Exodus 14:14 Freedom Glory!
The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
My Father, Jerry Lee Head, taught me many valuable lessons that have followed me throughout my life. Many are the same lesson Father God teaches in His holy word. Another valuable lesson my father taught me was avoiding a fight; turning the other cheek and walking away keeps you alive. At least once a month, my dad would take the family to the cinema because he loved the movies. One Saturday afternoon, I felt like seeing a film. I told my dad I was headed to the Water Tower Movie Theater, and he told me to enjoy myself and use a pay phone if I needed help. The Water Tower showed movies that were not so recently to keep admission tickets at $ fifty. I saw the Glory movie poster at the theater and decided to watch it. “Glory” is a 1989 movie about the first all-Black regiment of the United States Army. On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation. This new bill gave Black Americans the right to fight and defend their freedoms. It was a strong suggestion by Frederick Douglass that Black Men be allowed to fight because he knew they had a passion for winning freedom for all. The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was the name of this new unit of black soldiers, and Colonel Robert Gould Shaw was their leading commander. An abolitionist himself, Colonel Shaw had a passion for ending the evil of slavery. Recruits of the 54th Massachusett all look forward to the right to bear arms. Given their new muskets and rifles, they were trained to aim straight and charge at hearts with bayonets. The recruits also look forward to all being issued new uniforms so that together, looking like one, they could fight like one. After training in several battles, the 54th was ordered to charge against Fort Wagner. A strong Confederate fort in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, The attack is similar to the D-Day invasion during WWII because many perished, but they did it for the glory of freedom. July 18, 1863, six hundred men went to battle; two hundred and seventy perished. 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment did not overtake Fort Wagner. When the Civil War was over, President Lincoln noted the 54th Massachusetts Regiment was essential for victory and ending slavery in the United States. It was dark, and a little later, as I left the theater, I saw a group of young black boys walking toward me. As they approached and encircled me, one said, “What’s up,’ I said, “Nothing, just walking home.” Then he hit my face, acting like nothing had happened, and continued to walk. A younger Black boy ran and asked if I was okay; I said it stung a little, but his friend punched me like a girl. If I had hit back, the boys would beat me, so I did what my father taught, just walking away from conflict. Children of the living and loving God do not seek conflict or warfare. Children of God also do not allow the evils of slavery to take place. Nor do Christians call an evil practice acceptable, especially when the good book is against such wicked sins. To dwell on the sins of the past without a forgiven heart gives room for revenge. Of course, bondage and oppression still exist, but many who live in free nations are still a slave to sin. The Lord is a warrior and coming to end sin once and for all and set all who seek His glory free! God bless you all; his glory is marching on and on; Jesus loves you, and so do I: his bondservant, Samuel Jerry Head.
Thanks Sam