Description

A descendant of Nathan Bedford Forrest’s slaves, Al Arnold, tells his journey of embracing his Confederate heritage. His ancestor, Turner Hall, Jr., a Black Confederate, served as a body servant for two Confederate soldiers and an orderly for Gen. Robert E. Lee. Turner Hall, Jr. was celebrated by Blacks and Whites in his community. Hall attended the last Civil War reunion at Gettysburg in 1938. He was interviewed by the national talk radio show, “We, The People”. This is a personal journey of faith, heritage, race and family wrapped around the grace of God through the eyes and honest thoughts of a modern Black man. Arnold argues for African Americans to embrace Confederate heritage to capture the enriched Black history of the Civil War era. He bestows dignity and honor on his Confederate ancestor and challenges the traditional thoughts of modern African Americans. Arnold rests in his faith as the uniting force that reconciles our colorful past to our bright future.

About the Author:

Al writes a counter culture narrative for such a time as this! When political correctness was beginning to show fresh and anew in 2015 regarding historical controversies, the author discovered a personal story that wasn’t suppose to be written in today’s environment. Political correctness has come full circle and our country is drowning in cultural mandates to diversify. This story tells the journey of a Black man in America who rose above the normative mandates of diversification to share his journey of growing up in Mississippi and coming to love his poor White Confederate neighbors. This forbidden journey invites you on a path of racial reconciliation that’s not expected.

The author stands on the biblical foundation of Grace through an amazing story of a well known Confederate General and slave trader, Nathan Bedford Forrest, and his great great grandfather, “Papa Turner,” once a slave of Forrest and an Orderly for General Robert E. Lee during the Civil War. He weaves a story of Grace, Race and the Christian Faith through the journey of a Modern Black Man’s Confederate Discovery.

The author lives in the great state of Mississippi. He grew up in Northeast Mississippi. He attended Jackson State University and graduated Magna Cum-Laude from the University of Mississippi. He came to the knowledge of his Confederate ancestor in 2008. He started to search for an understanding of why, how, what and when did his great-great grandfather serve during the Civil war. His journey has led him to embrace his counter culture heritage with a desire to help others to love their fellow brothers who Historically may have been in different worlds. He is a member of the Civil War Round-table in Jackson, MS. He has a desire to see America escape the wickedness of historical bondage and walk in a freedom of forgiveness and true reconciliation which doesn’t use group identification to destroy individuality . Al is the family historian for the Arnold & Elliott Family Reunion in Monroe County, Mississippi. Al holds firmly to faith in Jesus Christ alone as the only hope for humanity in salvation, forgiveness, oneness, love and understanding the brotherhood of humanity. Welcome to one Wild Southern Ride as the twists and turns of this Journey takes you to points of expressions that have been forbidden.