Music, Images and Script for Florence S Digital Story

Music, Images and Script for Florence’s Digital Story By Beth Eastman

SONG: Freedom-Aretha Franklin IMAGES: Picture of cotton field, slave family, woman working in field My name is Florence. My grandparents walked all the way from LA to CO in 1859. They had been slaves on a cotton plantation and once freed, wanted to get as far away as their legs could carry them. They heard that out West people did not believe in slavery.

SONG: Maggie’s Farm-Bob Dylan IMAGES: Picture of Map with LA to CO, Gunnison River, Cabin, family Our family was the first black family to homestead in the Gunnison River Valley in Colorado. My mother was born and raised with her seven brothers and sisters in a small house built by my grandfather with the help of fellow homesteaders who saw our family as equals, as neighbors, who just like them, were trying to make a better life.

SONG: River of Babylon-Sublime IMAGES: Picture of family singing, mother gardening, father building furniture, church chior My mother and father married young. My mother kept a garden that fed our family and my father built furniture to sell to the growing number of hotels and inns. I went to school until the sixth grade, but as the oldest sister of eight siblings, I had to stay home and help take care of the children. Our family was close, we ate dinner every night together, even when we didn’t have very much to eat. My mother would sing and my father would play the guitar. My sister Louisa and I sang in the church choir every Sunday.

SONG: Higher Ground-Blind Boys of Alabama IMAGES: Picture of husband and wife, crying, saying goodbye I met my husband in Colorado. It was love at first sight. He was a travelling salesman passing through and I followed him back to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, where we live now. My family felt like I was betraying them by going so far away, like I was breaking the strength of our family, but when the hear speaks you got to listen.

SONG: Misguided Angel-Cowboy Junkies IMAGES: Picture of Cleveland, city/ghetto life We’ve been here on Gibb Street for 48 years in the same apartment on Gibb Street. It was hard to leave my family and the only home I had ever known and until recently, I felt like I had no connection to my new community. It was exciting to be in a big city, but unlike out in the country in CO, everyone stayed inside and looked down at the sidewalk when you passed them on the street. Everyone was very busy with city life, I guess.

SONG: Platterbrains-Count Basie IMAGES: Picture of vacant lot, planting, community garden, shaking hands, community meal But recently, something has changed. One day, in the early spring last year, a little girl planted some seeds in the lot next to my building. Once they started growing, more and more people dug up a little plot of land in that vacant lot and planted seeds. Watching from my window, I saw that soon neighbors of all ages, colors, shapes and sizes were turning that plot of land into a living place. Neighbors who used to look down when passing each other were talking and laughing. Neighbors who didn’t speak the same language were communicating with hand gestures and hand shakes. I have arthritis, so I can’t garden, but I take my folding chair to the garden so I can be a part of the action. We have community picnics where everyone shares the fruits of their garden and I eat foods that I have never tried before.

SONG: We Are One-Ziggy Marley IMAGES: Picture of snow-covered garden, holding door open, planting a seed Once the first snow came, I was sad to see the garden go. People went back inside, but now we say hello when when pass on the street and the young man I thought was a criminal always holds the door open for me when we are coming or going at the same time. I can’t wait until next spring when the neighborhood will come to life again. Maybe I will get my husband to help me plant a little plot so I can share too.

SONG: Revolution-Tracy Chapman IMAGES: Picture of neighbors together, community