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The hardest part about telling a story is where to begin. In my case I just start typing and see where it takes me. Oftentimes I start over two or three times. I might cut and paste here, or delete something there. My main goal is to get the reader(you) to get a clear and vivid picture of my life. I will admit this one was by far the hardest for me to start. So let’s take this journey. You might need extra time to fully digest this one. Oh I almost forgot. If you are uncomfortable hearing about racism, slavery, and things of that nature I suggest you sit your a$$ down and keep reading!

“Allow me to reintroduce myself my name is….” Geoffrey I was raised and currently live in Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is the oldest city in Georgia founded February 12th, 1733. (Hmm I probably should have saved this until next week..Oh Well.) by General James Oglethorpe. They make you memorize that sh*t in elementary school. Now when you hear Savannah you might think of that terrible TV show in the mid 90’s. Or perhaps “Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil(the book and the movie.) Maybe even Paula Deen, who’s not even from here! And no one talks like that! Most people want to visit here because of the beautiful architecture and rich history.Savannah and surrounding areas are extremely beautiful.

My parents are from Savannah. 3/4 of my grandparents were from Savannah. To my knowledge 2/4 of my great grandparents were from Savannah. Things get tricky after that. In 1859 the largest slave auction recorded in this country took place right here in Savannah, Georgia. My grandfather’s grandfather was a slave. Thought to be from Ethiopia, but I’m not sure. A few years ago I went digging on Ancestry and the trail just ended. Maybe I’ll try again later.

Now you’re probably wondering “What the hell does this have to do with gardening?” Follow along. Four years ago I was giving a garden club lesson to one of my group of 3rd graders. The topic was “Where does your food come from?” So I broke it down and let them know where certain foods originated. Towards the end a girl who sat in the back and never said much raised her hand. I asked if she had a question, and she said “Mr.Johnson we come from Africa!” I nodded and said “We’ll talk about that later.” Inside I shed a million tears. We do come from Africa, but where?

August 17th, 2018 was the day my DNA test came back from Ancestry. My ethnicity Estimate had me at 83% African. With the highest percentage being 35% Ivory Coast/Ghana. Contrary to popular belief “Africa” is not a country! It is a continent made up of 54 countries. No one here says “I’m North American,” without specifying where. We owe Africa and other countries the same respect! Now you’re still probably wondering “How the hell does this relate to gardening?”

When I gave the lecture to the 3rd graders I did my research. Now this is spring 2017. I was very new to the gardening life. So I was learning on the go. Of course I looked into foods originating in Africa. This led me to an enemy of mine for years...okra. I once heard that African’s would stuff okra in their hair before being captured. And once they landed they would plant the okra seeds.

Growing up I hated okra. And it was damn near a weekly dish in some form. Okra and tomato soup over rice with pork neck bone was a staple. I would eat the rice and the neck bones, later for the okra. My mother loved fried okra. I tried it once, and wasn't a fan. Turnip greens(we aren't getting into that again) and fried okra were my mother’s vegetables of choice. Everybody ate okra except for me. If I ate gumbo I made sure to ask if it had okra in it. If I saw okra anywhere it was an absolute no for me. Then one day in late 2018 I believe a ” Ray Of Sunshine” hit me and I actually ate fried okra for the first time since I was probably 7 years old. And it was absolutely amazing. So amazing that I began to eat it, as often as I could. Even tried to fry it, which wasn’t very successful. You can probably guess the next step, that’s right I bought okra seeds and planted them.

Clemson Spineless and Burgundy were planted in the April of 2019. And that entire summer I ate sauteed okra almost every single day for lunch. If you saute it, the “slime” is reduced. So let’s talk about that. The “slime” that everyone hates is called mucilage. And mucilage is actually very beneficial. The fiber in okra has been known to help the body eliminate cholesterol through the digestive tract. Having enough fiber in your diet is a win anyway, and okra is full of fiber. Fiber which helps with control diabete, and heart disease. The mucilage literally runs through our bodies soaking up all the bad sh*t along the way,then helps us with elimination. So when I had my annual tests done all my levels were excellent and I lost 15 pounds. Thanks okra..you’re a star!In the spring of 2020 I planted the same 2 varieties except I tried something new. I was told “Hey eat some okra fresh off the plant, it’s not bad.” So I tried it, and every day all summer I was eating raw okra fresh from the plant. Now I will admit chew fast is you do this, because that damn mucilage is thick!

So here we are in 2021 and I’m finally an okra fan. About 2 weeks ago the “Ray Of Sunshine” hit me again and I went on an okra mission. I searched all over and compared varieties and decided to grow “Alabama Red Okra.” Why? Because it looked good, and someone said it's best for frying. Well it was sold out everywhere, so I put out a plea for anyone who had some if they would swap seeds with me. The gardening community is so D.O.P.E. that I received two messages. One saying I think I have some, let me check.” Which led to me being mailed the “Alabama Reds” and another with a photo saying “I know they’re not what you’re looking for, but I got these in a seed swap. If you want them let me know. We don’t eat okra.” The picture was a pack of Sea Island Red Okra. “Sea Island? That’s down the street.Nooooo can’t be”

Now here is a history lesson. General William Tecumseh Sherman was a general in the army during the Civil War. Mostly known for his famous “March to the Sea” where he basically burned everything in his path from north Georgia to Savannah. And on December 21st, 1864 after capturing Savannah offered it to President Lincoln as a Christmas Present. Why am I mentioning this? Well as he burned and captured Confederate cities, plantations, and anything else the newly “freed” slaves followed behind. So here we are in Savannah, Georgia in 1864 with 10,000 newly freed slaves. Well some were sent to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, about an hour north east of Savannah. But it was filled to the brim. A meeting was held and the question was asked “What do you want for your own people? The response…”Land and we can turn it and till it by our own labor.” So “It Was Written” that 400,000 acres be divided into 40 acre plots from the islands and abandoned rice fields from Charleston, SC bordering the St.Johns River in Florida. The “freed” slaves would receive 40 acres and some a mule. Savannah is surrounded by barrier islands. And if you ever visited me then I’ve taken you through at least 4 of them.

Now back in 1851 one of these islands already had about 400 slaves working on a plantation. And when their “owner” died(It was hard as hell to type that) they were free and established their own settlements on the island. That island is Sapelo Island. You can only access by aircraft or boat. It’s not state protected, and you have to have a permit to visit. It’s a little over 72 miles from Savannah, and this past summer while taking a drive on the coastal highway. A visit was made to the dock where the ferry leaves and in the distance you can see Sapelo Island. So what’s the point right? Well on the island is the community of Hog Hammock which is the last known Gullah community. The Gullah people are directly descended from slaves who worked on this plantation. I’m not getting into the history of the Gullah-Geechee people because I’d be here even longer.

Here is where I introduce Cornelia Walker Bailey(RIP) a descendent of Bilali Muhammed who was an enslaved West African from the Sierra Leone region who ended up being the “over...naw I’m not saying that. Where he “managed” the plantation and its 500 slaves. He was also literate and composed a document which some call the possibly the first Islamic text written in the United States. Now why is Cornelia Bailey important? In addition to trying to preserve the Gullah legacy on Sapelo Island she was a gardener. And like any good gardener she saved seeds. Heirloom okra seeds to be exact….

Now these seeds were given to a research center about ten minutes from my house. Then they were given to some random guy named Chris. Chris then gave the seeds to a small seed company in Virginia. Someone purchased the seeds from the seed company, then as part of a seed swap gave them away to Marilyn. Do I know who Marilyn is? Nope! About a month ago she put out a random request to swap vegetable seeds for flower seeds. I had plenty of flower seeds so I mailed her some, and she mailed me pepper and cucumber seeds. Marilyn saw my story asking for okra seeds and I gave her a brief synopsis of everything I just said.

Yesterday I received an envelope and a note: “I’m glad I saw your stories on IG when you were looking for okra seeds. When you said how significant they were to you, it gave me chills. I also included other okra seeds I had so you can use them for your community garden.”

To me these are more than just “okra seeds.” They are a connection to what many people whose skin tone resembles mine(some darker, and some lighter) have been searching for. Be it an identity..An origin..A place to call home. These seeds will not only be used for health and nourishment, but also for teaching and inspiring. Last year I had an idea and I sat on it. I didn’t think I was good enough to do it. Now I’m more inspired than ever to write a children’s book about(wait wait wait..somebody might steal my idea!) I guess it's time to get back to writing.

My family came to Georgia the hard way, and we never left. We don’t call it home, but it's what we know to be home.The beautiful architecture that tourists rave about, was built by free labor from my family. My parents sat on the back of the bus, and attended segregated schools here. My grandfather had to carry a glass bottle in his back pocket to work, because he couldn’t use the water fountain here. I’ve been called all kinds of names in front of my face and behind my back here. My search to find my family's origins led me to the most painful thing I’ve ever read. A document stating that a family member had been “sold”, and hell it wasn’t even my family. We have had to deal with so much sh*t just to be told “Go back to Africa!” And everytime I hear it I say “Where?” We are known as African-Americans but we have no connection. I am not angry, I am not disgruntled. I’m just telling my truth. For me even more so than my DNA results, these seeds are my connection to a country on a continent that my family once called home.

I don’t know if she’s going to read this, but Marilyn thank you from the bottom of my heart. These seeds will go on for generations here because of your thoughtfulness. Thank you for reading….I am Geoffrey and I am the descendent of West Africans and ….This Story was D.O.P.E.

(Typed it in silence today..)