Wade in the Water: A Day of Remembering, Mourning, and Honoring African American Ancestors

The arrival of 20 Africans in April 1619 at Jamestown, Virginia, is symbolically recognized as the start of slavery in the American colonies. For centuries our African ancestors were chained, branded, beaten, and transported across the ocean as part of the most brutal slavery in history. For each African who was enslaved, it is estimated that three to four died. For centuries, African and African American ancestors worked under barbaric conditions in homes, factories, fields and on ships. They were abused, mutilated, bred, murdered, and humiliated.

We, as a people, have never has a chance to mourn. We have never taken the time to fully honor our incredibly strong, intelligent and resourceful ancestors who strived and survived that we might be here today and have the opportunities that we now have, on April 11, 1999, and on the second Sunday of each year, we should take that time. Each year in April the observance should be repeated. This would be a day that is set aside to remember, to mourn, and to honor our ancestors. This observance will also allow us as a people and as individuals to begin, at long last to heal.

Remember: On this day read and tell the stories of our ancestors. Include the lives of your own ancestors. Teach children, youth, and adults about the people and about life during slavery.

Honor: Pray in whatever is your manner of praying. Sing the precious spirituals that our ancestors moaned and sang through their lives.

Heal: Hold each other and cry freely. Wail for their unimaginable suffering and agony. Let the tears roll d6wn your face.

Never Forget: Dance to their strength and ingenuity, their will to survive that we might live. Dance to their ability to find times of laughter and song. Dance to the tears they shed. Dance, dance, dance.

Wade in the Water: At sundown, turn off your lights and light a candle or candles. Have a basin of fragrant water with flower petals floating on top. Ceremoniously place your feet of your hands into a basin of water as you and those with you sing Wade in the Water.

   Wade in the water
   Wade in the water, Chillin'
   Wade in the water
   God's gwinne trouble the water.

And God did trouble the water and set his children free. We will never allow these people to be forgotten. We will honor them and we will begin to heal. For further information on how to plan and implement your own ceremony, contact Nancy Nelson at P.O. Box 542, Cheney, Washington 99004-0542, or [email protected].

COPYRIGHT 1999 Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group