I really loved this story. Saw it dropped on another blog. It is our story, our community’s story. The lessons learned by them, and how you rise from the bottom…those lessons are as embedded in our community’s history, and is quintessentially American. …because WE are quintessentially American.
Former sharecropping family buys dream home after years of struggles
Kelton, S.C. — Long ago, but not nearly as long ago as you might expect, sharecroppers worked in South Carolina. As late as 1964, Bo and Lake Giles were still toiling like indentured servants. In fact, their children said they were by far the poorest family around.
The family’s children said they had to pick cotton during the school year, and only went to class when it was raining.
“I was praying every day, ‘God, get us out of this situation,'” said Mary Giles.But even as those prayers went unanswered, the Giles children knew there was a better life out there because it was so tantalizingly close. From the shack they lived in, you can see another house. It’s really just a modest home, but to those sharecropper’s kids picking cotton in these fields, that place seemed like the Taj Mahal.
“Looking across the street at it, it looked like a mansion,” said Sandra Giles.
“Felt like they were rich compared to our broken down home,” Ruthie Giles said.
“You had flowers. All of that was a sense of freedom,” said Dorothy Giles.And all of that is why it felt like liberation when a half century later, the Giles family moved across the street into the Taj Mahal. Some of the siblings pooled their money to buy the property, which they’re now renovating to use for family reunions and holiday gatherings.
The plan is to eventually put the house in a trust so future generations of Giles will know the story and learn the lesson that poverty doesn’t have to beget poverty, and that through education and determination, poverty can breed success.Dorothy Giles became a teacher. Ruthie Giles a nurse. And Roosevelt Giles is a board chairman.
But he said he’s still a sharecropper in his soul.“It ensures your appreciation of where you come from,” Roosevelt Giles said.
“Across the way, and now we’re sitting here instead of sitting over there,” Sandra Giles said.
“We have a better life,” Dorothy Giles said.
This holiday season many Americans will be unwrapping presents. But for families like the Giles, the greatest gift is the only gift that truly keeps on giving – the sacrifice of those who made a merry Christmas possible.
Here is the video:
https://twitter.com/dmsandman/status/1078075419516116994?s=20
https://twitter.com/3ChicsPolitico/status/1078114156925124608
https://twitter.com/wildwestpie/status/1078028326210543616?s=20
Did anyone see this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PkgiZDSmh0
Paulson, Bernanke, Geithner reflect on 2008 financial crisis
Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geithner and Henry Paulson all join Morning Joe to reflect on the 2008 financial crisis and its impact today.
https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/paulson-bernanke-geithner-reflect-on-2008-financial-crisis-1394776643766
Thanks for sharing, Sis.. will watch it..
Celebrate the 2018 Honorees
Cher, Philip Glass, Reba McEntire, and Wayne Shorter receive the 41st Annual Kennedy Center Honors.
Hamilton co-creators Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Alex Lacamoire receive a special Honors for groundbreaking work.
The Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcast on CBS Wednesday, December 26 at 8/7c.
https://www.kennedy-center.org/pages/specialevents/honors/
SMH so I’m guessing ALL REPUBLICANS are racist POS like this mofo.
https://twitter.com/alecyewest/status/1077615022375878657
https://twitter.com/meliatinnin/status/1077579421148692480
I love this…
https://twitter.com/Just_CallMe_Doc/status/1077734118299971586
Our Christmas songs are gone. Rikyrah took them away. I feel sad.
HA HA HA I feel you, SG2. Thanks so much for the Christmas song posts
I miss them too, SG2😪😪
https://twitter.com/Only4RM/status/1009696227846508545
Trash
The entire lot of them😡😡😡
https://twitter.com/TVietor08/status/1077921155389014016
PURE GRADE A TRASH
Yep 😒😒
https://twitter.com/TomLevenson/status/1077242266065035264
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1077911908659924992
https://twitter.com/KristenClarkeJD/status/1077926505076936707
https://twitter.com/markberman/status/1077672003644129285
https://twitter.com/swarthmoreburke/status/1077406457702825984
Mild mannered Beschloss called him a THIEF😋😋🤗🤗😂
https://twitter.com/StevenBeschloss/status/1077296397425160192
https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1077886105721102337
https://twitter.com/BravenakBlog/status/1077889981488652288
Investigate
Investigate
Investigate
https://twitter.com/SocialPowerOne1/status/1077889892699553792
Investigate that SLAVE-CATCHING COON
https://twitter.com/SER1897/status/1077719185579372544
https://twitter.com/AsteadWesley/status/1077695649922064384
https://twitter.com/TheDemCoalition/status/1077784971291561984
https://twitter.com/ATLBlackStar/status/1077866663683506176
https://twitter.com/ServinAirBody/status/1077640171150024704
Love is ageless.
https://twitter.com/emilySculpts/status/1076513551517396997
Yes🤗👏👏🤗
https://twitter.com/pobrecitoshame/status/1077649751309463552
Word of the Day : December 26, 2018
Utmost; adjective UT-mohst
Definition
1 : situated at the farthest or most distant point : extreme
2 : of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount
https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/utmost-2018-12-26?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=u&file=utmost01&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=wotd&utm_content=pron
🤗😏😂
https://twitter.com/michaelharriot/status/1077644128312274949
https://twitter.com/MissNyetTrump/status/1077402910592446464
https://twitter.com/marcushjohnson/status/1077775969354743808
https://twitter.com/marcushjohnson/status/1077861243262853120
https://twitter.com/Wilson__Valdez/status/1077067088949321728
Good Morning, Everyone 😀😀😀
Good Morning, Rikyrah & 3Chics Family.I love the post of this family.
You’re absolutely right, Rkyrah. This is an American story. I can totally RELATE.
My daddy was a sharecropper, and we worked the tobacco fiends.
BTW, Where’s the music? LOL