Kelley Carter Instagram – The first photo is a shanty that my ancestors lived in on the Edmund S. Harris plantation in Opelika, Alabama where my father’s family was enslaved. The second photo is a receipt of my great great great grandparents Elex and Nancy on my mother’s side who were purchased for $500 (him) and $400 (her) (and once free, they bought tons of land).
When I went to the Harris plantation with my dad’s family a few years back, I peered into that shanty because we couldn’t walk inside — it was at the time being used for storage. Right as I was looking in the window, a yellow jacket came and stung the mess out of me. Then and there I surmised it was an ancestor telling me to take my behind far away from here.
And I did.
I think about that moment often. I think about my ancestors often. Not just on this day. But especially on this day. #juneteenth | Posted on 20/Jun/2024 07:30:06
