Trail of Tears: History Songs Prose

The author, John Robert Bland, reached back into his past to present Trail of Tears: History Songs Prose.  Born in Coffeeville, Mississippi and learning through oral history from elders provided invaluable insight to the violence and poor quality of life for not only African Americans, descendent of slaves, but also poor whites.  Included is an image of two African American men lynched and the author having to absorb the hurt of one of the men with a family surname, and the sense of urgency to connect him. Also, a poem included entitled “Papa Brown” was inspired by the author meeting and standing before his great great grandfather for the first and last time. He was born to parents who were slaves. A towering figure to a child, he appeared as if he had went through many struggles in his life. He never revealed a smile and it left a lasting impression.