:07,799 --> 00:34:12,030 We're doing this by utilizing folks who walk the walk, 597 00:34:12,030 --> 00:34:14,329 then demonstrate it to the rest of the public. 598 00:34:15,811 --> 00:34:20,811 ♪ I'm packing up, I'm getting ready to go ♪ 599 00:34:21,432 --> 00:34:26,432 ♪ Packing up, I'm getting ready to go ♪ 600 00:34:26,559 --> 00:34:31,559 ♪ Packing up, I'm getting ready to go ♪ 601 00:34:31,679 --> 00:34:36,179 ♪ I'm packing up, getting ready to go ♪ 602 00:34:42,510 --> 00:34:47,010 - I'm very passionate about this particular area. 603 00:34:47,010 --> 00:34:48,719 My elementary school was here, 604 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:52,619 I went one through eighth grade on this particular campus. 605 00:34:52,619 --> 00:34:55,619 Bobby Joe Hadnot was my very first cousin 606 00:34:55,619 --> 00:34:58,170 and the reason Bobby Joe Hadnot's name is here 607 00:34:58,170 --> 00:35:00,869 is when this property came up for sale. 608 00:35:00,869 --> 00:35:04,440 Bobby Joe Hadnot was very instrumental in the community. 609 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:07,619 And Bobby Joe and I worked through the entire process 610 00:35:07,619 --> 00:35:09,659 of getting the financing and everything 611 00:35:09,659 --> 00:35:11,463 for this particular building. 612 00:35:12,869 --> 00:35:14,070 But he passed away 613 00:35:14,070 --> 00:35:16,469 about two years after we purchased the property. 614 00:35:18,222 --> 00:35:21,570 (poignant music) 615 00:35:21,570 --> 00:35:24,099 I started thinking about Freedom Colonies 616 00:35:24,954 --> 00:35:27,300 and after we'd gotten the historical marker 617 00:35:27,300 --> 00:35:29,309 from Texas Historical Commission, 618 00:35:29,309 --> 00:35:34,199 that was about the Freedom Colony itself overall. 619 00:35:34,199 --> 00:35:37,260 But then I was thinking that, hey, I went to school here, 620 00:35:37,260 --> 00:35:40,322 and I'd like to recognize the people 621 00:35:40,322 --> 00:35:43,619 that was influential in my life. 622 00:35:43,619 --> 00:35:48,389 So I sat down, and I wrote this, what's on this marker here. 623 00:35:48,389 --> 00:35:51,239 And George Adams and I figured out how to construct 624 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:55,079 this marker, monument here I guess you could call it. 625 00:35:55,079 --> 00:35:58,920 But the Sankofa was something that I had learned 626 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:02,849 from Freedom Colonies, that was part of Andrea Roberts', 627 00:36:02,849 --> 00:36:07,739 Texas Freedom Colonies Project and Sankofa is their avatar. 628 00:36:07,739 --> 00:36:11,219 So I felt like, well, what I'm talking about here 629 00:36:11,219 --> 00:36:16,219 was us reaching back, and pulling stuff from the past, 630 00:36:16,889 --> 00:36:18,989 and bringing it to the future. 631 00:36:18,989 --> 00:36:21,030 And we need to continue to do that 632 00:36:21,030 --> 00:36:23,519 because there are a lot of young people out here right now 633 00:36:23,519 --> 00:36:26,822 who knows nothing about the Freedom Colony. 634 00:36:32,407 --> 00:36:35,217 (poignant music) 635 00:36:35,217 --> 00:36:37,967 (birds chirping) 636 00:36:39,659 --> 00:36:41,010 - Okay, well, good morning. 637 00:36:42,690 --> 00:36:45,572 So, how long have y'all been in town so far? 638 00:36:45,572 --> 00:36:46,405 - [Student] Since Monday. 639 00:36:46,405 --> 00:36:47,237 - Third day. 640 00:36:47,237 --> 00:36:49,239 Have they worn you out yet? 641 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:50,297 - They've tried. 642 00:36:50,297 --> 00:36:52,050 - Okay, well, not too bad. 643 00:36:52,050 --> 00:36:56,010 Okay, so this is the Jasper County Historical Museum. 644 00:36:56,010 --> 00:36:58,349 Jasper is the county seat 645 00:36:58,349 --> 00:37:01,650 and what we're working to do in here 646 00:37:01,650 --> 00:37:03,929 is to tell county history, 647 00:37:03,929 --> 00:37:06,599 although we tend to focus a little bit more on Jasper 648 00:37:06,599 --> 00:37:10,289 because that's where we're sitting, we're in Jasper. 649 00:37:10,289 --> 00:37:12,570 Jasper's one of the original 23 counties 650 00:37:12,570 --> 00:37:13,983 in the Republic of Texas. 651 00:37:15,059 --> 00:37:17,789 We're part of where Texas' history started. 652 00:37:17,789 --> 00:37:20,699 My name's Tod Lawlis, I'm the director 653 00:37:20,699 --> 00:37:23,519 of the Jasper County Historical Museum. 654 00:37:23,519 --> 00:37:27,659 I decided that one focus for me would be to make sure 655 00:37:27,659 --> 00:37:32,010 that it is a museum that tells everybody's story 656 00:37:32,010 --> 00:37:33,213 in Jasper County. 657 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:37,860 That it's not the white museum, there's no Black museum. 658 00:37:37,860 --> 00:37:40,380 It is Jasper County. 659 00:37:40,380 --> 00:37:42,719 There's a section here on Freedom Colonies. 660 00:37:42,719 --> 00:37:44,519 If you're not familiar with the story 661 00:37:44,519 --> 00:37:46,170 of the Freedom Colonies, 662 00:37:46,170 --> 00:37:49,650 it's a very interesting post-Civil War story. 663 00:37:49,650 --> 00:37:53,760 And we have one very well-known one here in Jasper, 664 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:55,349 the Dixie community. 665 00:37:55,349 --> 00:37:56,909 Again, you're welcome to look around. 666 00:37:56,909 --> 00:37:59,913 If you got questions, I am here to answer 'em for you. 667 00:38:01,380 --> 00:38:04,139 - This program is the American Exchange Project. 668 00:38:04,139 --> 00:38:07,619 It is a project to bridge the cultural divide 669 00:38:07,619 --> 00:38:11,369 within the continental US, to bring students 670 00:38:11,369 --> 00:38:14,820 from other parts of the country into an area 671 00:38:14,820 --> 00:38:16,110 that is opposite of their own, 672 00:38:16,110 --> 00:38:19,860 to be able to immerse them in a different culture 673 00:38:19,860 --> 00:38:22,530 and see that we can all live together. 674 00:38:22,530 --> 00:38:26,760 - I got involved in AEP through my math teacher. 675 00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:30,119 She wanted to sign me up to give me the experience 676 00:38:30,119 --> 00:38:31,679 to go somewhere else. 677 00:38:31,679 --> 00:38:35,519 And she knows I'm a very honest person with my opinions. 678 00:38:35,519 --> 00:38:38,369 So she was like, I would really love and appreciate 679 00:38:38,369 --> 00:38:41,699 if you did this for me to show our school 680 00:38:41,699 --> 00:38:44,460 and our school district that this is a good program 681 00:38:44,460 --> 00:38:46,110 to have here in Albany. 682 00:38:46,110 --> 00:38:49,710 - I'm really concerned about the earth, 683 00:38:49,710 --> 00:38:50,670 and where it's going, 684 00:38:50,670 --> 00:38:52,949 and people may not be concerned about it 685 00:38:52,949 --> 00:38:55,860 just because like we live in this era, 686 00:38:55,860 --> 00:38:59,519 but I think it's important for our posterity 687 00:38:59,519 --> 00:39:04,416 to like enjoy this planet, like it's modern way. 688 00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:09,690 They should live in a healthy planet, enjoy their lives, 689 00:39:09,690 --> 00:39:12,630 and not having to deal with the mistakes 690 00:39:12,630 --> 00:39:16,230 that their previous generations made. 691 00:39:16,230 --> 00:39:19,230 - In the aftermath of the murder of James Byrd Jr., 692 00:39:19,230 --> 00:39:21,809 Jasper did face a lot of challenges. 693 00:39:21,809 --> 00:39:23,880 I'm certain that when students 694 00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:25,860 were randomly chosen to come here, 695 00:39:25,860 --> 00:39:28,079 when they possibly Googled our town 696 00:39:28,079 --> 00:39:30,449 that popped up and concerned them. 697 00:39:30,449 --> 00:39:32,010 But I think since they've arrived, 698 00:39:32,010 --> 00:39:34,289 they see that there is much more to offer, 699 00:39:34,289 --> 00:39:36,179 and that we have healed as a community, 700 00:39:36,179 --> 00:39:39,360 and we are interested in moving forward 701 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:41,159 in a positive manner. 702 00:39:41,159 --> 00:39:45,750 - My impression of Jasper is pretty excellent so far. 703 00:39:45,750 --> 00:39:47,010 I love the people here. 704 00:39:47,010 --> 00:39:48,659 I love the community. 705 00:39:48,659 --> 00:39:52,320 I come from a tight-knit community in Albany. 706 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:56,789 We're a town of about 18,000 people in a square mile, 707 00:39:56,789 --> 00:40:01,036 so everybody knows everybody, but I love it here. 708 00:40:01,036 --> 00:40:03,690 I love this weather, I love the people, 709 00:40:03,690 --> 00:40:06,510 I love just being in the open 710 00:40:06,510 --> 00:40:08,612 and having everything kind of spaced out. 711 00:40:10,141 --> 00:40:12,807 (calming music) 712 00:40:27,695 --> 00:40:32,695 - This is the oldest church west of the Mississippi, 713 00:40:32,820 --> 00:40:35,369 built by formerly enslaved Christians, 714 00:40:35,369 --> 00:40:37,199 oral history suggests. 715 00:40:37,199 --> 00:40:40,260 This church was established at about 1853 716 00:40:40,260 --> 00:40:42,840 when Joshua Seale, the slave owner, 717 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:47,309 and Uncle Dick Seale got together and built a church. 718 00:40:47,309 --> 00:40:49,829 Uncle Dick Seale was holding church services 719 00:40:49,829 --> 00:40:54,690 under Magnolia trees on this particular grounds. 720 00:40:54,690 --> 00:40:58,769 Joshua Seale realized that, hey, let's build a church. 721 00:40:58,769 --> 00:41:00,769 So they got together and built a church. 722 00:41:02,346 --> 00:41:03,989 (calming music) 723 00:41:03,989 --> 00:41:06,150 - We're from San Diego, California. 724 00:41:06,150 --> 00:41:10,469 My family has been in Jasper, Texas, since the 1800s. 725 00:41:10,469 --> 00:41:13,860 My family, the Seale family, is the founding family 726 00:41:13,860 --> 00:41:16,019 of Dixie Baptist Church. 727 00:41:16,019 --> 00:41:20,070 My great-great-grandfather, Richard Dick Seale, 728 00:41:20,070 --> 00:41:22,409 was a servant of the Seale family. 729 00:41:22,409 --> 00:41:27,119 Joshua Seale helped him establish the church in 1853. 730 00:41:27,119 --> 00:41:30,780 - I was a preteen when I joined here 731 00:41:30,780 --> 00:41:34,262 and we were baptized in the creek down the street. 732 00:41:35,369 --> 00:41:37,922 - I used to work as the church secretary. 733 00:41:39,389 --> 00:41:42,306 I still sings in the choir. 734 00:41:43,483 --> 00:41:45,697 I lead three songs. 735 00:41:45,697 --> 00:41:47,400 (calming music) 736 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:50,969 My favorite song is "Walking in the Light". 737 00:41:50,969 --> 00:41:55,969 ♪ Walking in the light ♪ 738 00:41:56,097 --> 00:42:00,438 ♪ Beautiful light ♪ 739 00:42:00,438 --> 00:42:05,106 ♪ Ain't it wonderful how the light shine ♪ 740 00:42:08,751 --> 00:42:09,960 - When I come back to Jasper, 741 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:13,559 I feel connected to my ancestors. 742 00:42:13,559 --> 00:42:17,610 I feel appreciative for the sacrifices that they made. 743 00:42:17,610 --> 00:42:21,840 I do a lot of family history, genealogy research 744 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:23,889 that allows me to feel connected to them. 745 00:42:26,643 --> 00:42:30,753 ♪ Walk in Jerusalem just like John ♪ 746 00:42:30,753 --> 00:42:35,190 ♪ Walk in Jerusalem just like John ♪ 747 00:42:35,190 --> 00:42:38,943 - Right now, we are on the Joshua Seale Plantation. 748 00:42:39,869 --> 00:42:41,880 This may have been the slave quarters 749 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:44,820 that we're looking at behind us, these small buildings here. 750 00:42:44,820 --> 00:42:47,219 There are other stories that it may be some people 751 00:42:47,219 --> 00:42:49,409 who came to work on the railroad or whatever, 752 00:42:49,409 --> 00:42:51,599 but my impression would be 753 00:42:51,599 --> 00:42:55,889 that this were probably some refurbished slave quarters. 754 00:42:55,889 --> 00:42:57,809 And I know that there was another plantation 755 00:42:57,809 --> 00:43:00,480 like right across the creek, the Indian Creek, 756 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:01,889 that was a Hadnot plantation, 757 00:43:01,889 --> 00:43:03,389 this was a Seale plantation. 758 00:43:03,389 --> 00:43:06,510 Both of those plantations kinda came together 759 00:43:06,510 --> 00:43:09,599 after the emancipation, and most of the people 760 00:43:09,599 --> 00:43:14,456 in this Freedom Colony started out as Hadnot and Seales. 761 00:43:14,456 --> 00:43:18,063 (birds chirping) 762 00:43:18,063 --> 00:43:20,813 (poignant music) 763 00:43:23,617 --> 00:43:24,623 - We accepted a lot of things 764 00:43:24,623 --> 00:43:27,963 because we didn't know anything different. 765 00:43:29,190 --> 00:43:34,190 And so growing up to me was a happy time 766 00:43:35,010 --> 00:43:40,010 until as I got older and I realized different things 767 00:43:40,380 --> 00:43:43,889 and different ways that other people were living, 768 00:43:43,889 --> 00:43:46,579 and different things that had happened in the past 769 00:43:46,579 --> 00:43:51,210 to my relatives, then the more I learned about that 770 00:43:51,210 --> 00:43:56,210 then I wasn't as happy as I was when I was younger 771 00:43:56,730 --> 00:43:58,802 and didn't know anything. 772 00:43:58,802 --> 00:43:59,789 (poignant music) 773 00:43:59,789 --> 00:44:03,000 - It wasn't easy for us to be where we are today 774 00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:04,230 in this world. 775 00:44:04,230 --> 00:44:06,519 There was a lot of trials and tribulations 776 00:44:07,510 --> 00:44:09,329 that the people in this particular community 777 00:44:09,329 --> 00:44:10,262 had to deal with. 778 00:44:11,519 --> 00:44:14,610 After slavery and emancipation, 779 00:44:14,610 --> 00:44:16,619 most of the people that stuck around 780 00:44:16,619 --> 00:44:19,019 ended up doing sharecropping. 781 00:44:19,019 --> 00:44:22,262 And sharecropping was almost as bad as slavery. 782 00:44:23,159 --> 00:44:25,682 - All I know is my father was a, 783 00:44:27,780 --> 00:44:30,916 well, it was just like slave, I'm gonna tell it like it is. 784 00:44:30,916 --> 00:44:35,916 He had to come from up in Tennessee with the WPA 785 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:38,550 and he never went back. 786 00:44:38,550 --> 00:44:41,369 - I lived Jim Crow, so I understood 787 00:44:41,369 --> 00:44:43,739 where my place was supposed to be 788 00:44:43,739 --> 00:44:46,500 according to who was making the decision. 789 00:44:46,500 --> 00:44:51,500 So I just kinda deescalated things rather than escalate 'em. 790 00:44:52,289 --> 00:44:54,570 And when I went into the military, it was the same thing. 791 00:44:54,570 --> 00:44:58,019 I mean it was just like it was living in Jasper, Texas. 792 00:44:58,019 --> 00:44:59,820 So there was a lot of situations 793 00:44:59,820 --> 00:45:01,559 that I was involved in in the military 794 00:45:01,559 --> 00:45:04,532 that I could have made a real big issue out of. 795 00:45:06,329 --> 00:45:08,250 But my upbringing taught me 796 00:45:08,250 --> 00:45:13,250 to deescalate rather than incite. 797 00:45:13,650 --> 00:45:18,650 - There was a time right there at the post office, 798 00:45:19,199 --> 00:45:22,469 we couldn't drink out of the ones 799 00:45:22,469 --> 00:45:24,929 that you all drinking from. 800 00:45:24,929 --> 00:45:27,333 We had one for ourselves. 801 00:45:28,829 --> 00:45:33,829 So we had to sit well in the back, I'll tell you right now. 802 00:45:35,519 --> 00:45:38,429 But I'm gonna tell it like it is. 803 00:45:38,429 --> 00:45:41,913 We couldn't do, separate restrooms. 804 00:45:43,289 --> 00:45:48,242 We couldn't go in and we had to go in our restroom. 805 00:45:50,610 --> 00:45:52,860 - We could drive up and down this road. 806 00:45:52,860 --> 00:45:54,300 We are way out here in the community, 807 00:45:54,300 --> 00:45:55,829 rural community, right? 808 00:45:55,829 --> 00:45:58,800 And highway patrol was just running in behind ya, you know, 809 00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:02,273 just to pull you over to see if you going 42 miles an hour 810 00:46:02,273 --> 00:46:06,000 in a 41 mile an hour zone. 811 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:08,429 And you're pulled over and you're going to get a ticket. 812 00:46:08,429 --> 00:46:13,402 And to me, it was just, I don't know, it was just ignorance 813 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:18,809 in what I thought it was, it was ignorance. 814 00:46:18,809 --> 00:46:20,315 But we got through all of that, 815 00:46:20,315 --> 00:46:23,762 and we ended up in a better place. 816 00:46:24,929 --> 00:46:27,780 - The pain is easing down a whole lot. 817 00:46:27,780 --> 00:46:29,760 People be moving on with life here 818 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:32,730 and trying to do good in the city. 819 00:46:32,730 --> 00:46:34,179 We don't want no more racism. 820 00:46:35,130 --> 00:46:39,543 - I know that it brought Jasper closer together. 821 00:46:40,500 --> 00:46:43,349 We might be a bit divided now, 822 00:46:43,349 --> 00:46:46,110 but after the James Byrd incident, 823 00:46:46,110 --> 00:46:48,150 it brought us close together. 824 00:46:48,150 --> 00:46:50,070 I know that it did. 825 00:46:50,070 --> 00:46:51,469 - It must be getting better. 826 00:46:52,949 --> 00:46:55,289 (calming music) 827 00:46:55,289 --> 00:46:56,880 'Cause they're beginning to come to your house 828 00:46:56,880 --> 00:46:57,960 and sit down and talk to you. 829 00:46:57,960 --> 00:46:59,639 They used to didn't do that. 830 00:46:59,639 --> 00:47:03,059 - President Clinton, he put me up, 831 00:47:03,059 --> 00:47:05,199 I had a phone straight to the White House 832 00:47:07,224 --> 00:47:09,420 and he would call, and Reno, they kept up with it. 833 00:47:09,420 --> 00:47:11,429 That encouraged me because they was seeing the things 834 00:47:11,429 --> 00:47:12,632 was gon' be carried out. 835 00:47:14,052 --> 00:47:16,802 (poignant music) 836 00:47:19,860 --> 00:47:22,443 The grave got took three times after he got killed, 837 00:47:23,996 --> 00:47:25,496 but it's finally settled down. 838 00:47:26,701 --> 00:47:28,501 I had to fix that grave three times. 839 00:47:29,429 --> 00:47:32,309 They went there, and tore it up, and left a sign 840 00:47:32,309 --> 00:47:34,260 that said the Ku Klux Klan's been here. 841 00:47:35,731 --> 00:47:37,829 (poignant music) 842 00:47:37,829 --> 00:47:39,480 That's why a fence around it now. 843 00:47:41,789 --> 00:47:44,163 I come through it with the helps of the Lord. 844 00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:47,978 You just can't bear down in your sorrow and grief. 845 00:47:47,978 --> 00:47:50,811 I just turned it over to the Lord. 846 00:47:53,813 --> 00:47:56,853 I got a letter today from some, 847 00:47:58,019 --> 00:48:01,023 in the wishes of my son, I still get all kinds of letters. 848 00:48:03,119 --> 00:48:05,905 They send me checks too, and flowers to go on his grave 849 00:48:05,905 --> 00:48:08,132 all the way off over in England. 850 00:48:09,121 --> 00:48:12,269 (poignant music) 851 00:48:12,269 --> 00:48:13,713 He's in the textbooks. 852 00:48:17,429 --> 00:48:19,530 And they got a hate crime named after him. 853 00:48:21,570 --> 00:48:23,400 So that helped me to have a little hope 854 00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:25,262 that something good come out of it. 855 00:48:28,500 --> 00:48:29,603 But it still hurts. 856 00:48:31,434 --> 00:48:34,184 (poignant music) 857 00:48:40,407 --> 00:48:42,989 (upbeat music) 858 00:48:52,498 --> 00:48:57,414 (Reverend John and hairdresser chattering) 859 00:49:08,275 --> 00:49:09,686 - No, I hadn't been there, but you know what? 860 00:49:09,686 --> 00:49:11,889 I ain't was about to hit, they were, 861 00:49:11,889 --> 00:49:16,800 I think he was Isaiah was gonna send us over there to work. 862 00:49:16,800 --> 00:49:18,090 - I'm Reverend John D. Hardin, 863 00:49:18,090 --> 00:49:20,820 Pastor of the Mount Olive Baptist Church. 864 00:49:20,820 --> 00:49:23,820 I've been here for 32 years. 865 00:49:23,820 --> 00:49:28,500 I came here in 1976 and brother Jordan was a deacon here. 866 00:49:28,500 --> 00:49:31,590 In fact, he took the pictures of our wedding. 867 00:49:31,590 --> 00:49:33,362 We married in 1955. 868 00:49:34,289 --> 00:49:37,769 I think one of the better attributes that he had to me 869 00:49:37,769 --> 00:49:39,360 was that he was a great teacher 870 00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:42,000 and he taught his men's class, 871 00:49:42,000 --> 00:49:44,880 very, very astute in his studying 872 00:49:44,880 --> 00:49:47,440 and he knew exactly what he was teaching about 873 00:49:48,420 --> 00:49:51,929 Mr. Jordan helped people in any way that he could, 874 00:49:51,929 --> 00:49:52,889 he wouldn't mind helping. 875 00:49:52,889 --> 00:49:55,860 We need more people like that even in our world today 876 00:49:55,860 --> 00:49:57,449 that's willing and ready to help. 877 00:49:57,449 --> 00:49:59,369 He did it more or less for the community, 878 00:49:59,369 --> 00:50:01,170 I'm sure right now, if you were to check 879 00:50:01,170 --> 00:50:03,000 some of 'em still owe him for pictures 880 00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:04,503 that he took years back. 881 00:50:05,387 --> 00:50:07,971 (upbeat music) 882 00:50:11,070 --> 00:50:13,199 - [Rev Kenneth] Anything in the Black community 883 00:50:14,099 --> 00:50:18,559 that was worthwhile and you wanted to have memories of it, 884 00:50:19,559 --> 00:50:21,840 you would call Mr. Jordan. 885 00:50:21,840 --> 00:50:26,342 He also would take pictures of school events, 886 00:50:27,420 --> 00:50:31,260 church events, bible school. 887 00:50:31,260 --> 00:50:34,469 - Mr. Jordan would take pictures of anything that he felt 888 00:50:34,469 --> 00:50:38,159 that the community would enjoy as well as he himself, 889 00:50:38,159 --> 00:50:40,293 and his wife, and family would enjoy. 890 00:50:41,699 --> 00:50:45,150 He also enjoyed taking pictures of baseball 891 00:50:45,150 --> 00:50:48,539 and in particular, the Jasper Steers. 892 00:50:48,539 --> 00:50:53,400 Jasper Steers started as a minor team in the early '40s 893 00:50:53,400 --> 00:50:56,039 and when the Steers started playing, 894 00:50:56,039 --> 00:51:00,090 everyone wanted to be a part of that particular ball club, 895 00:51:00,090 --> 00:51:04,110 which was the most popular thing in Jasper at that time. 896 00:51:04,110 --> 00:51:08,760 I played third base and served as a utility player. 897 00:51:08,760 --> 00:51:12,659 I knew Mr. Jordan for approximately 40 years. 898 00:51:12,659 --> 00:51:15,539 He became my barber once he moved down 899 00:51:15,539 --> 00:51:18,900 to the Jasper Steers area. 900 00:51:18,900 --> 00:51:23,849 - My brother and I, we would walk from home 901 00:51:23,849 --> 00:51:27,659 to the barber shop to get our hair cut. 902 00:51:27,659 --> 00:51:31,110 I remember it was every two weeks. 903 00:51:31,110 --> 00:51:35,793 As I grew older, I guess you might say I became a teenager, 904 00:51:36,900 --> 00:51:41,099 a different hairstyle came out called the crew cut, 905 00:51:41,099 --> 00:51:43,170 I think it was. 906 00:51:43,170 --> 00:51:46,170 I wanted that new hairstyle. 907 00:51:46,170 --> 00:51:49,922 I said, Mr. Jordan, can you give me the crew cut? 908 00:51:51,179 --> 00:51:54,599 He said, have you talked with your mother about this? 909 00:51:54,599 --> 00:51:56,219 I said, no, sir. 910 00:51:56,219 --> 00:51:58,710 He said, well, I'm gonna continue to cut your hair 911 00:51:58,710 --> 00:52:01,860 the way she has asked me to cut it. 912 00:52:01,860 --> 00:52:04,949 That's the way Mr. Jordan was. 913 00:52:04,949 --> 00:52:08,369 Even after I had graduated from high school, 914 00:52:08,369 --> 00:52:12,663 when I went into the service, when I would come home, 915 00:52:12,663 --> 00:52:17,663 I'd always go to Mr. Jordan to get me a haircut 916 00:52:18,719 --> 00:52:22,862 because I think he was the best barber in East Texas. 917 00:52:24,097 --> 00:52:26,681 (gentle music) 918 00:52:28,019 --> 00:52:32,489 - Freedman's Cemetery in Dallas for me is such a message 919 00:52:32,489 --> 00:52:35,523 to the future and the past. 920 00:52:36,809 --> 00:52:41,550 Freedman's Cemetery is a historical burial ground 921 00:52:41,550 --> 00:52:44,550 for formerly enslaved Africans. 922 00:52:44,550 --> 00:52:48,869 Many bodies were removed, but many are still there. 923 00:52:48,869 --> 00:52:52,199 Being here in Freedman's Cemetery means to me 924 00:52:52,199 --> 00:52:56,519 that the spirit of all ancestors, not just mine, 925 00:52:56,519 --> 00:53:00,090 but particularly ancestors of the African American culture, 926 00:53:00,090 --> 00:53:01,380 have not been forgotten. 927 00:53:01,380 --> 00:53:03,239 Yes, the symbols are not here, 928 00:53:03,239 --> 00:53:06,300 the headstones and all of that, they're all gone, 929 00:53:06,300 --> 00:53:10,797 but the spirit of those individuals is here. 930 00:53:10,797 --> 00:53:14,250 (cars whooshing) 931 00:53:14,250 --> 00:53:15,449 I pass here all the time 932 00:53:15,449 --> 00:53:19,170 as thousands of people do, in traffic, 933 00:53:19,170 --> 00:53:23,460 but I kind of glance over, and I think of peace 934 00:53:23,460 --> 00:53:27,210 even though there was such turmoil, and hurt, and pain, 935 00:53:27,210 --> 00:53:32,210 but yet now this location, this ground of earth 936 00:53:34,590 --> 00:53:39,063 makes me think of peace, hopefully rest. 937 00:53:39,900 --> 00:53:44,280 When we talk about heritage, and history, and culture, 938 00:53:44,280 --> 00:53:48,360 there is a philosophy and opinion that only the people 939 00:53:48,360 --> 00:53:49,829 of that culture can tell it. 940 00:53:49,829 --> 00:53:53,639 Yes, they need to, but history needs to be told 941 00:53:53,639 --> 00:53:55,143 by whoever's gonna tell it. 942 00:53:56,170 --> 00:54:01,170 ♪ Ain't gonna let nobody turn me round ♪ 943 00:54:04,989 --> 00:54:09,548 ♪ Turn me round, turn me round ♪ 944 00:54:09,548 --> 00:54:14,548 ♪ Ain't gonna let nobody turn me round ♪ 945 00:54:17,329 --> 00:54:22,329 ♪ Keep on walking, keep on talking ♪ 946 00:54:23,759 --> 00:54:27,509 ♪ Marching toward freedom land ♪ 947 00:54:33,119 --> 00:54:36,360 I love music, and I have a strong musical background, 948 00:54:36,360 --> 00:54:38,670 and I appreciate the songs 949 00:54:38,670 --> 00:54:41,760 that have told messages of culture. 950 00:54:41,760 --> 00:54:43,650 Getting through these difficult times, 951 00:54:43,650 --> 00:54:45,119 I always turn to music. 952 00:54:45,119 --> 00:54:48,630 Music is a salve on wounds. 953 00:54:48,630 --> 00:54:52,800 Music gives us an outlet for hope 954 00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:54,269 that we should never give up 955 00:54:54,269 --> 00:54:57,827 and we need to pass it on to the new generation. 956 00:54:57,827 --> 00:55:01,777 ♪ Savior ♪ 957 00:55:01,777 --> 00:55:06,153 ♪ Savior ♪ 958 00:55:06,153 --> 00:55:11,153 ♪ Hear my humble cry ♪ 959 00:55:12,902 --> 00:55:17,902 ♪ And while on others Thou art calling ♪ 960 00:55:21,331 --> 00:55:26,331 ♪ Do not pass me by ♪ 961 00:55:27,550 --> 00:55:29,989 ♪ Here, Rattler ♪ 962 00:55:29,989 --> 00:55:33,128 ♪ Here, Rattler, here, here ♪ 963 00:55:33,128 --> 00:55:35,001 ♪ Here, Rattler ♪ 964 00:55:35,001 --> 00:55:36,670 ♪ Here, Rattler, here ♪ 965 00:55:36,670 --> 00:55:39,820 ♪ Oh, Big Foot Rock is surely gone ♪ 966 00:55:39,820 --> 00:55:41,362 ♪ Here, Rattler, here ♪ 967 00:55:41,362 --> 00:55:44,590 ♪ Oh, Big Foot Rock is surely gone ♪ 968 00:55:44,590 --> 00:55:47,938 ♪ Here, Rattler, here ♪ 969 00:55:47,938 --> 00:55:50,938 (upbeat jazz music) 970 00:55:58,050 --> 00:56:00,449 - [Russel] I think it was 1939, 971 00:56:00,449 --> 00:56:04,139 I got around Marshall, Texas, 972 00:56:04,139 --> 00:56:07,106 and began to photograph several of the projects there, 973 00:56:07,106 --> 00:56:11,043 and the others were incidental as we came along. 974 00:56:12,030 --> 00:56:15,873 - There's an Anglo photographer by the name of Russell Lee. 975 00:56:17,219 --> 00:56:21,030 He would go among the African descendants 976 00:56:21,030 --> 00:56:23,969 and photograph their everyday life, 977 00:56:23,969 --> 00:56:27,059 which we would not ordinarily see. 978 00:56:27,059 --> 00:56:28,889 You might hear it in family stories, 979 00:56:28,889 --> 00:56:31,172 but to actually see images of it. 980 00:56:32,117 --> 00:56:35,117 (upbeat jazz music) 981 00:56:40,469 --> 00:56:43,739 When you side him with Alonzo Jordan 982 00:56:43,739 --> 00:56:46,139 who was a Black photographer, 983 00:56:46,139 --> 00:56:48,630 you get the two dynamics of life. 984 00:56:48,630 --> 00:56:52,050 Russell Lee showed the everyday life, 985 00:56:52,050 --> 00:56:55,170 which wasn't always pretty, but it was real, 986 00:56:55,170 --> 00:56:58,409 and it captured a period of society 987 00:56:58,409 --> 00:57:01,443 and of life that we might not have gathered. 988 00:57:02,429 --> 00:57:06,900 Jordan showed kind of what Black photographers did, 989 00:57:06,900 --> 00:57:11,639 church life, weddings, graduations, community gatherings, 990 00:57:11,639 --> 00:57:12,840 that sort of thing. 991 00:57:12,840 --> 00:57:17,579 But just that every day with the sweat and the toil, 992 00:57:17,579 --> 00:57:22,110 the dirt on your hands, the family sitting on the porch. 993 00:57:22,110 --> 00:57:27,110 Those images had value and when you put the two together, 994 00:57:28,079 --> 00:57:32,878 they show both sides of the Black existence. 995 00:57:32,878 --> 00:57:35,878 (upbeat jazz music) 996 00:57:40,469 --> 00:57:42,000 - My name is Marla Smith 997 00:57:42,000 --> 00:57:44,099 and Alonzo Jordan was my grandfather. 998 00:57:44,099 --> 00:57:46,920 To all the grandkids, he was known as Papou 999 00:57:46,920 --> 00:57:48,960 and we enjoyed being around him, 1000 00:57:48,960 --> 00:57:51,123 we enjoyed watching him taking photos. 1001 00:57:52,413 --> 00:57:53,820 (vibrant music) 1002 00:57:53,820 --> 00:57:55,320 He would go to the different schools, 1003 00:57:55,320 --> 00:57:57,300 and the kids would get so excited 1004 00:57:57,300 --> 00:57:59,610 when it was time to take school pictures, 1005 00:57:59,610 --> 00:58:01,860 and we enjoyed watching him take those photos. 1006 00:58:01,860 --> 00:58:04,590 And he'd always have this little saying that he would say 1007 00:58:04,590 --> 00:58:06,659 before he'd get ready to snap that picture, 1008 00:58:06,659 --> 00:58:10,260 he'd always say, okay, get set, ready. 1009 00:58:10,260 --> 00:58:11,909 And everybody would get so excited 1010 00:58:11,909 --> 00:58:15,630 because we knew we had to be at attention and in position, 1011 00:58:15,630 --> 00:58:16,889 and we enjoyed being around. 1012 00:58:16,889 --> 00:58:18,659 He was such a fun person. 1013 00:58:18,659 --> 00:58:21,599 He'd always make those little faces at the kids 1014 00:58:21,599 --> 00:58:23,909 or he'd always hold his hands up over the camera 1015 00:58:23,909 --> 00:58:26,070 and make little signs with his hand. 1016 00:58:26,070 --> 00:58:27,570 And kids always enjoyed that 1017 00:58:27,570 --> 00:58:30,840 because they were excited to get their pictures made. 1018 00:58:30,840 --> 00:58:33,960 It wasn't often that we'd get to go to the supermarkets 1019 00:58:33,960 --> 00:58:37,079 or to the discount centers and have photos made. 1020 00:58:37,079 --> 00:58:41,070 So he did that for us, and that was an exciting time for us 1021 00:58:41,070 --> 00:58:42,789 to spend with him. 1022 00:58:42,789 --> 00:58:44,219 (calming country music) 1023 00:58:44,219 --> 00:58:48,119 - I am Emma Sharp Adams, 1024 00:58:48,119 --> 00:58:53,119 the godchild of Alonzo and Helen Jordan. 1025 00:58:53,250 --> 00:58:56,309 And I grew up around the barber shop 1026 00:58:56,309 --> 00:58:59,565 and photography shop, used to just crawl around 1027 00:58:59,565 --> 00:59:02,099 they'd tell me when I was a little tot. 1028 00:59:02,099 --> 00:59:05,250 And he took pictures of my family 1029 00:59:05,250 --> 00:59:08,429 from childhood on up till his death, 1030 00:59:08,429 --> 00:59:11,579 and I used to get a kick out of listening to him 1031 00:59:11,579 --> 00:59:14,550 in the darkroom talking to the pictures. 1032 00:59:14,550 --> 00:59:16,050 You would swear that he was in there 1033 00:59:16,050 --> 00:59:19,860 talking to a person live 1034 00:59:19,860 --> 00:59:22,382 and he had to get everything just perfect. 1035 00:59:23,429 --> 00:59:26,460 If there was a strand of hair out of place, 1036 00:59:26,460 --> 00:59:28,023 he had to get it fixed. 1037 00:59:29,039 --> 00:59:31,079 - I went with him everywhere he went 1038 00:59:31,079 --> 00:59:33,510 so that people was dressed, 1039 00:59:33,510 --> 00:59:36,210 the colors and everything like that was on them straight. 1040 00:59:37,199 --> 00:59:39,300 Give 'em a mirror and see if they were satisfied 1041 00:59:39,300 --> 00:59:40,400 with their appearance. 1042 00:59:41,429 --> 00:59:46,050 - Everything had to be exact. 1043 00:59:46,050 --> 00:59:47,972 The lighting had to be exact, 1044 00:59:48,960 --> 00:59:51,663 the background had to be exact. 1045 00:59:52,860 --> 00:59:56,250 It would take him almost 30 minutes 1046 00:59:56,250 --> 00:59:59,639 before he would snap the picture. 1047 00:59:59,639 --> 01:00:03,510 At the weddings, everyone had to be in order 1048 01:00:03,510 --> 01:00:05,880 before he would take the picture. 1049 01:00:05,880 --> 01:00:09,179 He was just that kind of photographer 1050 01:00:09,179 --> 01:00:12,329 who wanted to have the best picture. 1051 01:00:12,329 --> 01:00:17,329 And because of his conscientious way of doing things, 1052 01:00:20,070 --> 01:00:24,722 he became popular all over East Texas. 1053 01:00:25,797 --> 01:00:27,900 And one thing about the pictures, 1054 01:00:27,900 --> 01:00:31,862 they all were what I would call perfect pictures. 1055 01:00:32,730 --> 01:00:36,510 - I admired him for the motivation 1056 01:00:36,510 --> 01:00:39,309 that he put into becoming a photographer 1057 01:00:40,230 --> 01:00:41,789 because he taught himself. 1058 01:00:41,789 --> 01:00:45,329 He studied a lot, he read a lot. 1059 01:00:45,329 --> 01:00:48,880 So he was very interested in applying himself 1060 01:00:49,800 --> 01:00:51,947 to do the good work. 1061 01:00:51,947 --> 01:00:54,150 (gentle music) 1062 01:00:54,150 --> 01:00:59,103 - I met Mr. Jordan early in life when I was in high school. 1063 01:00:59,940 --> 01:01:02,429 He was a great photographer 1064 01:01:02,429 --> 01:01:03,929 and he visited many of the schools 1065 01:01:03,929 --> 01:01:06,210 and took school pictures each year. 1066 01:01:06,210 --> 01:01:08,760 Mr. Jordan took many wedding pictures. 1067 01:01:08,760 --> 01:01:12,090 He came down to Buna where I lived 1068 01:01:12,090 --> 01:01:14,280 and took my wedding pictures. 1069 01:01:14,280 --> 01:01:16,380 And we were very pleased with 'em. 1070 01:01:16,380 --> 01:01:18,059 Not very many pictures was done 1071 01:01:18,059 --> 01:01:19,193 that you were not pleased with 'em 1072 01:01:19,193 --> 01:01:23,639 because he made sure that the subject that he was taking 1073 01:01:23,639 --> 01:01:27,510 was in the perfect position that they needed to be 1074 01:01:27,510 --> 01:01:30,179 so that the pictures would come out beautifully. 1075 01:01:30,179 --> 01:01:33,659 He was a very kind person, but he was very firm 1076 01:01:33,659 --> 01:01:37,500 and made sure that you understood what he wanted 1077 01:01:37,500 --> 01:01:40,563 was what he needed to get a good picture. 1078 01:01:41,519 --> 01:01:44,159 - He would've loved the digital photos. 1079 01:01:44,159 --> 01:01:46,320 Now, being able to take a picture instantly 1080 01:01:46,320 --> 01:01:49,139 and you can connect it to your TV and see it right then, 1081 01:01:49,139 --> 01:01:52,802 or even edit it right then, he would have loved that. 1082 01:01:54,000 --> 01:01:56,583 (gentle music) 1083 01:01:58,079 --> 01:02:01,019 - There's a political movement right now 1084 01:02:01,019 --> 01:02:05,670 in the United States to wipe out, to erase cultural history, 1085 01:02:05,670 --> 01:02:07,710 particularly from my vantage point, 1086 01:02:07,710 --> 01:02:10,769 African American history, critical race theory, 1087 01:02:10,769 --> 01:02:12,420 wokeness, all of that. 1088 01:02:12,420 --> 01:02:15,929 Such hateful resentment. 1089 01:02:15,929 --> 01:02:19,650 But people like the African American descendants 1090 01:02:19,650 --> 01:02:23,730 in small towns like Jasper, they have stepped forward 1091 01:02:23,730 --> 01:02:26,639 to preserve their history, rich history 1092 01:02:26,639 --> 01:02:29,579 that very few people know about that needs to be told. 1093 01:02:29,579 --> 01:02:32,219 They've opened museums and things like that 1094 01:02:32,219 --> 01:02:33,840 to really preserve that history. 1095 01:02:33,840 --> 01:02:34,860 That's important. 1096 01:02:34,860 --> 01:02:35,820 That's key. 1097 01:02:35,820 --> 01:02:40,139 Because without that type of action, history will be erased, 1098 01:02:40,139 --> 01:02:41,670 and has been erased. 1099 01:02:41,670 --> 01:02:45,719 And that's a diabolical thing to happen, 1100 01:02:45,719 --> 01:02:49,380 to erase history that somebody fought so hard 1101 01:02:49,380 --> 01:02:50,639 to make happen. 1102 01:02:50,639 --> 01:02:54,000 - Without the past, how do we even examine the present, 1103 01:02:54,000 --> 01:02:55,713 let alone think about a future? 1104 01:02:56,820 --> 01:02:59,309 We go back to our past, we tell our history. 1105 01:02:59,309 --> 01:03:01,909 And as I say, we gotta tell it all and tell it well. 1106 01:03:02,969 --> 01:03:06,239 All the pain, all the sorrow, all the suffering, 1107 01:03:06,239 --> 01:03:10,829 all those things that make up what our past has been 1108 01:03:10,829 --> 01:03:15,510 in this country, will help us, I think, figure out 1109 01:03:15,510 --> 01:03:18,300 where we're going in this country. 1110 01:03:18,300 --> 01:03:19,769 And I'd hate to say right now 1111 01:03:19,769 --> 01:03:23,039 is that we have people now ready to erase 1112 01:03:23,039 --> 01:03:26,130 everything they consider to be negative in our history. 1113 01:03:26,130 --> 01:03:30,750 Everything they consider to be ashamed of in our history. 1114 01:03:30,750 --> 01:03:33,599 No, you don't erase it. 1115 01:03:33,599 --> 01:03:36,969 You don't try to amend it, you tell it 1116 01:03:38,130 --> 01:03:40,710 because that will inform us 1117 01:03:40,710 --> 01:03:43,139 even about our present right now. 1118 01:03:43,139 --> 01:03:47,159 It is a shame what is happening in the country as I speak, 1119 01:03:47,159 --> 01:03:50,340 that people who would dare want to tear down 1120 01:03:50,340 --> 01:03:53,789 any semblance of the black man's struggle, 1121 01:03:53,789 --> 01:03:57,059 the red man's struggle, the brown man's struggle 1122 01:03:57,059 --> 01:03:57,932 in this country. 1123 01:03:58,829 --> 01:04:03,722 No, we tell it and you tell how they overcame. 1124 01:04:04,650 --> 01:04:08,639 What a difficult past they went through, 1125 01:04:08,639 --> 01:04:09,722 that I went through. 1126 01:04:10,650 --> 01:04:12,693 You know, I'm still standing. 1127 01:04:13,829 --> 01:04:17,340 But I tell you what, you know, I don't have long 1128 01:04:17,340 --> 01:04:19,443 to stay here as the old folk used to say, 1129 01:04:20,519 --> 01:04:23,550 but I want it for my child, 1130 01:04:23,550 --> 01:04:26,250 I want it for those children who come after me 1131 01:04:26,250 --> 01:04:29,509 to know the truth about the history of their country. 1132 01:04:29,509 --> 01:04:31,010 ♪ It's a long John ♪ 1133 01:04:31,010 --> 01:04:32,231 ♪ It's a long John ♪ 1134 01:04:32,231 --> 01:04:33,530 ♪ He's a long gone ♪ 1135 01:04:33,530 --> 01:04:34,920 ♪ He's a long gone ♪ 1136 01:04:34,920 --> 01:04:36,139 ♪ Like a turkey through the corn ♪ 1137 01:04:36,139 --> 01:04:37,570 ♪ Like a turkey through the corn ♪ 1138 01:04:37,570 --> 01:04:38,992 ♪ Through the long corn ♪ 1139 01:04:38,992 --> 01:04:40,228 ♪ Through the long corn ♪ 1140 01:04:40,228 --> 01:04:41,614 ♪ Well, my John said ♪ 1141 01:04:41,614 --> 01:04:42,996 ♪ Well, my John said ♪ 1142 01:04:42,996 --> 01:04:44,289 ♪ In the ten chap ten ♪ 1143 01:04:44,289 --> 01:04:45,628 ♪ In the ten chap ten ♪ 1144 01:04:45,628 --> 01:04:47,237 ♪ If a man die ♪ 1145 01:04:47,237 --> 01:04:48,414 ♪ If a man die ♪ 1146 01:04:48,414 --> 01:04:49,677 ♪ He will live again ♪ 1147 01:04:49,677 --> 01:04:51,048 ♪ He will live again ♪ 1148 01:04:51,048 --> 01:04:52,588 ♪ Well, they crucified Jesus ♪ 1149 01:04:52,588 --> 01:04:53,777 ♪ Well, they crucified Jesus ♪ 1150 01:04:53,777 --> 01:04:55,068 ♪ And they nailed him to the cross ♪ 1151 01:04:55,068 --> 01:04:56,467 ♪ And they nailed him to the cross ♪ 1152 01:04:56,467 --> 01:04:57,907 ♪ Sister Mary cried ♪ 1153 01:04:57,907 --> 01:04:59,188 ♪ Sister Mary cried ♪ 1154 01:04:59,188 --> 01:05:00,588 ♪ My child is lost ♪ 1155 01:05:00,588 --> 01:05:02,027 ♪ My child is lost ♪ 1156 01:05:02,027 --> 01:05:03,405 ♪ Well, long John ♪ 1157 01:05:03,405 --> 01:05:04,757 ♪ He's long gone ♪ 1158 01:05:04,757 --> 01:05:05,996 ♪ He's long gone ♪ 1159 01:05:05,996 --> 01:05:07,384 ♪ He's long gone ♪ 1160 01:05:07,384 --> 01:05:08,672 ♪ He's long gone ♪ 1161 01:05:08,672 --> 01:05:10,041 ♪ He's long gone ♪ 1162 01:05:10,041 --> 01:05:11,344 ♪ Mister John, John ♪ 1163 01:05:11,344 --> 01:05:12,715 ♪ Mister John, John ♪ 1164 01:05:12,715 --> 01:05:14,023 ♪ Old Big-eye John ♪ 1165 01:05:14,023 --> 01:05:16,563 ♪ Old Big-eye John ♪ 1166 01:05:16,563 --> 01:05:20,813 ♪ Storm is almost gone ♪ 1167 01:05:20,813 --> 01:05:24,994 ♪ Storm is almost gone ♪ 1168 01:05:24,994 --> 01:05:29,994 ♪ I can see the sun peeping through the clouds ♪ 1169 01:05:30,309 --> 01:05:35,309 ♪ The storm is almost gone ♪ 1170 01:05:35,731 --> 01:05:40,731 ♪ The storm is almost gone ♪ 1171 01:05:40,807 --> 01:05:44,699 ♪ Storm is almost gone ♪ 1172 01:05:44,699 --> 01:05:49,699 ♪ I can see the sun peeping through the clouds ♪ 1173 01:05:50,065 --> 01:05:53,315 ♪ Storm is almost gone ♪ 1174 01:05:54,393 --> 01:05:55,943 - Wow, look at this. 1175 01:05:55,943 --> 01:06:00,360 You know this is a photo of the young James Byrd Jr., 1176 01:06:03,869 --> 01:06:05,880 it takes my breath away, 1177 01:06:05,880 --> 01:06:08,639 but I look at the promise in that young face, 1178 01:06:08,639 --> 01:06:10,949 those eyes and that subtle smile, 1179 01:06:10,949 --> 01:06:14,940 and I think about the future he could have had. 1180 01:06:14,940 --> 01:06:17,519 This rips my heart, this rips my heart. 1181 01:06:17,519 --> 01:06:21,059 But this picture would not be here had it not been 1182 01:06:21,059 --> 01:06:24,719 for Alonzo Jordan, the photographer who took it. 1183 01:06:24,719 --> 01:06:27,963 This shows the value of photography. 1184 01:06:28,860 --> 01:06:32,400 Oh, the horror, the horror of it, 1185 01:06:32,400 --> 01:06:34,713 to look at the promise of this young man. 1186 01:06:37,378 --> 01:06:40,128 (poignant music) 1187 01:06:46,650 --> 01:06:48,780 - It's very important to remember, 1188 01:06:48,780 --> 01:06:50,610 but it's not good to just dwell on it. 1189 01:06:50,610 --> 01:06:51,443 I don't want to dwell on it 1190 01:06:51,443 --> 01:06:55,199 'cause if you do, it'll eat you up, it'll consume you. 1191 01:06:55,199 --> 01:06:56,402 I just don't forget it. 1192 01:06:56,402 --> 01:06:58,682 If you do, it can happen again. 1193 01:06:59,610 --> 01:07:01,679 Whatever you throw behind you, 1194 01:07:01,679 --> 01:07:04,480 can come up in front of you again if you don't watch it. 1195 01:07:05,550 --> 01:07:07,052 So we gotta stay vigilant. 1196 01:07:08,280 --> 01:07:10,472 And hope to God it doesn't happen anymore. 1197 01:07:12,090 --> 01:07:14,597 But we can't let it eat us up though. 1198 01:07:16,157 --> 01:07:18,907 (poignant music) 1199 01:07:20,416 --> 01:07:23,373 - Jasper just has grown so much now. 1200 01:07:24,269 --> 01:07:29,269 We all are together, a community of people 1201 01:07:29,789 --> 01:07:33,835 working together, that's what I like about it. 1202 01:07:33,835 --> 01:07:36,179 And you can't do nothing all by yourself. 1203 01:07:36,179 --> 01:07:37,472 Somebody got to help you. 1204 01:07:38,340 --> 01:07:39,603 That's what I say. 1205 01:07:40,559 --> 01:07:42,556 Somebody's got to help you. 1206 01:07:43,775 --> 01:07:46,500 (bright gentle music) 1207 01:07:46,500 --> 01:07:51,010 - We decide we would set it up in remembrance of my son 1208 01:07:52,230 --> 01:07:53,463 and try to educate. 1209 01:07:54,960 --> 01:07:59,646 We give scholarships to the students what deserves it. 1210 01:07:59,646 --> 01:08:02,219 And most of the time where this hate come from 1211 01:08:02,219 --> 01:08:05,429 is through ignorance and they ain't been taught. 1212 01:08:05,429 --> 01:08:10,349 So we try our best to help those 1213 01:08:10,349 --> 01:08:13,983 that wanna go to college to get an education. 1214 01:08:15,000 --> 01:08:18,962 Lots of peoples really don't know any better. 1215 01:08:20,520 --> 01:08:22,014 If they educate theyself 1216 01:08:22,014 --> 01:08:27,014 and then consider a feeling of others, it would help 'em. 1217 01:08:28,971 --> 01:08:30,510 (bright gentle music) 1218 01:08:30,510 --> 01:08:33,929 And then I want to see something good come outta his death. 1219 01:08:33,929 --> 01:08:38,762 And long as I can help anybody, you get a release. 1220 01:08:40,020 --> 01:08:41,430 Seems like your living won't be in vain 1221 01:08:41,430 --> 01:08:42,779 if you could help somebody. 1222 01:08:44,246 --> 01:08:47,412 (bright gentle music) 1223 01:09:01,673 --> 01:09:04,341 (vibrant music) 1224 01:09:11,148 --> 01:09:13,500 - The power to overcome is, it's wonderful. 1225 01:09:13,500 --> 01:09:15,390 I mean, you can see it from what's going on 1226 01:09:15,390 --> 01:09:17,310 with the Juneteenth with my dad, 1227 01:09:17,310 --> 01:09:19,439 and Fred over at the CFHPA, 1228 01:09:19,439 --> 01:09:21,659 and my cousin now is president over there now, 1229 01:09:21,659 --> 01:09:22,592 and she's my age. 1230 01:09:23,515 --> 01:09:24,840 (vibrant music) 1231 01:09:24,840 --> 01:09:26,404 Younger people are coming up 1232 01:09:26,404 --> 01:09:30,779 to show that Jasper's more than James Byrd. 1233 01:09:30,779 --> 01:09:33,445 (vibrant music) 1234 01:09:35,159 --> 01:09:38,100 Even my daughter was just telling me today 1235 01:09:38,100 --> 01:09:40,407 that she tells people that her family's from Jasper 1236 01:09:40,407 --> 01:09:42,720 and they always say, oh, you don't wanna go there 1237 01:09:42,720 --> 01:09:44,189 that guy was killed there. 1238 01:09:44,189 --> 01:09:45,600 And she's looking at them saying, no, 1239 01:09:45,600 --> 01:09:48,060 my family is from there, you know? 1240 01:09:48,060 --> 01:09:49,350 And so she has to explain to them 1241 01:09:49,350 --> 01:09:51,119 that Jasper's bigger than that. 1242 01:09:51,119 --> 01:09:52,319 And that's what's really important, 1243 01:09:52,319 --> 01:09:54,069 we want a better legacy for Jasper. 1244 01:09:54,962 --> 01:09:59,962 - [Announcer] 35, 16, 26, and 33. 1245 01:10:02,604 --> 01:10:04,949 (audience member applauding) 1246 01:10:04,949 --> 01:10:06,000 Alright, first bingo. 1247 01:10:07,849 --> 01:10:10,529 - I have this belief. The Martin Luther Kings 1248 01:10:10,529 --> 01:10:13,229 and the Malcolm Xs and all, they did wonderful jobs 1249 01:10:13,229 --> 01:10:14,939 doing what they were doing to get recognition 1250 01:10:14,939 --> 01:10:16,260 and stuff like that. 1251 01:10:16,260 --> 01:10:18,689 And they're recognized. 1252 01:10:18,689 --> 01:10:20,729 But I have this thing about hometown folks. 1253 01:10:20,729 --> 01:10:23,432 I feel like they ought to be recognized. 1254 01:10:24,390 --> 01:10:26,489 And so that's what we're trying to do now. 1255 01:10:28,890 --> 01:10:33,720 - Local communities have a special responsibility 1256 01:10:33,720 --> 01:10:35,430 to tell their story. 1257 01:10:35,430 --> 01:10:38,340 And so what you have had is that communities like Jasper 1258 01:10:38,340 --> 01:10:40,590 where people have established museums, 1259 01:10:40,590 --> 01:10:43,380 they have gone back and reclaimed their history. 1260 01:10:43,380 --> 01:10:44,760 They're proud of that school, 1261 01:10:44,760 --> 01:10:46,470 they're proud of those situations 1262 01:10:46,470 --> 01:10:48,750 that help make them who they are today, 1263 01:10:48,750 --> 01:10:52,409 that help them to overcome that bad experience 1264 01:10:52,409 --> 01:10:54,060 that the world will never forget. 1265 01:10:55,199 --> 01:10:57,422 They're there to tell their story. 1266 01:10:58,257 --> 01:11:00,869 (vibrant music) 1267 01:11:00,869 --> 01:11:03,115 - My uncle's in that museum. 1268 01:11:03,115 --> 01:11:04,273 - Who is that? 1269 01:11:04,273 --> 01:11:05,376 - MacArthur Ray Smith. 1270 01:11:05,376 --> 01:11:06,556 - He sure is. 1271 01:11:06,556 --> 01:11:09,457 (resident laughing) 1272 01:11:09,457 --> 01:11:11,323 ♪ Won't you ring O hammer ♪ 1273 01:11:11,323 --> 01:11:12,287 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1274 01:11:12,287 --> 01:11:14,145 ♪ Won't you ring O hammer ♪ 1275 01:11:14,145 --> 01:11:15,164 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1276 01:11:15,164 --> 01:11:16,925 ♪ Broke the handle on my hammer ♪ 1277 01:11:16,925 --> 01:11:18,005 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1278 01:11:18,005 --> 01:11:19,793 ♪ Broke the handle on my hammer ♪ 1279 01:11:19,793 --> 01:11:20,854 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1280 01:11:20,854 --> 01:11:22,610 ♪ Got to hammerin' in the Bible ♪ 1281 01:11:22,610 --> 01:11:23,657 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1282 01:11:23,657 --> 01:11:25,426 ♪ Got to hammerin' in the Bible ♪ 1283 01:11:25,426 --> 01:11:26,435 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1284 01:11:26,435 --> 01:11:28,251 ♪ Won't you ring, old hammer ♪ 1285 01:11:28,251 --> 01:11:29,270 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1286 01:11:29,270 --> 01:11:31,192 ♪ Won't you ring, old hammer ♪ 1287 01:11:31,192 --> 01:11:32,181 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1288 01:11:32,181 --> 01:11:34,042 ♪ Gotta talk about Noah ♪ 1289 01:11:34,042 --> 01:11:35,002 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1290 01:11:35,002 --> 01:11:36,850 ♪ Gotta talk about Noah ♪ 1291 01:11:36,850 --> 01:11:37,872 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1292 01:11:37,872 --> 01:11:39,722 ♪ Well, God told Noah ♪ 1293 01:11:39,722 --> 01:11:40,671 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1294 01:11:40,671 --> 01:11:42,543 ♪ Well, God told Noah ♪ 1295 01:11:42,543 --> 01:11:43,543 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1296 01:11:43,543 --> 01:11:45,323 ♪ You is a-goin' in the timber ♪ 1297 01:11:45,323 --> 01:11:46,354 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1298 01:11:46,354 --> 01:11:48,162 ♪ You is a-goin' in the timber ♪ 1299 01:11:48,162 --> 01:11:49,182 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1300 01:11:49,182 --> 01:11:51,061 ♪ You argue some Bible ♪ 1301 01:11:51,061 --> 01:11:51,942 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1302 01:11:51,942 --> 01:11:53,826 ♪ You argue some Bible ♪ 1303 01:11:53,826 --> 01:11:54,774 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1304 01:11:54,774 --> 01:11:56,573 ♪ O ring, old hammer ♪ 1305 01:11:56,573 --> 01:11:57,479 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1306 01:11:57,479 --> 01:11:59,404 ♪ O ring, old hammer ♪ 1307 01:11:59,404 --> 01:12:00,304 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1308 01:12:00,304 --> 01:12:02,188 ♪ Well, Noah got worried ♪ 1309 01:12:02,188 --> 01:12:03,115 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1310 01:12:03,115 --> 01:12:04,954 ♪ Well, Noah got worried ♪ 1311 01:12:04,954 --> 01:12:05,875 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1312 01:12:05,875 --> 01:12:07,627 ♪ What you want with the timber ♪ 1313 01:12:07,627 --> 01:12:08,565 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1314 01:12:08,565 --> 01:12:10,445 ♪ What you want with the timber ♪ 1315 01:12:10,445 --> 01:12:11,405 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1316 01:12:11,405 --> 01:12:13,238 ♪ Won't you build me a ark, sir ♪ 1317 01:12:13,238 --> 01:12:14,123 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1318 01:12:14,123 --> 01:12:15,885 ♪ Won't you build me a ark, sir ♪ 1319 01:12:15,885 --> 01:12:16,845 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1320 01:12:16,845 --> 01:12:18,698 ♪ Won't you ring, old hammer ♪ 1321 01:12:18,698 --> 01:12:19,578 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1322 01:12:19,578 --> 01:12:21,507 ♪ Won't you ring, old hammer ♪ 1323 01:12:21,507 --> 01:12:22,367 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1324 01:12:22,367 --> 01:12:24,207 ♪ Well, Noah asked God, sir ♪ 1325 01:12:24,207 --> 01:12:25,252 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1326 01:12:25,252 --> 01:12:27,007 ♪ Well, Noah asked God, sir ♪ 1327 01:12:27,007 --> 01:12:28,010 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1328 01:12:28,010 --> 01:12:29,791 ♪ How high do you want it ♪ 1329 01:12:29,791 --> 01:12:30,725 ♪ Hammer ring ♪ 1330 01:12:30,725 --> 01:12:32,530 ♪ How high do you want it ♪ 1331 01:12:32,530 --> 01:12:35,030 ♪ Hammer ring ♪