The Mina Slaves of Pointe Coupee: A revolt subdued; a culture defined Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana has always been known as the cradle of creole culture, with a rich heritage Rev. Albert Nelson rooted in diversity from its earliest settlers, French, with Spanish, Caribbean, and Indian influences . However, many of us have long forgotten the fabric of our origin rooted in a rich West African past . During the 18 th century, the Mina tribe who originated in present day Benin found themselves scattered amongst various plantations in Pointe Coupee Parish . The original settlers had established plantations that harvested corn, indigo, tobacco, cotton and sugarcane on land surrounded by the Mississippi River on one side and False River on the other . This fertile land was cultivated by victims of the transatlantic slave trade that originated on the coast of West Africa and began arriving in Louisiana under the French but continued under Spanish and US rule . Most slaves w
Dr. Kara Vaughn Jackson ( The Gramblinite,1965 ) Kara Enid Vaughn was born June 7, 1908, in Chatawa, Mississippi to Benjamin and Angeline Dillon Vaughn. Benjamin was the younger brother of my 2nd great grandmother, Angeline Vaughn Dillon. The Vaughn's were a close knit family of farm laborers that had a strong desire to see all of their children educated, and through hard work and many sacrifices, were able to see that dream realized. Kara was home-schooled by her Aunt until the age of 10 and was sent to live with relatives in Gary, Indiana while she attended the historic Froebel High School. Froebel has a history of it's own as one of the first schools in the nation to integrate. She went on to complete her undergraduate studies at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana . ( The Gramblinite,1965 ) Kara began her career as a teacher at a rural training school while working her way through Southern University. She began her work at Grambling in 1937 at the re