Climbing Up to Glory by Wilbert L. Jenkins Page A

ones in the college’s archives. Moreover, Paul Crater, Cathy Mundale, and Karen Jefferson of Atlanta University provided much-needed assistance in locating numerous photographs. Matthew Hershey, the senior acquisitions editor at Scholarly Resources, went above and beyond the call of duty in shepherding the book to publication. I would also like to acknowledge the steadfast support of my mentors at Michigan State University: Harry Reed, John Coogan, Darlene Clark Hine, Gordon Stewart, Frederick Williams, Peter Levine, and Richard Thomas, who believed in me when I had self-doubts, and for this, I will always be thankful. Thanks also go to Edward Grayson III, Alfonso Grant, Charles Brooks, Nathaniel Greene, John Watson, and Tim Howard for continuously reminding me that I had an obligation to tell the history of our ancestors. Finally, I would like to thank my ancestors for leaving a rich history for those of us engaged in scholarship to record. I sincerely hope that I have done them justice in the pages that follow.
    My one regret is that my father, Joe A. Jenkins Sr., did not live long enough to see either my first book or this book published. Writing Climbing Up to Glory has helped me deal with his death. The numerous hours spent on research and writing proved to be good therapy and enabled me to find a fitting way to celebrate my father’s life. In many ways, his experience growing up black in the South paralleled that of many of those blacks mentioned in these pages. Like many of them, my father had to endure white racism and racial discrimination on an unprecedented scale. Nevertheless, they not only persevered with a great deal of tenacity and willpower but also became the living embodiment of what can be accomplished through unflagging determination and inner strength. Since my father’s life represents a continuous struggle to survive and prosper in American society, as does the black characters I write about here, I dedicate this work to him. In addition, since my mother, Elizabeth Jenkins, and my gone-but-not-forgotten relatives contributed in their own ways to creating a better society, it is appropriate to dedicate this book to them as well. Unfortunately, the list is too long for me to name them all here, but I wish to cite a few: Willie and Mary Debnam (great-grandparents), Lorenzo and Sadie Barbour and Ashe Burnette (grandparents), John D. Jenkins Sr. and Mattie Jenkins (grandparents), Jimmie Debnam, Tink, Martha, and Mary Frances Neal, Fannie Sanders, Grace Clark, Edith and Zebedee Allen, Joe Barbour, Irvin and Flora Bell Harris, Catherine Harris, James Jenkins, and Pronto Merritt. I would be remiss if I failed to dedicate this book also in memory of Alfonso Grant, a kindred spirit who taught me the beauty of life, and probably more things about life than he ever realized. In many respects, he became a role model for me and, in essence, my second father. Sleep well, my friends, for you have left your marks on the world; you will never be forgotten, and you are sorely missed. It is my hope that this book contributes in some measure to the liberation of individuals of African descent as well as to an understanding of and appreciation of their struggles to become first-class citizens in American society.

INTRODUCTION
    THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION mark a watershed in American and African-American history. Scholars have examined this period in depth, yet few have focused on the lives of African Americans in those years between 1861, when the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter, and 1877, when the last federal troops were withdrawn from the South. Those works that cover the experiences of African Americans represent state, regional, or community studies and generally target a scholarly audience. My book seeks to fill this void in historical scholarship. With Climbing Up to Glory, my aim is to appeal to both students of African-American history and laypersons. Although my book focuses mostly on the