Decoration Day, Martyrs of the Race Course

Giving all honor and praise to God who covers and comforts us through every season and situation. Dedicating this piece to the men and women who once served this country and have left us with a legacy of fortitude. Thank you for your service. 

What is Memorial Day? It is a day when we commentate those who have passed away, that once actively served in the United States military. Originally called Decoration Day, coined by General John A. General Logan, inspired by the U.S. Colored Troops, it was created to decorate the graves of the fallen Civil War soldiers. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Union veterans' group known as the Grand Army of the Republic issued a decree in May of 1868, to make these dedications by placing flowers and decorations on the gravesites of those loss in war. 
But one of the first known commemorations of US military soldiers occurred right at the end of the Civil War in Charleston, South Carolina. Once the war ended its impact still lingered as thousands of Union prisoners of war, filled camps with horrific conditions. Many died from disease and injuries after the war was over and bodies were burned to avoid further contamination. In one such instance a camp created on a racetrack, near the city's Citadel housed these mass graves. This could have been left as a disgrace end if not for the love of some.  
I am going to stop this lesson here because this is where America usually misses the point. Black folks have generally been omitted from the history and legacy of America and what I am sharing with you today should be embraced by every American History teacher because Black History is American History. 
Well, it was May 1st, 1865. Over a thousand Black people who had just been released from the bondage of slavery flooded one particular camp. Led by regiments of the U.S. Colored Troops and the Massachusetts 54th Infantry, as some Black people would say, “they took it to church”. I can just imagine. They consecrated a new and fitting burial site. They sang hymns and prayed of this very bitter sweet moment; death and freedom. They shouted and placed flowers over the graves. They read scripture and rejoiced while paying homage to those that had fought the valiant fight. They had one of the first Memorial Day’s in U.S. History. And they dedicated it to the “Martyrs of the Race Course”. 
Since that time, many other wars have occurred but we are responsible for teaching our children the real meaning of Memorial Day. God Bless America!