"What'll Become of Me?"

Click on this link to read my original post about "12 Years A Slave"

http://coachfogs.blogspot.com/2014/01/12-years-slave.html



This week my students watched the Academy Award-winning movie "12 Years A Slave"...so many scenes in this movie have seared my memory with thoughts of good and evil, love and hatred, cruelty and kindness, hope and despair, etc.

Yesterday in class, we discussed the scene where Solomon was rescued as Master Epps, Patsey, and others looked on...


From "12 Years A Slave" page 308 Solomon writes:

On my way back to the carriage, Patsey ran from behind a cabin and threw her arms around my neck.

"Oh! Platt," she cried, tears streaming down her face, "you're goin' to be free - you're goin' way off yonder where we'll neber see ye any more. You've saved me a good many whipping, Platt; I'm glad you're goin' to be free - but oh! de Lord, de Lord!...what'll become of me?"

I disengaged myself from her, and entered the carriage. The driver cracked his whip and away we rolled. I looked back and saw Patsey, with drooping head, half reclining on the ground...

"What'll become of me?", is a very interesting and poignant question...many historians have spent years trying to complete the story of Solomon, Patsey, and others who lived on Master Epps plantation. Unfortunately, most of the hard work has come up empty.  Their lives seemed to have disappeared...but, hopefully not forgotten.

But, the question still begs to be asked (maybe in different ways)...



What'll become of me?

What'll become of African-Americans, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, etc.?

What'll become of (us) the United States of America?

200 years from now what will they be saying "became of us?"

I hope they will see some progress and good amidst our empty words/ hypocrisy...