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An Open Letter & Open Report / Black History Month At The Capitol
From: HK Edgerton [hk.edgerton@gmail.com]
Date: Tue, Feb 20, 2018
Subject: An Open Letter & Open Report / Black History Month At The Capitol
To: siegels1 [siegels1@mindspring.com]Dear Ms. Lunelle,
On Thursday, February 15, 2018, in celebration of Black History Month, I would don the uniform of the Southern soldier, and after much dialogue and posing for pictures, I would post the Colors adjacent the Confederate soldiers monument on the grounds of the Florida State Capitol at the old capitol entrance.
I must admit that I expected the sounds from the car horns, the shouts of thank you, God bless you, the Rebel Yell, and an occasional diatribe of disdain because of my presence. However, I must admit that the constant sound of the Rebel Yell by so many young Black men, and their shouts of encouragement, was outright heart warming.
And, not to forget the Capitol police, and one of their Commanders, who assured me that they were there to protect my well being. And then, there were the men who came off the scaffolding to thank me with hugs and praise for making an honorable stand in Dixieland for our people and region. And just like the Capitol police, they would give me assurance that there was a watchful eye looking from above for my safe being as well.
After about two hours, I would make my way across from the state Supreme Court Building and post the Colors. A young Spanish man would approach me and ask, “Why are you here with that slave flag on the Capitol grounds? You know that Nathan Bedford Forest started the Ku Klux Klan under it as well, don’t you?”
“First of all sir,” would come my response: “This Christian Cross of St. Andrew is not a Spanish flag, and being of Spanish descent that I suppose you are. You know that the Spanish in complicit with the thieving Africans would rape the African continent of its people in the economic institution of slavery 400 years before the first African slave ship arrived in the 13 colonies. And, personally, I don’t know how there were any Africans left on the continent. And don’t forget who sold Florida that included African slaves as a part of the bounty.”
Shortly thereafter, we would be joined by a Black taxi cab driver and a Black man in a truck, both of whom would pull their vehicles alongside where I was still in conversation with the young Spanish fellow. “Can I get in on this conversation,” the taxi driver who seemed agitated by my presence would ask? “I as well,” the other Black man would ask?
“He hates Africans and defends slave owners like Nathan Bedford Forrest, who started the Ku Klux Klan,” shouted the Spanish fellow who was pointing his finger at me. “Sir, you are a liar,” I would reply.
“I said to you that General Forrest was exonerated of any affiliation with the Klan, or of any wrong doings at Ft. Pillow by a Special committee of the U.S. Congress formed to investigate the Klan, with every intent to hang him. I also told you that General Forrest was the one White man that helped provide the African people with a way back into the good graces of Southern White folks after they had been tricked, and duped into giving the Yankees like the war criminal General Grant access to the White House, and others like him to state houses across the South via their vote. And, which I might add, most had no idea what a vote was. Some came to the Freedmen Bureau with brown paper bags to get their vote.”
Now that mean eye that had been reserved for me by these two black men turned on to the Spanish man. He threw up his hands and stormed off. The taxi driver said that he had to go, and wished me a good and safe day. The driver of the truck would do the same.
As I began to furl my flag, a group of young students, their teachers and parents, of whom I had posed for pictures earlier, would shout out in unison … “Goodbye, and God bless you!”
It had been a great day in Dixie, and little did I know it would get greater at the Tennessee Historic Commission meeting that I would attend in Nashville, Tennessee the following day, of which I shall report on tomorrow. God bless you!
Your brother
HK
Member, Save Southern Heritage Florida
