Welcome Family!

It’s Black History Month and one thing I love is learning and sharing little known Black History facts. This one I discovered when reading Michael Harriot’s Black AF History.

Colonel Titus(“Tye”) Cornelius became the leader of the Black Brigade, a integrated regiment which advertised to attract formerly enslaved Africans to join the revolutionary war and fight on behalf of the British, in exchange for their freedom. The Black Brigade mercilessly fought against and sabotaged the Patriots.

In the process, Colonel Titus targeted slaveowners and military leaders who opposed British rule, freeing their slaves, many who joined his army or aided the cause along the way. This regiment was stationed in New Jersey and the former enslaved fighters had an advantage as they knew the land and habits of the white landowners.

Colonel Titus was appointed to his leadership role by Major General William Franklin (illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin). Before this, he was a skilled soldier in the Ethiopian Regiment, a British regiment of slaves who were also promised freedom to fight on their behalf. Colonel Titus Cornelius took advantage of an opportunity to gain Black liberation, like many did many times over the course of enslavement of Africans all over the world.

Photo of the Month

Mattie (Goodman) Savage

LifeStory from ancestry.com:

When Mattie Goodman was born on July 10, 1893, in North Carolina, her father, Isaac, was 26, and her mother, Mary, was 23. She married James Savage on April 14, 1913, in Gates, North Carolina. They had nine children in 25 years. She died on April 25, 1972, at the age of 78, and was buried in Gates, North Carolina.

In Gates, North Carolina during the time in which she raised her children, agriculture and farming was how most people earned a living and supported their families. Popular crops in the area were cotton, corn, tobacco and peanuts. Communities were close.

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Author: Keisha Moore

I grew up in Queens, NY, but have lived in other areas of the country. I am a pretty easygoing, empathetic introvert by nature. I’m a wife and mother of one, and the daughter of independent-living parents (Gladys (Savage Davis) and Calvin Chesson), born in the period between The Great Depression and the Baby Boomers. I am a Speech-Language Pathologist by profession, and specialize in working with elderly adults. I love science, gardening, the arts, including music (especially old school hip-hop, R&B and funk). I follow politics and am particularly interested in learning little known black history, and keeping track of changes and events that will impact our Black and marginalized communities.