C. Sade Turnipseed, Executive Director, Khafre, Inc

Proposal Type: Structured Conversation

Seeking: General Feedback and Interest

Abstract: A monument that pays homage to Cotton Pickers and Sharecroppers does not exist in the United States of America, nor any place else in the world. There is neither “official” honor nor historical acknowledgment of the people, who literally tilled the path to many countries economic greatness, particularly America, Britain and France. Somewhere along the way buried are the tear-soaked memories of the American South. In the soil, the respect and honor for these peoples’ hard-earned investment was lost. The movement to establish the Cotton Pickers of America Monument, Sharecroppers Interpretive Center and the Trail of the Global Cotton Empire is underway towards erecting a series of monuments, interpretive signage and National Parks that offer a small token of appreciation for tireless work of millions of people around the world.   Khafre, Inc leads the international charge to honor the people who built the great “Cotton Kingdom” of the Mississippi Delta. The history of cotton includes the narratives of: slavery, Reconstruction, capitalism, global exchange, shipping, railways, pickers (sharecroppers, day laborers, tenant farmers), planters, distributors, consumers, and bankers. Their collective stories give significance to the investment of some of the hardest-working people, with the least amount of return, in world history. Their commitment to work reflects dignity, pride and a distinct vision of promise for future generations. Khafre, Inc would like to present either an individual presentation or a panel of experts on this subject, during your upcoming conference.

Seeking: Our scholarship and presenter shall sufficiently serve as a reminder to your audience that a monument serves as an ever-present sign of respect and appreciation, for those whose hope for a brighter day wore thin, while working from kin to kain’t (can’t see in the morning to can’t see at night), in the cotton fields of the world, particularly in the Mississippi Delta; making the Global Cotton Empire the most important industry in the world for a very long time.

If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to share contact information for other people the proposer should reach out to, please get in contact directly: C. Sade Turnipseed,sade[at]khafreinc.org

If you have general ideas or feedback to share please feel free to use the comments feature below.

All feedback, and offers of assistance, should be submitted by July 3, 2015.

Related Topics: Place, Memory,Preservation

 

Discussion

4 comments
  1. Denise Meringolo says:

    This is really interesting. I wonder if a panel that included someone talking about other monuments to labor –in the US or elsewhere– could help draw attention to the larger issues of silence and memorialization your project touches on.

  2. Tonia Horton says:

    A question: is the creation of a national park actually on the table for discussion, or is this the “endgame”? If yes, is it a partnership proposal? Or is this solely an advocacy group at present who are interested in national memorialization? Important distinction from the “national park” perspective.

  3. Mattea Sanders says:

    As Denise mentioned I think this would be very interesting if it was tied into a panel on labor, a topic missing from the last couple of years at NCPH. I wonder if the panel could focus on how labor is and is not memorialized and why Americans (and I think this is unique) do not memorialize work. For example, the regional difference in celebrating Juneteenth or May Day?

  4. Thanks for your comments. I am still working on this project and it would be useful to present as a panel and or as a plenary session/presentation.

    Dr. C.S. Turnipseed

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