African-American Generations Timeline from October 2016 Service

Generations: A Timeline

adapted from a program by Gail Forsyth-Vail, Director of Religious Education at North Parish Church (Unitarian Universalist), North Andover, MA

I represent the first generation of West African people who came to North America as slaves. We came to Jamestown, Virginia in the year 1619.

I represent the children of those people, born between 1625 and 1650; and I remain enslaved.

I represent the grandchildren of those Jamestown slaves, born between 1650 and 1675, and I remain enslaved.

I represent those Jamestown slaves’ grandchildren’s children, born between 1675 and 1700.  Many of my generation remain enslaved.

I represent their grandchildren’s grandchildren, born between 1700 and 1725.  Many Europeans have come now, and taken land for towns and cities, but I remain enslaved.

I represent the grandchildren’s grandchildren’s children, born between 1725 and 1750.  The natives who used to live in the area have been driven out to make way for the expanding number of cities and towns in these British colonies, and I remain enslaved.

I represent the great, great, great, great grandchildren, born between 1750 and 1775.  These British colonies have begun to clamor for political independence, stating that “all men are created equal.”  But we remain enslaved.

I represent the great, great, great, great, great grandchildren, born between 1775 and 1800.  The British colonies are now a country: The United States of America. Many native people have lost their lands as the United States has become bigger and bigger.  The cotton gin has been invented, meaning that the farmers can grow lots more cotton. It takes a lot of people to take care of the cotton. Many white people choose to get the help they need with the cotton crop by buying more slaves.  Thousands more West African people, kidnapped from their homes, arrive in chains.

I represent the 9th generation of African slaves, born between 1800 and 1825.  This country is twice as big as it was just a few years ago. Many white people are going West, looking for more places to build towns and cities.  The cloth mills in the North are hungry for cotton, so farmers in the South grow more and more, needing more and more slaves. As more and more slaves arrive, I too remain enslaved.

I represent the 10th generation, born between 1825 and 1850.  The Indian Removal Act of 1830 is pushing Indians from their land.  Many Indians are slaughtered. In 1848, the United States takes a huge piece of Mexico and now rules over its Spanish-speaking citizens.  There are now groups of people writing and speaking against slavery, but I still remain enslaved.

I represent the grandchildren’s grandchildren’s grandchildren’s grandchildren of the Jamestown slaves, born between 1850 and 1875.  The country has fought a civil war. The railroads have been built by Irish and Chinese workers. The Indian wars continue in the West, as native peoples are forced into small areas of land called reservations.  Slavery has been officially outlawed. I am no longer a slave, but people in power are working hard to limit my rights.

I represent the 12th generation, born between 1875 and 1900.  There are now laws limiting who may come to this country and who may not.  The Supreme Court has declared that whites and non-whites ought to be separated.  I am no longer a slave, but the law says that I have fewer rights and privileges than white people.

I represent the children’s children’s children’s

Children’s children’s children’s

Children’s children’s children’s

Children’s children’s children

born between 1900 and 1925. A world war is fought in this time, and women are finally allowed to vote.  I still live and work under laws that separate me from white people.

I represent the following generation, born between 1925 and 1950.  The country suffers the Great Depression – when many people lose their jobs – then fights in the Second World War.  Just like the rest of society, people of color in the military are kept separate from whites.

Whole towns full of new homes are built after the war for the returning soldiers; people of color are not allowed to live in many of those towns.

I represent the children born between 1950 and 1975.  This is the time of the Civil Rights Movement and of Martin Luther King, Jr.  At long last, the children’s children’s children’s

Children’s children’s children’s

Children’s children’s children’s

Children’s children’s children’s

Children’s children

Of Jamestown slaves have achieved equality under the law.

I represent those born after the bicentennial year, 1976, while U.S. cities were raging over school integration, and in smaller cities like Bellingham, significant numbers of non-white citizens began to change our community’s self-perception. Also during this period we experienced the racial turbulence following the beating of Rodney King. But as the new millennium dawned, we looked ahead with guarded optimism.

I represent the generation of today, born since September 11, 2001. I was born into an interdependent world where it has become increasingly clear that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Two generations have passed since racial discrimination was legally sanctioned, and our first African American president has been elected and re-elected. My generation will continue to tell the stories of our human struggles for freedom. And we will do our part to carry forward the dream.