FEARLESS 75
Some say they were seventy-five in number, others say there were more. No matter the number, they were men of courage who believed in themselves and the freedom their ancestors had. They believed in the equality of all men no matter their race or creed. Chains couldn’t hold them back, and whip couldn’t sate their spirits. All men are born free and must remain free even if it means death. To them, it is better to die than to become a slave to another man.
The year was 1803 and the place was Dunbar Creek on St. Simons Island, Glynn Country, Georgia. Slave merchants John Couper and Thomas Spalding had purchased the slaves from the coastal areas of West Africa to be resold to the plantations n St. Simmons Island. During the Voyage, the seventy-five Igbo slaves rose in rebellion, took control of the ship, drowned their captors, and anchored the ship in Dunbar Creek.
Led by a Chief Priest, the seventy-five courageous men walked towards the sea chanting “mmou miri zitere anyi, mmou miri ga eduru anyi ulo (the water spirit brought us here. The water spirit will take us home.) They marched into the sea in a single file and drowned themselves in it to the amazement of onlookers who before now never saw a tribe who preferred death to slavery.
Historians had tried to play down this act of freedom fighting as “mere Folklore”, but modern history has been able to prove with tangible evidence that the events occurred in the month of May in 1803. This is still seen as the first freedom march in the history of the United States; where men gave their lives in protest of an evil done to them and their coming generations.
There is no better event to explain the Igbo belief that all men are born free and equal before an almighty creator. The seventy-five strong men stood against oppression and preached to the whole world the freedom message of their ancestors. They didn’t bow to starvation and punishment but were able to stand for what they believed in till death.
These are real heroes of the Igbo race who defended our tribe and belief system in a foreign land without minding what the consequences are. Overpowering their captors in the ship is no mean feat, it showed the resilience and fighting spirit in all Igbo people all over the world. It displayed our abilities to find a way in the midst of impossibilities; centuries after this trait is still what keeps the Igbo man alive and prosperous in every part of the world they may find themselves in.
Sadly, centuries after, the children of these brave seventy-five men have not been able to match up to the greatness of their ancestors. The new generation needs to understudy these notable deeds of their ancestors and apply them to their everyday lives. They have it all in them, they only need to take charge and conquer on all fronts.
In the year 2002, the souls of these seventy-five great men were permanently led to rest by the St. Simmons African American community. The event was attended by seventy-five people drawn across the United States, Nigeria, Haiti, and Brazil.
We will continue to pray for the souls of these seventy-five great men to continue to rest in power.
LESSONS TO LEARN
· There are no impossibilities, if you want and work towards it you will get it.
· Strive to be good, later generations will appreciate you for it.
· Heroes don’t always wear capes; you become a hero by little acts of excellence in our daily lives.
· No man is born a slave to another man, we only become slaves through inactions and acts of cowardice.
· Greatness is in all of us; it is left for us to bring to realization.
