July 17, 2025 • 16 mins
Dr. Vanessa Tyler travels to Tybee Island near Savannah Georgia to soak up the sun and knowledge surrounding this historical island haven. Led by historian and tour guide Dr. Amir Jamal Toure, Dr. Tyler gets a crash course in the history, mythology and culture of the island.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Black History lives despite forces trying to kill it. The
truth refuses to die.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
We say, wakil jel hawk. Truth has arrived. Falsehood must perish.
False ad by his very nature's bound to Paris. So
that's why we have to speak the truth.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Travel with me to Savannah, Georgia and Tybee Island for
Black History. No one can ban because likely it's not
in a book, but part of a unique tour experience.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Because did like two blocks away from here, which we
can go down to to what was called the most
evil air in Savannah. Most people in Savannah don't even
have a clue.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
The Black history of Tybee Island and connected Savannah, Georgia
now an especial edition of black Land. And now as
a brown person, you just feel so invisible where we're from.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Brothers and sisters are welcome you to this joy from Zanya.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
We celebrate freedom. Where we are, I know someone's heard
something and where we're going. We the people means all
the people.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
The Black Information that work presents Blackland with your host,
Vanessa Tyler.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
The history here on Tybee Island and Savannah runs deep.
Doctor Amir Jamal Toure knows it. Chapter and verse his
tour company called Day Clean Journeys.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Day Clean is a Gullah word that stands for new day, dawn,
beginning of the day. But then some people when they
hit day clean, they're like, wait a minute. We say
that in Guyana, people in Jamaica, so we do that
any Jamaica people in the vice we do. We say
that in Jamaica also, I mean in the vi also,
but then for other people too. It goes back to
(01:41):
what we know to sell I mean to senegalgue. In
the Gambia. It comes from a word besset, which means
the translation the day is clean, same thing, that's right,
new day, beginning of the day. Flash your life, that's philasir.
Life doesn't matter what happened yesterday. Day clean east date
starts a new as.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
We start the day clean and fresh. He takes me
on a tour during my visit to Savannah. Like the
African mythical Sankopa bird. We move forward while looking back.
We are in Franklin Square and I'm looking at his statue.
Talk about Franklin Square and the significance of the statue and.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
We can walk over us. Yes, and so what I
do let folks know that Franklin Square is named for
Ben Franklin. Franklin was a supporter of the Colony and
Georgia and an agent for the Colony in Georgia. And
just like other squares have nicknames, I've give him a
square nickname of Haitian Square. And we're gonna walk over here.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Historian doctor Toure always after ready to educate. We are
in downtown Savannah at Montgomery and Saint Julian Streets, and
class is in an interesting statue, and all these soldiers
are black.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
And this is the third newest monuments in the city
of Savannah dedicate to the Haitian soldiers who came here
fought during the American Revolution here in Savannah. Then, whether
people don't realize that between five hundred and eight hundred
free men came from Haiti and fought in the American
Revolution for the US become a nation. And so I
tell folks, I said that I don't throw it at
(03:08):
the brag, but to show people just that when you
know your history, it will take it to a place
you can never imagine, never would ever imagine. As a
little boy on Hilton Head Island and Savannah, Georgia, growing
up by me knowing history.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
If you on the monument, Doctor Toure was so much
part of getting the Haitian statue placed here. He was
used as one of the models for the bronze monument
honoring the black Haitians recruited from Haiti to serve in
Savannah during the Revolutionary War.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Haiti is one of the reasons why we have the
United States, and that's why it goes to show you
in our show. Is what I tell people all the time.
Most of us do not know American history. We know
American mythology. We feed that pew of mythology. So if
you know American history, you shaid, wait a minute. The
Haitians were indebted to Haiti, just like we talked about
being indebted to France. We are in debted to Haiti
because actually they were the largest part of the French
(03:56):
forces that would not come here and fight for us
to have a name. So yes, the irony of people
not knowing their history, not knowing their story, but caught
up it to the mythology.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Busting the myth, elevating the truth. And this area is
where our journey to America began.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Savannah. It is the beginning of history for Savannah is
a part of the Holy Land of African America. And
I tell for people who get sixteen nineteen James Stoupt Virginia,
but no, it's fifteen twenty six, fifteen twenty six. You
have Africans who are with the Spanish who will not
come through this area right here. So when we look
at from Florida on up into South Carolina, that this
is the beginning of Black history fifteen twenty six, and
(04:34):
in this area right here, Savannah the first planned city
of the United States. People like to go and say,
but then Savannah also is key in the sense that
they're gonna like to give out some of the mythology
about that there were no Africans in the Colony of Georgia.
We are actually here before it even gets started. We
are the ones laying out the streets in the squass here.
We're playing a role with regard to that that again
we're building the first houses here. So we're here before
(04:55):
the colony even gets started. But then what can happen
is that you the rent Africans, you could be least Africans,
you could be low Africans. So the South Carolinians are
doing that during the colonial period. Then also what then
happens later on that you're not beginning to see Savannah
being a part of the black goal, the black ivory
that's not being brought from Africa over here, that we
(05:17):
not see them in places like Tybee Island. So they
bring Africans here who have these skill sets. You bring
people who are literate, and one part of Africa ancestors
have over three thousand schools, another part they have over
thirty thousand schools. And that with that when they're brought
across the water, they don't lose the ability to write.
In fact, when we cracke teat like this year and
write me from this year. When we speak the Gala language,
(05:37):
which is an African based language that is here, like
they call the patois, you know crayle when you're in
ih Polinka appeling Carol of you in Colombia. But guess
what we have Gala that we speak right here.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
And where is the Gullah people right now?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Are they here any African Americans from Jacksonville, North Carolina,
down in say Augustine, Florida. That's us on mainland and
the island. So people think we're just on the island.
Know the majority of us have always been on the mainland.
In fact, Jacksonville, Florida, is the largest Galla Geechee city
in the world. Savannah, Georgia is the second largest in
the entire world. North Charleston, South Carolina is the third,
(06:14):
and Charleston, South Carolina is fourth. So but again and
then after we have women to North Carolina. But Gulla.
The first time that our language has ever written down
is not in the nineteen hundred and two thousands. It's
in the eighteen fifties here in Savannah, written down by
African by the name of London, and he writes to
Gospel John. The Gospel hymns in Gulla and does not
(06:35):
use English letters use Arabic. So that goes to show
again when people say Africans were brought here because they
had no civilization, guess so if you have writing, that
means you have civilization. So that goes to show we
are knocking that out those lives, and that when they
talk about our ancestors not knowing anything about God, guess
what We're gonna go inside the structure that we know about.
(06:57):
East Side Yassu in Africa and East san Yassu, a
two of the name they called Jesus in Africa.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
What we should all know America was built on the
labor of the enslaved. What we may not know. It
was bigger and much more involved than first thought.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Did like two blocks away from here, which we can
go down too, to what was called the most evil
area in Savannah. Most people in Savannah don't even have
a clue.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
So we walk a short distance each step back in
Black history and as my tour guide doctor Torrey build,
we were smack dab standing in front of at one
point the most evil spot in Savannah, on Johnson Square.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Johnson Square is the largest square in the city Savannah.
Banks have been on Johnson Square since the seventeen hundreds,
so it had the nickname a bank of Square. Then
on the other side of the block from this square
where we are right now, you see hotels. Over there,
you see parking garage interests, but that's where they had
brokers and speculators. And now you feel a parking garage
over there also they have brokers and speculators. City Market
(07:54):
to day consists of two blocks, but the original city
market was on this square and it was a large
two story ructure. But they tore it down in nineteen
fifty four, then put a parking garage, tore that down,
create this green space. We know it's Ella Square today.
And if you had come into Savannah back in the
early nineteen hundreds, you've been told by African Americans not
to walk in the most evil air in Savannah.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Evil because that's where the big business of slavery took place.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
You have attorneys, banks, brokers, and notaries involved the sale
of Africans alone in Savannah eighteen sixty two brought in
two million dollars for the brokers, talking about two million
dollars eighteen sixty two terms, which is fifty five million
dollars in today's terms. And that's why I tell folks,
the wealthy United States is tied to Africa, not about
what they grow, to who they are human assays. And
so now we see the three story brown brick building
(08:40):
over here, that is the Mallion building. Going back to
the eighteen hundreds, on the third level of the building
was a Negro marked again MRT. And that again people
think about ultra blos. No, they can walk it. They
had buildings they can walk inside and buy Africans. And
then seeing people going up and down these steps along
these streets and hearing all that pain and that anguish.
(09:01):
So that block right there is called the most evil
air in Savannah.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
And what about Tybee Island?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Tybee Island, that's where they had the quarantine station at
Lazareto Creek. Lazaretto basically is a quarantine and so those
Africans who are brought here with that knowledge, they are
brought to Tybee first. And then you have Cockspear Island
where we now have Fort Pulaski. That's where they now
take them out and they're not inspected. Before they had
brought up the Savannah River to be sold into Savannah
(09:26):
and sold to other places. Cause people are coming here.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
And where are we approaching now, doctor Jamal.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
This is historic first African Baptist church. This is one
of the oldest continued Black churches in North America.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
There on the corner in Savannah, across from Franklin Square
proudly stands a church seasoned by the prayers and tears
of our people.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
This property was acquired eighteen thirty two by the members
of the church, and the membership of church eighteen hundred
number between two thousand and four thousand Africans, and they
acquired as propert eighteen thirty two, they purchased it. They
were told it would cost them fifteen hundred dollars to
purchase this life. We're talking about eighteen thirty two terms
astronomical amount of money, and they had only six months
(10:07):
to pay it off. They put that they had told
us in April and they made it PLoP down one
thousand dollars. So we just got five more months to
pay the rest of it all. Some of them sacrificed
the freedom for themselves and their children for this structure
to be right here. I say that goes to show
you about this is the African philosophy said, if you
build a house for God here, God would build a
house for you on the other side. And so that's
(10:28):
what they did. So this is a powerful church right here.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Powerful and beautiful. Everything has a meaning.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
The doors of the church are painting red for African
people and gallicate your people. When we paint the doors
of our church is read of our homes. Read That
means we own the property.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
We enter inside, big, spacious everything created by the same
black hands used in prayer.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
But the membership right here, they built this structure eighteen
fifty four, completed eighteen fifty nine, done by African hands.
They built and designed this church. No one else had
to do it. And it was the vision of the
third past of Father Andrew Cox Marshall for them the
quietest property right here. Father Andrew Brian is the one
that kept the congregation together. That's the second pastor, after
Father Loud left, her mother Lyud left, and so this
(11:11):
church right here done by us. And then you got
Reverend doctor E. K. Love, one of the early alums
of what we know is Morehouse College, but one of
the founders of Savannah State being in Savannah, Georgia right now.
But also somebody who understood the import so people seeing
images look just like them. They have a corporation eighteen
hundreds that they will create that will produce black dolls.
They did gospel him Knowsing gospel books, but they also
(11:33):
produced black dolls saying that we're going to give you
the Word of God and give you the lightment. But
then also what's going to happen. We need you to
see images look just like you. And then we have
what is reported to be the oldest pipe organ in
Georgia no longer operates. Last time it function in nineteen
fifty four. The Civil Rights Museum and Savannah's name for
doctor Ralph Mark Gilbert. Doctor Gilbert was the thirteenth pastor
of the church right here. He and his wife, missus
(11:55):
LORII Gilbert. They created chapters INACP in the Ties City
of Georgia on the heyday of segregation. Jim Crow is
a doctor.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Amir Jamal Toure is packed full of facts. He's a
historian and telling the Black history and Savannah is his specialty.
He perfected it. He's lived a Tourists come far and
wide to hear true Black history. Lydia Mason Dancy is
visiting from Chicago. So what did you think of this tour?
Speaker 4 (12:22):
It was excellent because it gave me an understanding of
what African Americans did for Savannah. He went over the
first African Baptist Church tour and really went into detail
how the church was built by the African enslaved people.
He took us on a tour in the area to
(12:45):
see the businesses that the black people used to own.
For me, it's just to see how powerful a people
we are and where and just to see how we
built up Savannah. And even when I had on a
Charleston toy just to see what we contributed that we
don't learn today in history at schools or other places.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Also taking the tour with Lydia her friend Angela.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
And I'm a Nigerian descent African descent, so it's important
for me because it's important for me to see how
we're connected. And Jamal one of the things he told
is at the beginning of the tour that it's not
a tour really, it's a journey, so that he's planting
a seed in us so that it doesn't just stop here,
(13:33):
that we share that knowledge and information with others.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
They say, it's the details they won't forget.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
And when he started talking about the significance of the
red door, meaning that the peoples were free, that people
that participated from different parts of the world said, oh,
you know, they identify with that red door. They've seen
that in their own family and their own heritage, so
they can see how we are can as a diaspora.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
So right here, when people talk about Africans not having civilization,
this church right here is debunking the myths right here.
So I tell folks where we are. People think it's
just about a religious experience. I said, no, this is Africa,
of Eva. This is one of the best man examples
of African survivlism in the entire world because they are
combinations here and so and.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Many of them, the congregants were enslaved as members of
this church.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Right, the majority of the population of the church two
thousand and four thousand members were overwhelmingly held in captivity.
Very very very very very few of them were free people.
So again you see that, and so here go. But
these people are dynamic that these people are multi lingual.
They're not bilingual, they're not moml Lingua. These people are
multi lingual. And they're also writing in Arabic. So it
(14:46):
I tell people, if you have writing, that means you
have civilization. So here go this choice showing us an
example of how all the lives that people talk about
our ancestors is incorrect. Sure that they had civilization, but
something else, my sister is interesting too. Not some other
people and they walk inside here their intends going off
(15:06):
like popcorn gone crazy, because some things that we pick
up on the others don't pick up on. You see
the walls of the church of painted light blue.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
The light Blue keeps away the evil spirits, protecting a
people in a strange land. How can people learn more
about you go on your tour. Suppose they're not here visiting,
how can they contact you? And how can you be
reached social media? How can that.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Be done on Instagram? Its day Clean Soul, Day Clean
Soul d A y c l E A N s
o U L day Clean Soul on Instagram and also
on x or Twitter, and then also you can do
it on Facebook, and then also Amir Toure a m
I R t O U r e on also on Facebook.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
The tour was over, the lessons will remain as I
head back across the bridge to Tybee Island, Doctor dorre
giving more information as we part, so I.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Let people on this same there's also African burial ground
on Tybee.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
He says. Black people must always learn our history and
pass it on. History must never repeat something our lives
depend upon.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
That's what we speak about it today because we will
not go back to that. We're gonna stand and we're
gonna fight with regards to that cause. Again, truth has arrived,
so falset has to perish. We got to make sure
we understand about splitting out the truth.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
So as I sit on the beach on Tybee Island
and watch the waves which ebb and flow now Ebden
flowed then, except with the tears of a journey to
a new land called America. On Tybee Island, I'm Vanessa Tyler.
A new episode of Blackland drops every week.
Black History lives despite forces trying to kill it. The
truth refuses to die.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
We say, wakil jel hawk. Truth has arrived. Falsehood must perish.
False ad by his very nature's bound to Paris. So
that's why we have to speak the truth.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Travel with me to Savannah, Georgia and Tybee Island for
Black History. No one can ban because likely it's not
in a book, but part of a unique tour experience.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Because did like two blocks away from here, which we
can go down to to what was called the most
evil air in Savannah. Most people in Savannah don't even
have a clue.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
The Black history of Tybee Island and connected Savannah, Georgia
now an especial edition of black Land. And now as
a brown person, you just feel so invisible where we're from.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Brothers and sisters are welcome you to this joy from Zanya.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
We celebrate freedom. Where we are, I know someone's heard
something and where we're going. We the people means all
the people.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
The Black Information that work presents Blackland with your host,
Vanessa Tyler.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
The history here on Tybee Island and Savannah runs deep.
Doctor Amir Jamal Toure knows it. Chapter and verse his
tour company called Day Clean Journeys.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Day Clean is a Gullah word that stands for new day, dawn,
beginning of the day. But then some people when they
hit day clean, they're like, wait a minute. We say
that in Guyana, people in Jamaica, so we do that
any Jamaica people in the vice we do. We say
that in Jamaica also, I mean in the vi also,
but then for other people too. It goes back to
(01:41):
what we know to sell I mean to senegalgue. In
the Gambia. It comes from a word besset, which means
the translation the day is clean, same thing, that's right,
new day, beginning of the day. Flash your life, that's philasir.
Life doesn't matter what happened yesterday. Day clean east date
starts a new as.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
We start the day clean and fresh. He takes me
on a tour during my visit to Savannah. Like the
African mythical Sankopa bird. We move forward while looking back.
We are in Franklin Square and I'm looking at his statue.
Talk about Franklin Square and the significance of the statue and.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
We can walk over us. Yes, and so what I
do let folks know that Franklin Square is named for
Ben Franklin. Franklin was a supporter of the Colony and
Georgia and an agent for the Colony in Georgia. And
just like other squares have nicknames, I've give him a
square nickname of Haitian Square. And we're gonna walk over here.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Historian doctor Toure always after ready to educate. We are
in downtown Savannah at Montgomery and Saint Julian Streets, and
class is in an interesting statue, and all these soldiers
are black.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
And this is the third newest monuments in the city
of Savannah dedicate to the Haitian soldiers who came here
fought during the American Revolution here in Savannah. Then, whether
people don't realize that between five hundred and eight hundred
free men came from Haiti and fought in the American
Revolution for the US become a nation. And so I
tell folks, I said that I don't throw it at
(03:08):
the brag, but to show people just that when you
know your history, it will take it to a place
you can never imagine, never would ever imagine. As a
little boy on Hilton Head Island and Savannah, Georgia, growing
up by me knowing history.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
If you on the monument, Doctor Toure was so much
part of getting the Haitian statue placed here. He was
used as one of the models for the bronze monument
honoring the black Haitians recruited from Haiti to serve in
Savannah during the Revolutionary War.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Haiti is one of the reasons why we have the
United States, and that's why it goes to show you
in our show. Is what I tell people all the time.
Most of us do not know American history. We know
American mythology. We feed that pew of mythology. So if
you know American history, you shaid, wait a minute. The
Haitians were indebted to Haiti, just like we talked about
being indebted to France. We are in debted to Haiti
because actually they were the largest part of the French
(03:56):
forces that would not come here and fight for us
to have a name. So yes, the irony of people
not knowing their history, not knowing their story, but caught
up it to the mythology.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Busting the myth, elevating the truth. And this area is
where our journey to America began.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Savannah. It is the beginning of history for Savannah is
a part of the Holy Land of African America. And
I tell for people who get sixteen nineteen James Stoupt Virginia,
but no, it's fifteen twenty six, fifteen twenty six. You
have Africans who are with the Spanish who will not
come through this area right here. So when we look
at from Florida on up into South Carolina, that this
is the beginning of Black history fifteen twenty six, and
(04:34):
in this area right here, Savannah the first planned city
of the United States. People like to go and say,
but then Savannah also is key in the sense that
they're gonna like to give out some of the mythology
about that there were no Africans in the Colony of Georgia.
We are actually here before it even gets started. We
are the ones laying out the streets in the squass here.
We're playing a role with regard to that that again
we're building the first houses here. So we're here before
(04:55):
the colony even gets started. But then what can happen
is that you the rent Africans, you could be least Africans,
you could be low Africans. So the South Carolinians are
doing that during the colonial period. Then also what then
happens later on that you're not beginning to see Savannah
being a part of the black goal, the black ivory
that's not being brought from Africa over here, that we
(05:17):
not see them in places like Tybee Island. So they
bring Africans here who have these skill sets. You bring
people who are literate, and one part of Africa ancestors
have over three thousand schools, another part they have over
thirty thousand schools. And that with that when they're brought
across the water, they don't lose the ability to write.
In fact, when we cracke teat like this year and
write me from this year. When we speak the Gala language,
(05:37):
which is an African based language that is here, like
they call the patois, you know crayle when you're in
ih Polinka appeling Carol of you in Colombia. But guess
what we have Gala that we speak right here.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
And where is the Gullah people right now?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Are they here any African Americans from Jacksonville, North Carolina,
down in say Augustine, Florida. That's us on mainland and
the island. So people think we're just on the island.
Know the majority of us have always been on the mainland.
In fact, Jacksonville, Florida, is the largest Galla Geechee city
in the world. Savannah, Georgia is the second largest in
the entire world. North Charleston, South Carolina is the third,
(06:14):
and Charleston, South Carolina is fourth. So but again and
then after we have women to North Carolina. But Gulla.
The first time that our language has ever written down
is not in the nineteen hundred and two thousands. It's
in the eighteen fifties here in Savannah, written down by
African by the name of London, and he writes to
Gospel John. The Gospel hymns in Gulla and does not
(06:35):
use English letters use Arabic. So that goes to show
again when people say Africans were brought here because they
had no civilization, guess so if you have writing, that
means you have civilization. So that goes to show we
are knocking that out those lives, and that when they
talk about our ancestors not knowing anything about God, guess
what We're gonna go inside the structure that we know about.
(06:57):
East Side Yassu in Africa and East san Yassu, a
two of the name they called Jesus in Africa.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
What we should all know America was built on the
labor of the enslaved. What we may not know. It
was bigger and much more involved than first thought.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Did like two blocks away from here, which we can
go down too, to what was called the most evil
area in Savannah. Most people in Savannah don't even have
a clue.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
So we walk a short distance each step back in
Black history and as my tour guide doctor Torrey build,
we were smack dab standing in front of at one
point the most evil spot in Savannah, on Johnson Square.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Johnson Square is the largest square in the city Savannah.
Banks have been on Johnson Square since the seventeen hundreds,
so it had the nickname a bank of Square. Then
on the other side of the block from this square
where we are right now, you see hotels. Over there,
you see parking garage interests, but that's where they had
brokers and speculators. And now you feel a parking garage
over there also they have brokers and speculators. City Market
(07:54):
to day consists of two blocks, but the original city
market was on this square and it was a large
two story ructure. But they tore it down in nineteen
fifty four, then put a parking garage, tore that down,
create this green space. We know it's Ella Square today.
And if you had come into Savannah back in the
early nineteen hundreds, you've been told by African Americans not
to walk in the most evil air in Savannah.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Evil because that's where the big business of slavery took place.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
You have attorneys, banks, brokers, and notaries involved the sale
of Africans alone in Savannah eighteen sixty two brought in
two million dollars for the brokers, talking about two million
dollars eighteen sixty two terms, which is fifty five million
dollars in today's terms. And that's why I tell folks,
the wealthy United States is tied to Africa, not about
what they grow, to who they are human assays. And
so now we see the three story brown brick building
(08:40):
over here, that is the Mallion building. Going back to
the eighteen hundreds, on the third level of the building
was a Negro marked again MRT. And that again people
think about ultra blos. No, they can walk it. They
had buildings they can walk inside and buy Africans. And
then seeing people going up and down these steps along
these streets and hearing all that pain and that anguish.
(09:01):
So that block right there is called the most evil
air in Savannah.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
And what about Tybee Island?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Tybee Island, that's where they had the quarantine station at
Lazareto Creek. Lazaretto basically is a quarantine and so those
Africans who are brought here with that knowledge, they are
brought to Tybee first. And then you have Cockspear Island
where we now have Fort Pulaski. That's where they now
take them out and they're not inspected. Before they had
brought up the Savannah River to be sold into Savannah
(09:26):
and sold to other places. Cause people are coming here.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
And where are we approaching now, doctor Jamal.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
This is historic first African Baptist church. This is one
of the oldest continued Black churches in North America.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
There on the corner in Savannah, across from Franklin Square
proudly stands a church seasoned by the prayers and tears
of our people.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
This property was acquired eighteen thirty two by the members
of the church, and the membership of church eighteen hundred
number between two thousand and four thousand Africans, and they
acquired as propert eighteen thirty two, they purchased it. They
were told it would cost them fifteen hundred dollars to
purchase this life. We're talking about eighteen thirty two terms
astronomical amount of money, and they had only six months
(10:07):
to pay it off. They put that they had told
us in April and they made it PLoP down one
thousand dollars. So we just got five more months to
pay the rest of it all. Some of them sacrificed
the freedom for themselves and their children for this structure
to be right here. I say that goes to show
you about this is the African philosophy said, if you
build a house for God here, God would build a
house for you on the other side. And so that's
(10:28):
what they did. So this is a powerful church right here.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Powerful and beautiful. Everything has a meaning.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
The doors of the church are painting red for African
people and gallicate your people. When we paint the doors
of our church is read of our homes. Read That
means we own the property.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
We enter inside, big, spacious everything created by the same
black hands used in prayer.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
But the membership right here, they built this structure eighteen
fifty four, completed eighteen fifty nine, done by African hands.
They built and designed this church. No one else had
to do it. And it was the vision of the
third past of Father Andrew Cox Marshall for them the
quietest property right here. Father Andrew Brian is the one
that kept the congregation together. That's the second pastor, after
Father Loud left, her mother Lyud left, and so this
(11:11):
church right here done by us. And then you got
Reverend doctor E. K. Love, one of the early alums
of what we know is Morehouse College, but one of
the founders of Savannah State being in Savannah, Georgia right now.
But also somebody who understood the import so people seeing
images look just like them. They have a corporation eighteen
hundreds that they will create that will produce black dolls.
They did gospel him Knowsing gospel books, but they also
(11:33):
produced black dolls saying that we're going to give you
the Word of God and give you the lightment. But
then also what's going to happen. We need you to
see images look just like you. And then we have
what is reported to be the oldest pipe organ in
Georgia no longer operates. Last time it function in nineteen
fifty four. The Civil Rights Museum and Savannah's name for
doctor Ralph Mark Gilbert. Doctor Gilbert was the thirteenth pastor
of the church right here. He and his wife, missus
(11:55):
LORII Gilbert. They created chapters INACP in the Ties City
of Georgia on the heyday of segregation. Jim Crow is
a doctor.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Amir Jamal Toure is packed full of facts. He's a
historian and telling the Black history and Savannah is his specialty.
He perfected it. He's lived a Tourists come far and
wide to hear true Black history. Lydia Mason Dancy is
visiting from Chicago. So what did you think of this tour?
Speaker 4 (12:22):
It was excellent because it gave me an understanding of
what African Americans did for Savannah. He went over the
first African Baptist Church tour and really went into detail
how the church was built by the African enslaved people.
He took us on a tour in the area to
(12:45):
see the businesses that the black people used to own.
For me, it's just to see how powerful a people
we are and where and just to see how we
built up Savannah. And even when I had on a
Charleston toy just to see what we contributed that we
don't learn today in history at schools or other places.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Also taking the tour with Lydia her friend Angela.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
And I'm a Nigerian descent African descent, so it's important
for me because it's important for me to see how
we're connected. And Jamal one of the things he told
is at the beginning of the tour that it's not
a tour really, it's a journey, so that he's planting
a seed in us so that it doesn't just stop here,
(13:33):
that we share that knowledge and information with others.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
They say, it's the details they won't forget.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
And when he started talking about the significance of the
red door, meaning that the peoples were free, that people
that participated from different parts of the world said, oh,
you know, they identify with that red door. They've seen
that in their own family and their own heritage, so
they can see how we are can as a diaspora.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
So right here, when people talk about Africans not having civilization,
this church right here is debunking the myths right here.
So I tell folks where we are. People think it's
just about a religious experience. I said, no, this is Africa,
of Eva. This is one of the best man examples
of African survivlism in the entire world because they are
combinations here and so and.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Many of them, the congregants were enslaved as members of
this church.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Right, the majority of the population of the church two
thousand and four thousand members were overwhelmingly held in captivity.
Very very very very very few of them were free people.
So again you see that, and so here go. But
these people are dynamic that these people are multi lingual.
They're not bilingual, they're not moml Lingua. These people are
multi lingual. And they're also writing in Arabic. So it
(14:46):
I tell people, if you have writing, that means you
have civilization. So here go this choice showing us an
example of how all the lives that people talk about
our ancestors is incorrect. Sure that they had civilization, but
something else, my sister is interesting too. Not some other
people and they walk inside here their intends going off
(15:06):
like popcorn gone crazy, because some things that we pick
up on the others don't pick up on. You see
the walls of the church of painted light blue.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
The light Blue keeps away the evil spirits, protecting a
people in a strange land. How can people learn more
about you go on your tour. Suppose they're not here visiting,
how can they contact you? And how can you be
reached social media? How can that.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Be done on Instagram? Its day Clean Soul, Day Clean
Soul d A y c l E A N s
o U L day Clean Soul on Instagram and also
on x or Twitter, and then also you can do
it on Facebook, and then also Amir Toure a m
I R t O U r e on also on Facebook.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
The tour was over, the lessons will remain as I
head back across the bridge to Tybee Island, Doctor dorre
giving more information as we part, so I.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Let people on this same there's also African burial ground
on Tybee.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
He says. Black people must always learn our history and
pass it on. History must never repeat something our lives
depend upon.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
That's what we speak about it today because we will
not go back to that. We're gonna stand and we're
gonna fight with regards to that cause. Again, truth has arrived,
so falset has to perish. We got to make sure
we understand about splitting out the truth.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
So as I sit on the beach on Tybee Island
and watch the waves which ebb and flow now Ebden
flowed then, except with the tears of a journey to
a new land called America. On Tybee Island, I'm Vanessa Tyler.
A new episode of Blackland drops every week.
Host
Vanessa Tyler
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