tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20794947.post8133276576402874447..comments2023-06-14T10:38:45.174-05:00Comments on A Nerd's Country Journal: Frederick DouglassJeff Heberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732306951663286466noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20794947.post-44638556157201290242006-10-30T22:11:00.000-06:002006-10-30T22:11:00.000-06:00Great story Denise, thank you for sharing it. I ho...Great story Denise, thank you for sharing it. I hope you do get it published somewhere, it's something the state should know about.Jeff Heberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13732306951663286466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20794947.post-58451883084339770402006-10-30T21:18:00.000-06:002006-10-30T21:18:00.000-06:00Oh -- I forgot. His owner died during the war. Wal...Oh -- I forgot. His owner died during the war. Walter Burton sent his former slave owner's widow money every single month until she died. Too controversial? From what side of the prejudicial fence are we leaning on, Texas Highways? -- DeniseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20794947.post-54882408585575397182006-10-30T21:16:00.000-06:002006-10-30T21:16:00.000-06:00When I think of the millions of voices that were s...When I think of the millions of voices that were silenced and will never be heard, it is agonizing. We will never know how many Leonardo da Vinci's, Langston Hughes', Sylvia Plaths and other great thinkers were silenced before they ever got a chance to step to the plate. I am very disappointed by some of our young people today who have no clue to the names of the people who made it possible for them to have what they have. I asked a group of 20-somethings in my multicultural class to name three -- JUST THREE -- female leaders of the last 50 years. They thought. Silence. Then one popped up -- "Betsy Ross." I rattled off a list of feminist leaders and just plain women leaders, and they had barely heard of them. I blame my generation for having it easy and not making sure these leaders' names are never forgotten so that people of color and women are no longer sent to the back of the line again. But unless we educate this younger generation, we are doomed to make the same mistakes twice.<br /><br />At the rate of being too long, I'll note a quick story here. There was a man, Walter Burton, who was born a slave in Tennessee, sold to a plantation owner here in Fort Bend County and was taught to read by his owner. When the Civil War ended, Burton paid his own way through college and became quite wealthy here in the county because of his innate intelligence and ability to get along with both whites and blacks. He is the only African-American sheriff ever to serve in Fort Bend County, he was elected to the Texas Senate and introduced the bill to establish Prairieview A&M University. Burton and his son are the only people of color buried in a historic cemetery here, where Jane Long and Mirabeau Lamar are buried. I sent in a synopsis of this wonderful man's life to Texas Highways as part of their "Around the State" section -- one where I've seen all kinds of white people featured. They turned it down. The reason -- "Too controversial." Who says prejudice is over, and this from a state-wide magazine. -- DeniseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com