Like most of us, we at the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire are outraged because of the murder of George Floyd. We are outraged because of his murder and because of other recent displays of the type of injustices African Americans bear daily. We are outraged and we are made weary. Part of our outrage is as you might expect: We are the Black Heritage Trail and Black Lives do Matter. But our outrage is not only because our focus is the history of Black Americans.
What we learn from this history in our state helps me articulate another aspect of our outrage. In this state, before it was a state, before there was a country for any state to exist in, there was an African man, Prince Johonnett, who volunteered to fight with other future Americans in the Revolutionary War. He fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He is not the only African who fought for the idea and the ideals of our nation. For many Black Americans, the idea of America, all too often, is primarily aspirational. When we choose to be patriotic, an amazing choice, given most readings of history, we are making a conscious decision to believe in a hope, in a promise. It is to choose to walk forward in faith, oftentimes against common sense, propelled forward by the ideal of America, as yet unborn. Our outrage is a patriotic outrage. For us to sit back and accept this would be to betray the bravery and sacrifice of Mr. Johonnett and others.
Whatever else we, as citizens, as supporters of the Trail, as human beings do, The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire will continue to do the work of telling the stories of Africans in our state. We will continue to encourage conversations about these critical issues; we will support each other as we continue to move forward in this work, and in all of our work, especially when that work aspires to strengthen community and provide support to the people who make community possible.
Thank you for your support of the Trail. May you and your circle of intimates be blessed with health and peace.
Sincerely,
Bob Thompson
(The Reverend) Robert H. Thompson,
President of the Board, Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire
