ANOTHER ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR ENSLAVED PERSONS' HUMANITY AND HISTORY AT HISTORIC MT. LOCUST PLANTATION INN ON THE NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY
by Ser Seshs Ab Heter-CM Boxley
Historic Mt. Locust Plantation Inn is located on the Natchez Trace
Parkway about fifteen miles northeast of Natchez Mississippi. The National
Park Service owns the property and interprets the history of the Inn as part
of a number of inns and "stands" that vended food, a resting place and
shelter to travelers on the original 19th century Natchez Trace.
Eight years or so ago, Ser Seshs Ab Heter-CM Boxley of Africa House Ya
Providence Educulture Museum and Gallery (Ser) provoked the Natchez Trace
Parkway into presenting and interpreting Mt. Locust Plantations' enslaved
persons' cemetery.
This cemetery had remained buried in a forrest of overgrown trees, bushes
and vines on the backside of the historic Inn and all but forgotten. In
contrast, not so was the cemetery of the enslavers who owned the plantation
and their descendants.
Parkway employees maintained their cemetery in an excellent manner. The
enslavers' cemetery is an integral component of the history and humanity of
Mt. Locust presented and interpreted by the National Park Service.
Ser declared the neglect of the enslaved persons' cemetery a case of
unequal history commemoration and continued denial of their humanity on the
part of the National Park Service, thus continued denial of the humanity of
African descendants.
Today, Mt. Locust African Burial Ground is readily accessible, presented
and interpreted by a sensitive, responsive and caring Natchez Trace Parkway
unit of the National Park Service.
Natchez Trace Parkway Administration also responded in a positive action
to Ser's request that the names of Mt. Locust Plantation Inn enslaved
persons be presented to visitors in a like manner as the names of the
enslavers are presented.
In October 2006, the Natchez Trace Parkway's staff erected a permanent
colorful and well designed interpretive wayside reflecting an actual example
of chattel slavery and names of humans enslaved at Mt. Locust.
See photograph of Mt. Locust's slavery wayside below.
