The Wreath Laying Ceremony

It was an amazing day. We stood on the land, and we stood hand in hand. Most people knew each other. Charla and I knew none of them. They all knew Matthew and Florenza Grant. These were two good people who loved family and farming.

Their legacy is well known. They moved to this area from Virginia in 1947 as part of the "resettlement" movement, and then battled the Halifax County FmHA in the 1970s when the move was afoot to take the land away from those who'd settled there. They are laid to rest adjacent to their "House By the Side of the Road," a safe haven for visitors during those 61 years.

Their family and friends gathered around to pay them tribute. We placed a Peace Lily beside their tomb, honoring them as a couple, and honoring those for whom they symbolize, Black farmers engaged in a battle for life and livelihood. We linked hands, arms, and hearts. We prayed, we spoke words of grace, and we experienced anew the commitment to faith, family, and the cause of the Farmer and family.

It was an unforgettable day in Tillery, North Carolina. In the rain. On the land.

Pictured at the tomb of the late Matthew and Florenza Moore Grant are, left to right, Bruce K. Grant (son), Gary R. Redding (grandson), Gary Grant (son), Charla and Waymon Hinson, and Evangeline Grant Briley and Gloria Grant Olds (daughters).