CDS: 292, Presentation

Hello. My name is Madison to Kerry and I am

going to be doing my presentation over a man named

Anna Nice Freyre who lived throughout the 18 hundreds and

I'm going to be telling his story to start off

and, and ice Freyre was born and raised in Jackson

Louisiana in the east feliciana parish, which as many of

you know was the location of Centenary college from 18

25 before it was moved to Shreveport in 19 oh

eight. Fryer was also born around 1832.

He was a black man raised up in slavery in

Jackson Louisiana.

And although his exact plantation is unidentified, we know that

it's certainly in the east feliciana Parish because that's where

he was born and raised possible East feliciana Parish plantations

um were places like the ass photo Fairview, Augusta hickory

hill, marston house, Lakeview are just a few that I

have named and there may be um plantations also that

were in the west feliciana Parish.

Just because Jackson was very close.

It's on that border line between the east feliciana Parish

and the west feliciana Parish.

So frayer gave his heart to christ at an early

age and the style uplifted him and his fellow bondsmen

and his whole community.

Um Such to the point that he was employed as

a slave um at Centenary college as a janitor.

Um he was a slave employed as a janitor at

Centenary college in Jackson and the students took interest in

him and taught him the basics of how to read

and write.

This was a very big deal considering this time period

and the role between the slaves um, and the white

students during this time, there were laws of literacy past

um, to put limits on the education of black slaves.

And this was not a full education that he got

from these students, but it was enough for him to

carry carry on and learn on his own.

Not all slaves have this opportunity to read and write.

Um, so this opportunity enabled him to establish a church

by the name of the Magnolia Methodist Episcopal Church in

Jackson Louisiana.

Freyre was also able to preach the gospel to his

fellow slaves before he was removed to texas before the

war ended.

But after the war ended, he returned home to Jackson

Louisiana and he was actually employed at, at a church,

um, one of the methodist churches by a presiding elder

as a pastor.

So starting in 1868 and ending in 1870, fair was

appointed to the traveling connection of the Louisiana Methodist Conference.

This conference held journals for each year, in which we

found this memoir, um, that held information about his life

Uh, devastatingly for passed away in 1871 because he contracted

pneumonia. he was ready to part depart from the earth

enjoying christ.

Although it most definitely saddened his community and his family

um mentioning the Black Church is a very important aspect

in telling and ISIS story because this may have very

well have been what instilled hope in a sense of

freedom in him.

Um while he was tied to the bondage is of

slavery and while he dealt with oppression, the black Church

was important because it was most likely that the black

Church definitely um was a main impactor an influencer in

his life.

A documentary I watched in the Black Church demonstrated the

points of view of the church in christ and religion

to the black community versus the white slave owners.

Um, the white slave owners would use Christianity as a

way of instilling domination and submission of the slaves by

speaking of jesus as a complacent and obedient.

Um It's submissive servant and withholding certain scriptures and chapters

from the bible from them, scriptures like roman 6 16.

The scriptures from the New King James version, it states,

do you not know that to whom you present yourselves

slaves to obey?

You are that one slaves whom you obey?

Whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading

to righteousness.

So this highlights the principles that everyone is a slave

to someone or something, whether it's a possession, um a

person or activity, but a christian should be a slave

to God's righteousness.

However, this scripture could have been interpreted, interpreted that slavery

could be righteous and expected.

So parts of exodus were admitted because it talked about

the slaves claiming their freedom and parts of the new

testament that challenged the imperial power and social hierarchy were

admitted omitted as well.

They did this because they understood the power of Christianity.

Um, and in christ, they could twist the bible to

their advantage, but they knew that it could also give

the power to the black community to press for their

freedom. On the contrary to the black man or woman

Christianity. Um, and their religion was a way that they

could escape from the tortures of slavery.

They used Christianity and religion to spark life in them

and maintain their dignity.

Um, that was lost while they were slaves, Freyre, I

believe used this interpretation of Christianity um, in the word

of God, to help himself in his community through slavery

and founded a church that sustained and enliven him in

his community after slavery.

So a little bit about analyze his family was recorded

in this 1870 census.

This was an incredible finding because it showed his name,

his profession.

Um, it showed that he was a well digger, but

one interesting thing I noticed was that in the column

on the right hand side, um, it's a mark that

he cannot read or write.

But evidence from his memoir that we read earlier suggests

different. We are not sure why there is contradicting information

here, but it's possible that the person writing this information,

the recorder of this information may be assumed that since

he was black, he could not read it right, But

it also listed that he was 40 years of age.

Um, this census record also showed his family that he

created and from the memoir we thought he only had

one child which was his newborn son.

However, he actually had three other Children named Jenny who

was seven roof in who was nine and Henry who

was 13 years old.

It also listed his wife who was 26 years old

and her job title was keeping house.

So this, this most likely meant that they were well

off as a family, maybe middle class.

Um, she was a housewife, so she did not have

a job, his job was able to sustain them.

There is a source in the Freedman's Bureau Records from

1865 through 1872.

Um, and there was much information from this document that

leads me to believe that this stated in this document

was Fannie or Francis, which was friend's wife, Her name,

her age and her residents gave me insight to thinking

that this may possibly be her.

Um it states that her age is 25.

Therefore, this document, if it showed a date and the

year was 1869, this would be her correct age because

she was born in 1844.

Um from the census records, her past residents also states

that she lived in the west feliciana Parish and her

current residence is North Baton Rouge, which is not far

from the east feliciana Parish.

Her name on this document is also Fanny, which was

her nickname because her real name was Francis.

Okay. And I um as I stated before, was a

part of the Louisiana Methodist Episcopal Church Conference.

The original Mississippi Mississippi conference existed that the Louisiana churches

were included in, but the methodist church divided into the

northern and southern branches in 18 44.

Um so the Louisiana and Mississippi churches voted to become

a part of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.

Um at the end of 1846th in the General Conference,

um the formation of the Louisiana conference was approved.

So these Louisiana conference journals held a lot of great

information about and ideas um flares role in the conference

among other details.

So we discovered that, and I say Freyre was recommended

for deacon's orders um by quarterly conference at clinton Louisiana

and was elected.

We also find out that he um his name was

included in a list of names that these people were

ordained deacons on January 17 of 1869 by M.

Simpson M.

Simpson, the presiding bishop of the conference in 1869.

So for those who do not know a deacon is

an ordained minister of the priest.

In the 18 70 journals of these Louisiana methodist conference

journals, he was named under the baton rouge district.

Um and that conference treasurer also reported that $7.70 was

received from an honest fair.

There were also sums of money donated to phrase wife

after he died, ranging from $15 to $35.

So this conference had a preacher's aid society that invested

money to retired preachers, widows and orphans.

Um, so this was most likely the account that the

money was donated from.

Um, and from this, we know that an an ISaf

rare had held a high position and was well respected

by the church and the conference because the church was

paying his wife pensions Freyre was also named in multiple

journals of the Louisiana conference and honored um, on the

debt, the honored dead page um, as well as being

named an effective elder.

Uh, the 1907 through 1909 journals had stated that he

was a founder of the Louisiana conference was, which was

a great piece of information as well.

And that tells us a lot about his life.

The Magnolia Church was a huge part of an ISIS

legacy and story and it's very important in telling his

story. So from the Southwestern christian advocate, which was a

newspaper um in the archives, it seems that the last

reference of the Magnolia Emmy, the Methodist Episcopal Church in

Jackson Louisiana was in 1924.

The references to Magnolia Church seemed very genuine and as

if they were happy to be a part of this

Magnolia Church, whether that they knew and and I swear

had founded it or not.

From obituaries, two cards of thanks.

This church was very appreciated and loved by its members

um, in this newspaper, throughout the years of 1825 through

1924, um, the church brought groceries and was appreciated.

Reverence commenced weddings, there were multiple obituaries, obituaries.

Um speaking of the faithful members of the church, there

were cards of thanks to the Women's Home Missionary Society

of Magnolia Church as well.

These stories are accounts of the impact that an ice

has made from building this church that continued after his

death. So in conclusion, reverend and I swear created this

legacy that has been and may very well have continued

to be lost in time for had a connection with

centenarian, the methodist church that our school is affiliated with

my classmates and I have had the eye opening and

captivating experience of digging through history to discover this life

and legacy of the ana and isaf rare created.

Yeah, We've been able to interpret what his my life

may have been like um with the records that we

have found and with what we know about the history

of the Black Church.

With the assistance of modern technology um, as well, we've

been able to unveil census records and memoirs, methodist conference

journals, newspapers and more from nearly 200 years ago.

The main takeaway from this presentation, though, is the legacy

that analyze for has created and left.

Um, this means biography other than the meme wire in

the 1871 conference journal has never been researched or put

together. Um, and with great things again to this class

and his connection to Centenary, we are able to tell

his story so that he and his work are not

forgotten. He was a faithful black man who started off

his mere property being a slave, but then used Christianity

and the black Methodist church to create a beautiful life

for him and a beautiful life for him and his

community. Um, he also created a beautiful story that we

are able to tell today of its church of his

church and its faithful members.

Thank you.

CDS: 292, Presentation

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