June 2017 Newsletter

Happy June, y'all!
Please enjoy our latest newsletter.

Saturday, June 17 - Juneteenth (Our 38th Annual Celebration)

The Seminole Indian Scout Cemetery Association
invites you to celebrate

JUNETEENTH

Saturday, June 17, 2017
At the Carver School
506 Beaumont Street

10:00 AM – Special Juneteenth Program
Learn about the history of Juneteenth and be inspired by the wise
words of our special guest speakers

11:00 AM – Barbecue Plate Sale
Chicken, Sausage, Rice, Bean, Potato Salad for $10

For more information: call Augusta “Gigi” Pines at 830.309.4663
Email us at [email protected].
Also, follow us on Facebook: Seminole Indian Scout Cemetery Association,
​Twitter: SISCA_Brackett, and Instagram: SISCA_Brackett.

We are truly looking forward to this year's Juneteenth celebration. This is a very important holiday. Did you know that we (SISCA) have been celebrating Juneteenth since 1979? Our founder, Miss Charles Emily Wilson, thought it was necessary to teach our younger generations about our history. So she designated Juneteenth and Seminole Days as the two times each year that we would do this. Then she created annual celebrations around each holiday. We are so proud of this tradition. We are thankful to all of you who come and celebrate with us. 

June - Black Music Month

The Seminole Indian Scout Cemetery Association proudly celebrates and honors Black Music Month, which was initiated by President Jimmy Carter on June 7, 1979. Similar presidential proclamations have been made since then. In his 2016 proclamation, Obama noted that African-American music and musicians have helped the country "to dance, to express our faith through music, to march against injustice, and to defend our country's enduring promise of freedom and opportunity for all."
The video below will give you a brief history of black music in American. Enjoy!
​https://youtu.be/Mbk8jy_bVNo

Saturday, June 10 -
​Cemetery Cleanup Day

On Saturday, June 10, several members of SISCA gathered to clean the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery. The cleanup was organized by Mr. Joe Louis Factor. We will have another cleanup day soon. We will keep you posted. (Photos courtesy of Corina Torralba Harrington)

FCHS/SISCA Unknown Marker Project
​

The Seminole Indian Scout Cemetery Association (SISCA) was formed to protect, promote, and preserve the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery. We are the custodians and keepers of this hallowed, sacred space. While improving the fence line has been one of our goals since 2015, we believe that the graves (or the inside of the cemetery) should and does take priority.
On Thursday, June 8, we met with Mr. Russell Nowell, president of the Fort Clark Historical Society (FCHS). A few months ago, he had proposed that the FCHS and SISCA partner to provide markers for the unknown/unmarked graves in the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery.
During our time out at the cemetery on Thursday, we counted 44 graves in the far right section (the oldest part) of the cemetery that are unmarked or have headstones that are difficult to read.
The size of the bricks are 16 in x 14 in x 4 in. Each brick costs about $20. On top of each brick, there will be a thin overlay that will simply state UKNOWN. The overlay costs about $5. If we find out who a grave belongs to, the unknown overlay will be replaced with the new information. The cost to complete this first section is $1,100 or $25 per brick and overlay.
A second project that will be taking place simultaneously will be the cleaning and repairing of headstones. We will also begin in the far right section of the cemetery. The majority of the headstones in this section need special attention and care paid to them.
In the coming months, we look forward to showing and telling you about our progress. If you're in the area, we ask that you come out and volunteer with us. If you can, we ask that you consider making a donation.

Fort Clark Historical Society
Brick Application
​

In our May 2017 Newsletter, we introduced the Fort Clark Historical Society Brick Project. Below is the information that appeared last month:
Are you looking for a unique and lasting way to memorialize a deceased loved one? The Fort Clark Historical Society has the perfect solution. If your loved one was a Black Seminole descendant or if your loved one served in the military, consider purchasing a memorial brick in their honor. As seen in the photo above, your loved one's name, rank, and dates of service can be chosen to appear on the brick. Once purchased and created, the bricks are placed at the flag memorial in front of Dickman Hall in Fort Clark Springs.
Note: The funds raised from the Fort Clark Historical Society brick project will toward toward the construction of a Black Seminole statue. Their goal is approximately $80,000. If you are interested, click the blue button.
​

Click To Go To Brick Application

Membership

Is it time to renew your membership? Our website makes it easy. Just click the button below to make an online payment. Or you can send us your check by mail if you prefer. Your membership is very important to us. 

Membership

​Monthly Meeting - July 2017

Our next monthly meeting is on Saturday, July 8 at the Carver School at 1 PM. We will be planning for our 38th annual Seminole Days celebration. You are welcome to bring snacks and drinks. More importantly, we hope that you will bring your great ideas. We look forward to seeing you next month.

THANK YOU!

We would like to say thank you to everyone who has donated money, volunteered their time, visited the museum, or shown interest in the history of the Black Seminoles and the Seminole Indian Scout Cemetery Association. We truly appreciate you and truly cannot thank you enough.