The Glory Field

Mary L. Taylor
February 17, 2009

The Glory Field

By

Walter Dean Myers

This story started even before eleven year old Muhammad Bilal was captured, placed on a ship and brought to America. It transpired even through his fear of the pale White men who were on the ship, through the torture of the chains on his ankles while his hands were tied behind his back, through the torture and stinkiness he heard, felt, and smelled in the hold, and what his mind referred to as death itself crowded in the hold with them. For him it started with Saran, his mother, and with Odebe his father, back in a little place near Sierra Leone in West Africa.
Upon reaching America, Muhammad Bilal was sold to Old man Managault Lewis who owned the Live Oak plantation located on Curry Island, South Carolina. He grew to manhood on the Live Oaks plantation and records seem to show that he had a daughter named “Dolly.” Dolly had two sons, Joshua Lewis and Moses Lewis. They each had children and their children’s children had children until within a span of time, there were many, many Lewises, even still today, and they all decended down from Muhammad Bilal.
Great respect was paid by the Lewis family to old Muhammad Bilal and his teachings. Grandma Dolly frequently spoke of him saying, “ My father used to say…” as she quipped some remembrance spoken by Muhammad Bilal. Down through the years, grandchildren, and grandchildren’s children would call back to some tidbit of wisdom passed down through the ages by the family patriot. “Ham’id? Ham’id? Whut ‘e say?”,etc.
Muhammad Bilal’s words and teachings bound the family together and still binds it. The siblings, cousins, and relatives stuck together. When one was in trouble, all were in trouble. They seem to feel the pain of the one at the point of suffering. When one received accolades In 1947 when Tommy Lewis, son of Robert Smalls Lewis was chosen to play on the Curry High School basketball team, the whole family rejoiced, slapping their knees and body parts of others saying such things as “Git outta heah!”, etc.
It is evident that Muhammad Bilal’s spirit and teachings has influenced the family through their history. Even though the off-springs has scattered all over the country and beyond, today the family still come together at least once each year. All are accounted for, and they have the family history told for all who are present to hear and to know and to pass it on to coming generations.