:: A Life in Pursuit: Moses Grandy ::  

I remember four sisters and four brothers; my mother had more children, but they were dead or sold away before I can remember…I was the youngest. I remember well my mother often hid us all in the woods, to prevent master selling us. When we wanted water, she sought for it in any hole or puddle formed by falling trees or otherwise: it was often full of tadpoles and insects: she strained it, and gave it round to each of us in the hollow of her hand. For food, she gathered berries in the woods, got potatoes, raw corn, etc.

After a time the master would send word to her to come in, promising, he would not sell us. But at length persons came who agreed to give the prices he set on us. His wife, with much to be done, prevailed on him not to sell me; but he sold my brother, who was a little boy. My mother, frantic with grief, resisted their taking her child away: she was beaten and held down: she fainted; and when she came to herself, her boy was gone. She made much outcry, for which the master tied her up to a peach tree in the yard, and flogged her.

Educated only “in the horrible school of slavery,” Moses Grandy, even as a young boy, was forced to do debilitating work in miserable circumstances and received unwarranted beatings from ‘masters’ that viewed him only as a machine and work-horse.

As he grew, he bought his freedom three times, yet he remained a slave for much of his life. Many slaves hid among the woods and in the swamps during the day, and at night, trekked over hills and through meadows to escape harsh treatment; he sought freedom through the reward of his hard work, often the hardest way to achieve freedom from a pitiless owner and fraudulent system.

Grandy’s autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy: Late a Slave in the United States of America, is one that begins with familiar geography to those of us in the Fourth Congressional District of Virginia. Born in Camden County, North Carolina, a lumber-collector and worker in the Great Dismal Swamp Canal (which itself was hand-dug by slaves), Grandy knew well the lay of the land on which we now call home.

This written testament to the pursuit of liberty and freedom tells a story with stoicism and without anger, most likely the same emotional attributes which must have allowed Grandy to cope with merciless circumstances while enslaved. In his narrative, he is self-controlled, sharing facts without bitterness. He felt in his soul that he would one day be free from the enslavement of his captors and believed that earned freedom was worth the price.

The dark period of slavery in the United States is well-known but not always understood. Perseverance rings through strongly in the stories of many – the perseverance of slaves who toiled under the oppression of slavery, yet had the courage to fight for their friends, family and the freedom they deserved.

The month of February commemorates African American History. The Library of Congress has developed a vast online source which provides an abundance of information on the history of African Americans in the United States. The Library is a leading resource for the study of the African American experience from the colonial period to the present. The Library’s collection includes multiple resources devoted to illustrate and reminisce upon the lives of many admirable individuals, such as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, and also chronicles the 20th century’s civil rights movement.

I encourage you to visit the Library of Congress’ website, http://www.loc.gov/africanamericans/, to learn more about this unforgettable and fundamental part of America’s history.

Grandy’s biggest legacy lives in his example of these qualities as they remained a priority in his quest for freedom for himself, his family and the rest of the world. He ends his story with this wish: 

I do hope and believe that the cause of freedom to the blacks is becoming stronger and stronger every day. I pray for the time to come when freedom shall be established all over the world. Then will men love as brethren; they will delight to do good to one another; and they will thankfully worship the Father of All.

:: American Heart Month ::

During the month of February, we observe American Heart Month. Heart disease and stroke kill one in every 3.7 men, and one in 2.4 women lose their life to heart disease and stroke.

Many previously unknown factors have become more evident, and some of them are out of our control: genetics and family history. But the first step in decreasing your chances of acquiring heart disease is prevention.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Association gives the following tips to prevent your chances of acquiring heart disease:

Don't smoke, and if you do, quit. Smokers are much more likely to suffer a heart attack than non-smokers. Smoking also boosts the risk of stroke and cancer.

Aim for a healthy weight. It's important for a long, vigorous life. Being overweight or obese can cause many preventable deaths.

Get moving. Make a commitment to be more physically active. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most days of the week.

Eat for heart health. Choose a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.

Know your numbers. Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), and blood glucose. Work with your doctor to improve any numbers that are not normal.

Additionally, a crucial step in determining your risk is to see your doctor for a thorough checkup. Your physician can be an important partner in helping you set and reach goals for heart health. But don't wait for your physician to mention heart disease or its risk factors – take control and ask the tough questions. Your doctor can become a vital part of keeping diseases at bay. 

To learn more about heart disease and how to lower your risk, contact: 

 - The American Heart Association (1-888-MY HEART) or www.americanheart.org.

 - The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute “Heart Truth” campaign (1-800-575-WELL) or http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/.