Christina was born into slavery. Her “owner,” a woman, secretly taught her to read and write, an act that was both illegal and dangerous for both of them at the time. She became proficient at reading the Bible. During her lifetime, she had eleven children, two of whom died. One of her sons became one of the first black lawyers in the United States.
Incredibly, she managed to send all four of her sons to college in Boston, which was exceptional for the time. She passed away five years before I was born, but I felt a deep connection to her. Family members recall her saying, “I pray for my grandchildren,” a sentiment that seems to apply. Around April 12, 1861, Christina experienced the First Battle of Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay, South Carolina, while working in the cotton fields.
She recalled that the “sky was as black as night” because of the cannon fire and witnessed a man being decapitated by a cannonball. As a young woman, she served as a water girl for other slaves and a lookout for horseback overseers who threatened their silent prayers for freedom. Christina would follow the sound of the horses’ tails charging and warn the workers to hide and continue picking cotton before they were discovered.
She eventually married John C. Platt, a Native American of the Santee Tribe. After gaining her freedom, Christina made it a priority to move her children north, realizing that they would not receive a quality education in the South, which was her main concern. She lived to be 101, passing away in 1944, in the house she and her husband built in Medfield, Massachusetts, where they were the first black family to settle.
With deep respect, I remember my great-grandmother. There is so much more I could share about this extraordinary woman who has given me strength during difficult times. Whenever I feel overwhelmed by hardship, I think of her and find the determination to keep going.