Lost Tribe of Magruder: the Untold Story of the Navy’S Dispossession of a Black Community
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Lost Tribe of Magruder: The Untold Story of the Navy’s Dispossession of a Black Community Travis Terrell Harris Williamsburg, Virginia Master of Arts, College of William & Mary 2016 Master of Divinity, Virginia Union University, 2011 Bachelor of Arts, University of Virginia, 2006 A Dissertation presented to the Graduate Faculty of The College of William & Mary in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy American Studies College of William & Mary August 2019 © Copyright by Travis T. Harris, 2019 COMPLIANCE PAGE Research approved by Protection of Human Subjects Committee Protocol number(s): PHSC-2018-04-04-12919-ttharris Date(s) of approval: June 15, 2018 ABSTRACT “The Lost Tribe of Magruder” tells the story of a predominately Black community, Magruder, that had been forcibly relocated in 1942 for the creation of Camp Peary, a World War II training ground. This dissertation furthers our understanding of dispossession. Dispossession disempowers those who experience it. An adequate understanding of dispossession and how this understanding can be beneficial to this particular descendant community in Williamsburg contributes to strengthening dispossessed Blacks throughout African diasporas. Scholars primarily define dispossession according to the legal definition of the loss of land; a dearth of scholars have examined additional components of dispossession: material, racial, spatial and bodily. Dispossession is much more than the loss of land and entails multiple components coming together into a “matrix.” This new matrix consists of five elements: material, psychological, political, existential and spiritual, creating what I call the “matrix of dispossession.” The predominantly Black community from Magruder has experienced this matrix of dispossession. The dispossession of Magruder in 1942 links back to more than five hundred years of Europeans dispossessing Africans and African diasporic peoples. The first dispossessed Africans who forcefully had migrated to Tsenacommacah area predates the “first twenty Negroes” by close to a century. These are the ancestors of Magruder. They also have kinship networks that trace back to the 17th century and spread around the United States. These networks played an integral role during slavery, post emancipation and after the dispossession of Magruder in 1942. The Black community of Magruder reveals how Blacks experience multiple dispossessions and form new diasporas. They travel and learn how to read, write and communicate during slavery. Magruder forms into a tight knit communication with two churches, farming, oystering, education and love. While the Navy’s dispossession of Magruder disrupts and wipes Magruder off the map, this story still needs to be told. Overwhelmingly, the descendant community states they want this story to be told and they have guided me in understanding the way they want it to be told. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ii List of Tables v List of Figures vi Language vii Naming Method viii Timeline ix Key Characters x Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. Methodology and Research Design 43 Chapter 3. Historical Background and Community Life 66 Chapter 4. The Taking 117 Chapter 5. After the Dispossession 145 Chapter 6. Enter the Matrix 179 Appendix A 225 Appendix B 227 Appendix C 229 Appendix D 230 Bibliography 232 Vita 255 i Acknowledgments If it had not been for the Lord on my side, where would I be? This road was long, hard, lonely, alienating and, quite often, I wanted to give up. In reflecting back over my journey towards receiving a PhD, a process that elevates research, evidence and confirmation, I cannot provide an adequate explanation in how I got it done. I am a full time student and married with two children. It seems almost impossible to balance all these responsibilities, but God. God’s faithfulness in keeping me, guiding me and strengthening me is ultimately the reason why I finished. First and foremost, I acknowledge my Lord and savior Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher of my faith. The next most significant group to acknowledge is my family; my wife Destiney Harris and my two daughters, Grace and Faith. My wife encouraged me throughout the process. She lovingly inspired me to keep going and would often say “Be productive.” As my primary motivator, I would not have finished if my wife did not aid me throughout this process. My daughters have been my two little rocks. Grace and Faith helped me to make sense of a world that has been difficult for me to make sense of. In many ways, I could look at them and know that everything would be alright, even when they were not alright. My rootedness in trusting God comes from my mother, Elizabeth Charity. My mom displayed an immeasurable level of faithfulness throughout the many struggles of her life. Her like spoke and taught me how to press on, despite of any obstacle I endured while going through this process. My brother, Antoine Harris, helped me to make sense of things I did not understand. My brother believed in me when others did not. When people attacked me, he told me he had my back. It was also my brother who helped me appreciate my father, Woodrow Harris. My dad, just like my brother, recognized my potential. My family’s support, including my sister in law, Sykeythia Harris, and my nephews, Isaiah and Elijah and my niece, Alyiah, provided the push I needed in order to deal with the alienation of the process. A life changing moment while in graduate school was the passing of my grandmother. While her death was not a surprise, it hit me hard. During the time periods in which I was homeless, we stayed with my grandparents, therefore she played an important role in my childhood. Her funeral brought my extended family together and it was then that I realized how much I took my family for granted. That realization created a new appreciation for my extended family. My aunts, Julie, Gwendolyn, Bernice, Delois, Florence, Gayle, Pat and Thelma; my uncles Sandy, John, Charles, and Henry; my cousins Scott, Chante, Jovan, Aaryn, Artisha, Lindsey, Tanya, Darryl, Karen, Chelsea, Mike, Tory, Trevan, Anwar, Eric Charlie, and Jennifer. In the second year of graduate school, Allan Wynne started cutting my hair in a local barbershop. He is the reason why I am researching Magruder. His family lived in Magruder and he shared the story about his family with me in the barbershop. I would like to express my appreciation, gratitude and admiration to all those who lived in Magruder and their descendants. You are my motivation. I want to get justice for your family. What you experienced is why I am working so hard to make sure this dissertation is a source of knowledge for your family and opportunity to tell your story. I am honored that you all have open your lives and homes to me. Some of the family members I would like to acknowledge for spending time with are Darren Banks, Lloyd Wallace, Carlon Lassiter, Hope Wynn- ii Carter, Brian Palmer, Melissa Palmer, Marlon “Streetz” Hamilton, Mary Lassiter, Sherita Hamilton-Lassiter, Justine Robinson, Joyce Wynne, Lloyd Wallace, Daniel Johnson, Maurice Scott, MD Hundley, Billie Johnson, Trenny Canady, Burnell Irby, Brittani Robinson, Verónica Nelson, Prince Wallace, Crystal Haskins, Liza Daniels, Curtis Lassiter, and George Ernest Wallace. I also would like to acknowledge those who took the time to talk with me who knew about Magruder and are well established in the Williamsburg community, Edith “Cookie” Heard, Rev. Dr. Reginald Davis and Wilbert Hill. This dissertation is for my “hood” and I need to acknowledge their role in shaping who I am today. By “hood,” I mean my actual neighborhood I grew up in Richmond, Virginia. I also mean those from the bottom who have struggled in similar ways as I did in my old neighborhood. This community includes but is not limited to Tory Russell, Kenyon Johnson, Charles Robertson, Jamal Kee, Yorrel Hughes, Corey, Anthony Tucker, Preston, Chris Holmes, Jalel Galloway (R.I.P.) Chijioke Ihejirika, Lorenza Watson, Dawane and Cristal Goodman, Rod Knee, Brandon Lee, Sharrieff De'Johnette, DJ AA1K Anthony Amos and Ahmad Hawkins. I also need to shout out my Black family in Williamsburg and at the College of William & Mary. There were times when I needed to be around Black men, during those times I would play basketball at the James City County Recreation Center. Shout out to Malcolm Whitten, Shawon Fields-Faltz, Jay Pretlow, D’ Andre Pryor, the “Terminator” Louis Giles Jr., Obryan McMiller, Donovan Bridgeforth, George Bridgeforth, Jeff Meekins, A. J. Faltz, Brandon Brown, E Jay, Everett Christian, Jody, Shawn Lee, Ryan Givens, Tommy Dover, Bryant Olvis, David Hassel, Tim Murray and John Fitchett. Shout out to Africana Studies department, especially Artisia Green. My students cheered me on through the process. Because I had over sixty, I could not possibly name every one of you, but you know who you are. I do need to highlight Jean Brown, the administrator of American Studies. Her office provided a mini oasis amid chaos. Then, my family in the Williamsburg community encouraging me through the process includes but not limited to Jacqueline Bridgeforth Williams, Visions Barbershop, John Whitley, Max Blalock, Daniel Willson, Jessica O'Brien, Carter McNeese, Kay Barre, Nancy Carnegie, Lindsay Usher, Corwin Hammond, Eric Christenson, Evelyn Frazier Thompson, James Meekins, John Piggot, Reneldo N. Randall, John Tarley, Philip Canady, Monica Griffin and John Rio Riofrio. Also, in Williamsburg, I need to acknowledge the crews at Little Caesars, Taco Bell and McDonald’s. Academically, I would like to thank my adviser and my committee for their thorough feedback on my dissertation. I would like to acknowledge all the workers where I conducted research: SWEM library, including special collections and the Reeder Media Center, Colonial Williamsburg library, National Archives in College Park, Maryland, York County Courthouse, and the Library of Virginia.