Teen has "great educational adventure" in Texas slave cabin

7th grader, Dallas Collins, briefly leaves the comfort of home and goes out into the cold on a sleepy school night with her dad where she gains a greater appreciation for the former slaves who lived in the slave dwellings on Egypt Plantation in Texas. We appreciate her candid perspectives. Thank you to Joseph McGill Jr. for sharing with About Our Freedom readers.

By Joseph McGill, Jr. | Program Officer, Southern Office

Dallas Collins:

On the night of Tuesday, March 29^th I had a chance to visit the Egypt Plantation. I was the only one of my siblings that wanted to go with my dad to see Joseph McGill who would be staying overnight at its slave dwelling.

Egypt Plantation sign

Everyone else was too sleepy to drive 100 miles away on a school night. I was glad I went because it was a wonderful opportunity for me. It was a great way to spend time with my dad, and it was a great educational adventure.

We got to Egypt, Texas around 11pm. With the 55 degree temperature, I was very cold in my blue jeans, pink & white shirt and light school jacket. (It had dropped 20 degrees from earlier that day!) All of a sudden I became scared. I was scared for many reasons, but the main reason was that I did not know what to expect.

Sam Collins III, Dallas Collins

I had never been to a slave cabin before. It was exciting. It made me think about how slaves were treated. I thought that the slave cabin would be bigger than it was. I was very wrong, it was much smaller; it was as small as my brother’s bedroom. All it had inside were two small uncomfortable beds, a dresser and a small desk in the corner. It must have been uncomfortable for the slaves who had lived there.

Joe, Dallas Collins, Naomi Carrier

Being at the slave cabin for that hour was extremely sad. From family, church and school, I have read and heard about the way slaves were treated, but being there just made it more real. It is really sad that people were treated so badly because of the color of their skin. I can only imagine what those slaves went through.

Dallas Collins

Dallas Collins is a 13 year old in the 7th grade. Her father is Texas advisor, Sam Collins III, and they live in the house at Stringfellow Orchards which was built by Confederate Soldier, Henry Martyn Stringfellow.

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Freedom Maverick Awards

The awards below were inspired by a photograph that I took at The State House in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. There is so much said about the Confederate flag that hangs there, but I never have seen much about the African American Monument that depicts the history of African Americans. Taking down a flag alone does not change a people's vision. Those we acknowledge as being a Freedom Maverick (a word coined by Angela Y.Walton-Raji in podcast #91) will help us have the right perspective.