The first observance of a Memorial Day-type observance after the Civil War was in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 1, 1865. For some reason the history of the African American soldiers have been omitted from the history classes of America.

So how did Memorial Day come about you may ask? During the war, Union soldiers who were prisoners of war and were held at the Charleston Race Course, in which, the Confederates converted the planters’ horse track, the Washington Race Course and Jockey Club, into an outdoor prison; an estimated 257 Union prisoners died there and were hastily buried in unmarked graves. Together with teachers and missionaries, black residents of Charleston organized a May Day ceremony in 1865, which was covered by the New York Tribune and other national papers. The freedmen cleaned up and landscaped the burial ground, building an enclosure and an arch labeled, “Martyrs of the Race Course.” Nearly ten thousand people, mostly freedmen, gathered on May 1 to commemorate the war dead. There were an estimated 257 Union prisoners that died in unmarked dingy graves in the interior of the horse track where the black POW’s where incarcerated in the disease infested, malnourished, and deplorable prison camp. Its very important to bury the deceased with honor, respect, and dignity according to African traditions. Even though the Africans were enslaved, and many second generation African Americans, were born into slavery their ancestral roots flowed deep within their bloodlines; this is what gave them the propensity to create the burial rites in Charleston. To disrespect the dead is like begging a curse over your life and your family; that is why Africans gave homage to those that died at all times, even if they were enemies in the physical realm. They did not want to transcend that negative energy (if it existed) into eternity, the spiritual realm.

Instead of leaving the dead where they were which were ditches with no names on the graves the people were reburied properly by 28 black workmen and they built a high fence around the cemetery. Freedmen, women, and children (including some white missionaries from the north) came together in Charles, South Carolina with flowers, songs, to create the first May Day on May 1st 1865, which was called “Decorations Day” what is known today as Memorial Day. It was recorded that the people at the massive funeral “home going service” attendance reached nearly 10,000 people. Over 2,500 of them were kids from the freedmen schools, Black Union Soldiers, and Black pastors, etc…

Who Got The Credit For Burying The Union Soldiers?

They held a grand march and one of the first groups to start the singing the liberation songs was the Twenty First U. S. Colored Infantry. The Black Charlestonians did not get credit at first for honoring the deceased Union Soldiers because the Ladies Memorial Association of Charleston (white women) started their own parade 51 years latter. You can only suppress the truth for a moment because the truth shall come to light eventually.

Nonetheless, in unity they came together to decorate the graves and called it “Decorations Day!” This was just a bit of history that I wanted to share with everyone. There are a couple of good books on the subject that I think you all would love, “The Aftermath of Slavery,” by Leon F. Litwack and the captivating book, “A Grand Army of Black Men: Letters from African-American Soldiers in the Union Army 1861 1865,” by  Edwin S. Redkey.

Happy Memorial Day To All Righteous Soldiers Around The World!

by King Kevin Dorival, “Black History Month Is Every Month!”