By Ben Joravsky
After months of research Bearden discovered that Fredonia Parrish had been born in 1840 in Virginia and had died in Mississippi in 1913. “You could have knocked me over, my heart was so filled,” says Bearden. “I knew Fredonia had been a part of the westward movement and through her I was part of that migration. I was a part of that history. I can’t tell you what that has done for me. I wish I had known that as a child growing up on the south side. It would have done wonders for me to know that my great-great-grandmother had traveled that trail west when she was only nine. My imagination would have gone wild. Every child should have a chance to use her imagination. After that it was my passion. If it worked for me it could work for kids just like me. Through family histories they can see themselves as part of the fabric of America. They know how they fit in.”
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In the spring Malhiot brought these lessons to life when she joined Chicago sailor William Pinkney as he retraced the voyage in the Sortilege, a 78-foot yacht. “I sailed with Captain Pinkney on one leg of his journey, from Accra, Ghana, to Dakar, Senegal,” says Malhiot, one of 12 teachers who made different parts of the journey. She was gone for six weeks; when she returned, her students bombarded her with questions: Where did she sleep on the boat? What did she eat? Did she get seasick? Why was she gone for so long? “Mostly we ate canned food–lots of spaghetti,” says Malhiot. “We all had chores. Mine were cooking and cleaning dishes. I also did watches. We’d sit on the deck and watch for big ships or objects that might damage our boat.
“I’m 1,550 miles west of Accra, Ghana,” Pinkney answered. “That’s about 1,400 miles east of San Juan, Puerto Rico. So I’m a little bit more than halfway finished with the journey.” One by one the children asked their questions: How long would he be at sea? Could they someday travel with him? Why did he keep Ms. Malhiot away for so long? Was he having any problems? “Someone once said a boat is just a list of problems,” Pinkney said. “But we’re doing fine. I hope to visit you when I return to Chicago.”
