So my sister Naila just did something amazing. For real, this is part of the American story. On the back of decades of family history work between my mother and my sister, something remarkable happened today. Please keep reading if you want to see how one person can make an IMMEDIATE change in the world.
As many of you know, I am multi-racial. My sisters and I share blood from many places and many people. Sometimes it's hard to track where we are from because so many of us were slaves.
That still breaks my mind when I think about it. My ancestors, in this case, my great-great-great-great grandfather was bought and sold.
Apparently, the best time to sell a slave was when they turned twelve. Take a second, what were you doing at twelve? Were you aware that in 1853, the best price for a kid was when they were twelve? Yeah, me either.
When my great-great-great-great grandfather Archibald (Archie) Beale was at his top price, he sold for $500.
So in today's dollars, my great-great-great-great grandfather Archie (at twelve years old) was worth $15,011.41.
He was sold in Richmond, VA, the largest slave-trading hub outside New Orleans, LA. They were held in pens, like cattle and other animals while they awaited being shipped to other places throughout the South.
For the first twelve years of my great-great-great-great grandfather's life, he lived at the Tuckahoe Plantation. The Tuckahoe Plantation was where Thomas Jefferson, the nephew of the owner of the Tuckahoe Plantation, spent his summers.
Crazy right?
Wait, it gets really real right here.
The Tuckahoe Plantation is still in existence today. It's now an event venue. Good people pay good money to get married in this beautiful place.
My sister Naila found the website this morning (7/20/18). What she read, and then read to the rest of us, was...surprising/maddening.
The first lines of their website, until this evening (good for them!), read "Welcome to Tuckahoe Plantation Southern Hospitality since 1733".
For real..."Southern Hospitality since 1733".
UNTIL TODAY THERE WAS NO MENTION OF SLAVERY ON THEIR WEBSITE. WHO THE HELL BUILT THE PLACE?
There is mention of being listed as one of the "Most Haunted" places in Richmond...so they had that going for them, which is nice.
AS AN ASIDE, WHO THE HELL IS PROBABLY HAUNTING THE PLACE.
Here, dear friends and family is the REMARKABLY RESTRAINED email my sister wrote to the Tuckahoe Plantation this morning...
Hi - My third great grandfather was one of the many slaves who was born on Tuckahoe Plantation. While reading the about section of your site it mentions " southern hospitality since 1733"
Naila
I would respectfully request a change in your wording. Southern hospitality came at the expense of my third great-grandfather and many like him. While I don't fault anyone for what was the way of the times, I do ask to consider the plantation was built not by Mr. Mann but by slaves and cheap labor. I am sure there is a way to honor the beauty and history of the home and also respect the many unknown who without choice played a part in it becoming a model for " southern hospitality"
Naila
Best - Naila Farrell - third great grandchild of Arch Beale who left Tuckahoe for Bath County Va where I was born with Gabriella when she married at the age of 12
Their very fast response (paraphrased, because I'm VERY impressed with their response!)
RESPONSE
Wow, this is a great point. The information that you shared about your great-great-great-great grandfather is needed and relevant. The accounting of how much everyone cost is a document that we did not have, thank you for that! We take this matter and your opinion seriously. While I cannot change it, I will let the owners know as soon as possible.
2nd RESPONSE
Your family should be proud of your heritage! We want to be as responsible and understanding of all the aspects of our history as possible!
As the great-great-great-great grandson of Archie, I am happy that the place that he lived for the first twelve years of his life was so aware and ready to make changes.
Oh, I'm sorry! Did I not mention what they did TODAY? They changed the first lines of their website from "Southern Hospitality" to "Thomas Jefferson's Boyhood Home".
In the HISTORY Section, they ADDED SOMETHING ABOUT SLAVES, WHICH SEEMS IMPORTANT, NO?
I've added two pictures. The first is of Archie Beale himself. The second is what he and the others from the plantation cost when they were PUT UP FOR SALE LIKE FARM ANIMALS.
With all this said, this is the end of so much work from my sister and my mother Acquanetta (just to tag you Mom, not using your first name).
I appreciate the IMMEDIATE, THOROUGH, AND SIGNIFICANT response from the good people at the Tuckahoe Plantation. With no shade being thrown at them, I do find it exhausting that the great-great-great-great granddaughter of Archie had to be the one to say something so that slavery was at least acknowledged. With that said, AGAIN I APPRECIATE THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.
Congratulations to my sister. In the world we live in, I'm so happy that we can come together when we need to. That one generous and thoughtful email can lay the groundwork for so many important conversations.
We are ALL Americans and we are better when we work together.