Mississippi News
‘Black Cloud Rising’ tells a harrowing tale of a formerly enslaved man’s fight for freedom
‘Black Cloud Rising' tells a harrowing tale of a formerly enslaved man's fight for freedom
Through the eyes of Richard Etheridge, we travel the precarious path of his life in David Wright Faladé's novel, “Black Cloud Rising.” It's a fictional tale, interwoven with true-life events.
Etheridge was a real person, a member of the African Brigade, fighting in the Civil War. His strength carries him and those like him on their journey to be free from bondage in a land where they know they are necessary, but not wanted; declared free, but not truly.
Etheridge, called “Dick” by all those who know him, was born a slave on Roanoke Island, the son of a slave mother and their owner. He is taught to read and write by his half-sister, his owner's abolitionist daughter.
His memories of being an “almost” member of his white owner's family compared to his Freedman status as a fighting man leave him torn in his feelings of being conditioned to feeling he is a nobody to becoming and believing he is a somebody.
Etheridge sees and feels this as he eventually attains the rank of sergeant. The validity of the brigade's existence is a constant specter. Black men in Union blue, Black men fighting and killing white men, Black men free; juxtaposed against duty to country, family, and oneself. He was a naive 21-year-old when he joined the brigade, their mission — track down Confederate guerrillas in the fall 1863.
Many brigade members like Etheridge fight on the very land where they were once enslaved, battling not only their own conditioned questioning of place as they face off against their former owners, and their sons and brothers, but the morality of it. A morality he comes face to face with on the battlefield, eye to eye with his own half-brother, who once told him he was “just like family.”
“Just like family? We are family!” is Etheridge's reply. He knows deep in his soul too, that freedom is the rallying cry at any cost.
The book's title, “Black Cloud Rising,” derives from a song of the era, sung about Black Union troops like Etheridge and his brigade comrades. Their leader is a ginger bearded abolitionist named Edward Wild. “Wild” in his eyes and carriage, he's a General and John Brown type, a force to be reckoned with, who frees all slaves he, Etheridge, and the African Brigade encounter as they fight their way to securing the North Carolina coastal region and its backwaters. Etheridge and the others in the brigade respect and love him for it.
The brigade is glorious to the enslaved who lay eyes upon them and despised by the white Southerners who loathe and fear them. “When this country is retaken, you ni**ers who've betrayed it will not fare well,” Etheridge is admonished by his general's chastised brother.
“I suspect you are right. Still, I'll take my chances on freedom,” is Etheridge's reply.
Faladé brings Etheridge's “chance on freedom” to life in an arduous, frightening, and bloody journey to freedom; a tale of long ago and seldom talked about.
Faladé is a featured panelist at the Mississippi Book Festival on Aug. 20.
READ MORE: In ‘The Movement Made Us,' father and son reflect on the past, both remembered and forgotten
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Ridgeland man sentenced for molesting girl
SUMMARY: Ronnie Hales, a 44-year-old man from Ridgeland, pled guilty to gratification of lust by molesting his then-girlfriend's 10-year-old daughter. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison without the possibility of early release or parole and will have to register as a sex offender upon release. The abuse was reported to Ridgeland police in February 2023, leading to an investigation that included a forensic interview of the child. Evidence was found at Hales' home, and multiple state agencies collaborated to secure the conviction. District Attorney Bubba Bramlett expressed gratitude for the teamwork and hopes the child can find closure and move forward.
The post Ridgeland man sentenced for molesting girl appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Bond set for suspect charged in Rankin County homicide
SUMMARY: Two suspects charged in the shooting death of a 20-year-old man in Rankin County appeared in court. Ryan Duette was given a $500,000 bond for second degree murder. The victim, Bryson Horne, was found shot at a home in the Reservoir area, and his body was taken to the Medical Examiner's Office. Duette and Lainey Ingle turned themselves in, claiming to be involved in an altercation with the victim. Firearms were recovered from their vehicle. Horne's brother had also been shot and killed in Jackson a month earlier. The suspects are facing charges in connection with the murder.
The post Bond set for suspect charged in Rankin County homicide appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Warmer air just in time for the weekend – Home – WCBI TV
SUMMARY: Temperatures in Columbus, Mississippi will be above average in the next few days. Thursday will start sunny but with increasing cloud cover in the afternoon due to a front. Only isolated showers are possible. The front will move northward as a warm front, bringing warmer air for the weekend. Friday will be sunny with a south breeze and highs in the 80s. The weekend will also have highs in the 80s with minimal rain expected. Next week, a stronger front will bring showers and storms, with heavy rain being the main concern. Some lingering showers may continue into Tuesday/Wednesday.
The post Warmer air just in time for the weekend – Home – WCBI TV appeared first on www.wcbi.com
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