Family History: Beat for Love

My family history story is about my mother's grandmother and  how what she did made a difference in my existence and location.

My great grandmother on my mother's side of the family was destined to be a teacher according to her parents wishes. Back in those days a teacher was not allowed to be married, so she was not allowed to court (date). But when my great grandfather saw my great grandmother he just had to have her, so he set out to get her. The thing was, my great grandmother did not like him because he had a big head. But she grew to like him, and her parents did not like that idea. They soon started to date and he would go over her house to be with her. Everytime after he would leave from her house she would get beat with the whip hanging over the top of the door. But that did  not stop her because he love was to strong. It got to the point where before he even came over to her house she would go to the door grab the whip and give it to her dad so he could beat her to not waste any time after he left. After they dated for a while, my great grandfather asked my great grandmother to marry him. She knew it was wrong and totally against what her parents wanted for her, but love cannot be stopped so she agreed. They could not get married in a church because this had to be a private ceremony. So he told her to meet him on the bridge and he would be there with a minister waiting. So she followed his instructions and met him on the bridge and that is where they became man and wife. He told her to not tell anyone about their marriage, to keep it a secret. Because this as an important event in her life she had to tell someone, and that someone was her sister in law. But her sister in law told on her and that changed her life forever.

When her dad heard about her being married, he went up to my great grandmother's high school (she was about 17 or 18) and told her that her mother was sick and they had to get home immediately. When they walked in the house my great grandmother immediately knew that her father lied, but before she could do or say anything, her dad jumped on her and beat her like there was no tomorrow. when the beating was done she ran away to my great grandfather;s aunts house. My great great aunt ran a domino house, and a young lady was not supposed to be there because that was a place for old men to be and play dominoes. So she sat there scared for her life hoping that her dad would not get there and find her. She waited until my great grandfather came and got her, when he got her they went to his parents house. She said she did not like it there because it was a dirty place but she could not complain because my great grandfather was well off. He had chickens, cows, pigs and horses so he was more then able to provide for his family. while living with his parents they had two sons (not twins) one named Charles and the other named John Edward. They lived a pretty good life there until one night. (We do not know if this little part is true but I was told this so yes.) My great grandmother and father lived with his dad in Arkansas in the Jim Crow era where the whites were superior. So one specific night when my great grandfather went out with a couple of guys he got into it with a white man and had to rush home. As soon as he got into the house he woke up the family and said they had to leave and get out of there right away. So they packed up, said their good byes to his parents and were on their way. they dropped my  uncle Charles off at her mother's house because they planned to go back and get him when they were settled down. So they left the baby and came to California. They got settled in and were doing their thing, when my great grandmother got word that her baby Charles and her mother died in a burning house. they said the KKK was responsible for it but they did not know, so she had to go back and confirm it to make sure. She got there and sure enough, it was her mother and her baby. So she buried them and came back to California. They stayed here and had more kids. They had my auntie Cynthia is married to my uncle Troy and had Christopher and Cameron. My untie Bebe had my cousin Drina who is married to my cousin Jason had Jade and  Baby Jason, my cousin Tina who is married to my cousin Chris and they had Dominique and Michael, My cousin Charles named after my uncle Charles who had kids who's names I do not remember. My uncle Alvin who had my cousins Belinda and Alexis, my uncle John Edward who's kids i never met. My auntie Lee Lee who had my cousin Kiesha who had Devandre, Arion and Adonijah, La' Marque who had Malaysia and Niasha. My grandmother Jackie who had my auntie Roshanda who had Markus, Mario, Mark, Montrischa, and Montisha who had Rico; My auntie Gernisha, my auntie Ga'Kia who had Khalid and Kaliyah, and finally my mother Rischa who is married to my father Ronald who had Ron Jr. ,Re'Jon, Riahna, Randyn, my sister Kiara who is married to Antonio who had my neice Kimoni and Finally me Rahni Risje' Johnson. And this is my mother's side of the family story of how i got to be in California.

In this story I learn that on my mother's side I originate from the south. In learning about this story I see how far my family has come, we used to get beat with whips for dating, and bullied by the whites. Now I can date and choose my own future and not have to get hit by my parents about the decision I make about the type of future I want for myself. And no whited person can make me fled a town by threatening me. This story also tells me how strong my family is, we have been through a lot, and if they gave up back then to take the easy way out, then I would not be here today. but my great grandmother got beat everyday for the man she loves. I know little to no people who would get beat for someone they say they love, that is some strong loving right there,I could probably do that if i truly loved that person. and if she did not have the courage to put her trust in her husband and leave her parents at that age then I would not be here, and my family would not be in California, we would probably still be in Texas, Arkansas or some other places in the south. I do not yet know my role in my family because I am still growing and maturing, but I do know that I am strong willed, courageous and have a family who is there for me like her his family was there for them. IN a lot of ways I am similar to her, I am strong, and I am courageous. If I ever do love a man as much as she loved my great grandfather, if not more then that. I would get beat on his behalf everyday after he left from visiting. But until that day comes when I do love a man like that, I will not get beat for no man everyday after he visits me. My great grandmother is strong in many ways and that is the moral of the story, just like the title says "Beaten for Love" If love is that strong, nothing can tear it apart. And that is what I got from this story.