The Cotton Pickers
The Music, The Culture … The Monument
A monument that pays homage to Cotton Pickers and Sharecroppers does not exist in the United States of America, or anywhere in the world. There is no documented “official” honor, nor historical acknowledgment of the people who literally tilled the path to America’s greatness, in the global economy. Somewhere along the way buried in the tear-soaked soils of the American South, the respect and honor for their hard-earned sweat equity investments were lost. The Cotton Pickers of America Monument, Sharecroppers Interpretive Center makes the case for building a monument and a National Park that offers a small token of appreciation for their tireless, and still, uncompensated work.
In 2012, Dr Maya Angelou gave voice to the movement to honor the people who planted, chopped and picked the way to a great “Cotton Kingdom” in the Mississippi Delta; and Global Cotton Empire.
The legacy of cotton pickers includes the narratives of: sharecroppers, day laborers, tenant farmers, weavers, spinners, planters, distributors, consumers, and bankers. Their collective stories give significance to the music; and, the investments made by some of the hardest-working people with the least amount of return in world history. The commitment to work reflects dignity, pride and a distinct vision of promise for future generations. Their integrity and sense of purpose are what ultimately made cotton manufacturing the most important industry in the global market exchange; and cotton “the fabric of our lives,” for nearly two-hundred years … Thanks to Dr Maya Angelou, B.B. King, Ed Dwight and all the others who have joined with Khafre, Inc to celebrate the culture and contributions of Cotton Pickers, e.g., the Blues, Spirituals and Gospel music that kept us grounded to a special spiritual source … for survival sake.
We would love to tell you more about this effort, please contact:
Professor C. Sade Turnipseed, Executive Director
KHAFRE, INC
662.347.8198
www.cottonpickers.us