Dr. Gregory Samuels urges reckoning with America's racial past
Dr. Gregory Samuels is Associate Professor of Teacher Education at the University of Montevallo and former Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. He gave the following speech on Feb 16, 2023, to visitors from Los Angeles at the EJI lynching marker on Montevallo's Main Street.
“First of all, I am ever so thankful for the time and effort put forth by members of the Montevallo Community Remembrance Project a few years ago to establish a memorial on our own Main Street in Montevallo. Please know that we only stand here today because of the sacrifice of the Black citizens who came before us, many of whom fell victim to the evils that humans do.
I would like to provide a few thoughts on lynching and racial terrorism as some of you have thought deeply upon throughout the day while others may simply be still processing what you are experiencing. I used to be a high school social studies teacher before arriving at Montevallo and I like to think that is where I learned some level of creativity in teaching and learning. You see, some teachers simply give the information to students in a simple exchange. I on the other hand, like to think I encouraged a deeper level of learning when I would show students photographs from various eras of history and ask them to tell me such things as “who” is NOT in this photograph and “why”? It is important to consider the stories that are voiced, as well as those that are silenced. In another lesson, I would ask students to not simply recite the accomplishments of Thomas Jefferson, but ask them to explore the story of Sally Hemmings and discuss how her story relates to that of Thomas Jefferson. In addition, I would ask students to explain The Willie Lynch Letter and WHY Green Books were necessary for Black families traveling throughout the United States in the early to mid-1900s. You see when you find a way to make people discover what’s not said out loud, or what is not readily seen, it has a way of deafening them upon arrival. It shocks their soul in a healthy way.
When I ask someone, “have you been to the EJI in Montgomery?” and they reply, “oh no, I’ve been meaning to go, but I haven’t had the chance”…it bothers me, as I feel it reveals they are revealing how they feel, or don’t feel, about lynching and racial terrorism without saying it out loud. When people walk on the other side of the street opposite of this marker, they’re telling us how they feel about lynching and racial terrorism without saying it out loud. For those who don’t want this information in our educational curriculum or discussed anywhere in our schools, they are telling us how they feel about lynching and racial terrorism. They are telling us how they feel about hearing marginalized stories. And, I say, we must actively resist this silence and attempts to silence the truth, so as Bryan Stevenson says, we must be honest about the truth, before we an reconcile the harsh realities of our countries past and, I argue, present.
I speak from my heart when I say to each and every young person here today…as the late Congressman John Lewis told us, “get in good trouble” and by you being here today, you are indeed doing the work. I encourage you to continue on the path of seeking truth, reconciling our past, and seeking justice.”