Florida State Senate, 1875. Photo courtesy of the Florida Senate Archive.This is a photo of the Flor

Florida State Senate, 1875. Photo courtesy of the Florida Senate Archive.This is a photo of the Florida State Senate in 1875. That’s my great great grandfather, Thomas Warren Long, holding a hat in the front row.T.W. Long was born into slavery in January, 1839 in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1860, he was enslaved by John Roberts, along with 6 others, including his wife, Mary Cornelia. But in 1862, T.W. joined up with the Union soldiers when they arrived in Florida. Before walking to South Carolina to officially enlist with the 33rd US Colored Infantry, he “stole” and escaped with his wife and 2 daughters. While fighting in the Civil War, T.W. taught himself to read with the Bible. He became a leader and inspiration among his fellow soldiers, a position that he maintained in his community when he returned home to Jacksonville as a free man after the war. He went on to walk through the state of Florida to start some of the country’s first African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) churches.Due to his prominence within Florida’s Black community, it made sense for T.W. to seek public office. During the era of Reconstruction, prior to the enactment of Black Codes in Florida and nationwide, Black folks took advantage of their political clout. My ancestor was no exception. He was a Florida state senator from 1873 until 1879. And in spite of major setbacks that resulted from white backlash against black autonomy, he went on to have a thriving career as an A.M.E. church minister. Later, he was a founding Board Member of Edward Waters College. And he owned multiple plots of land by the time of his death in 1917.This photo is a source of great pride for me and my family. There T.W. stands, just 10 years after the Civil War and 13 years after escaping to freedom with his family, looking all types of proud, cool and respected. That hat. That stance. That expression. As if he thought, “what ya’ll know about this greatness standing before you?”I feel so fortunate to stand on the shoulders of T.W. and so many other powerful men and women in my family tree. They remind me everyday how to truly take advantage of my freedom. Story from Dana Saxon  -- source link

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