Watan Girmama Tarihin Baƙar fata: Richard Etheridge, Jarumin Ruwa

Mark J. Spalding (The Ocean Foundation) da Jordan Morgan (Jami'ar Maine School of Law) ne suka rubuta shi.

A bikin cika shekaru 100 da fara Watan Tarihin Baƙar fata, muna girmama Richard Etheridge, wani mutum mai tasowa a tarihin ruwan teku na Amurka wanda jarumtaka da jagorancinsa suka taimaka wajen tsara gadon Hukumar Ceton Rai ta Amurka da kuma Jami'an Tsaron Teku.

Daga Bauta zuwa Hidima

An haifi Richard Etheridge cikin bauta a Tsibirin Roanoke da ke Arewacin Carolina a ranar 16 ga Janairu, 1842. An yi imanin cewa ɗan bawansa ne, John B. Etheridge, Richard ya sami wata irin kwarewa ta musamman a matsayin bawa. An rene shi a cikin gidan Etheridge kuma an koya masa karatu da rubutu, ƙwarewar da za ta yi masa hidima a tsawon rayuwarsa mai ban mamaki.

A lokacin Yaƙin Basasa, Etheridge ya shiga ƙungiyar Union a shekarar 1863, inda ya yi aiki a rundunar sojojin Amurka ta 36 har zuwa 1866. Ko a lokacin, jajircewarsa ga adalci ta bayyana. A wani lokaci, ya yi kira ga mazaunan Freedmen's Colony, inda ya rubuta wa kwamishinan ƙungiyar wasiƙa yana nuna rashin amincewarsa da cewa sojojin farar fata suna shiga gidaje suna satar kadarori. Ya sanya hannu a kai. "a madadin ɗan adam."

Bayan yaƙin, Etheridge ya koma Tsibirin Roanoke, ya yi aure a shekarar 1867, kuma ya yi aiki a matsayin mai kamun kifi, manomi, da kuma matukin jirgin ruwa. A shekarar 1875, ya shiga Hukumar Ceton Rai ta Amurka a matsayin wanda ya fara aiki, wani aiki da ya yi wa Baƙar fata wahalar ci gaba a wancan lokacin.

Karya Shingayen Tsibirin Pea

Ta hanyar aiki tukuru da jajircewa, Etheridge ya samu ci gaba a cikin jerin. Bayan wani bincike mai zurfi da aka gudanar ya gano cewa tsoffin masu kula da tashoshin ceton rai na Outer Banks ba su da tasiri, Babban Jami'in Kula da Sufuri na USLSS Sumner Kimball ya nada Richard Etheridge a matsayin Mai Kula da Tashar Ceton Rai ta Tsibirin Pea a ranar 24 ga Janairu, 1880, wanda ya sanya shi mai kula da hasken wutar lantarki na Ba'amurke ɗan Afirka na farko kuma jami'in tsiraru na farko da ke kula da kowace cibiyar ayyukan Amurka.

Hotuna: Ma'aikatan Tashar Ceton Rai ta Pea Island a kusan 1890. An nuna Richard Etheridge a hagu. Ofishin Tarihin Jami'an Tsaron Tekun Amurka.

Lokacin da ma'aikatan jirgin fararen fata suka yi murabus, an kawo ma'aikatan hawan igiyar ruwa na Baƙar fata daga rukunin da ke kusa zuwa Tsibirin Pea, inda suka zama ma'aikatan jirgin baƙar fata na farko kuma tilo a cikin Sabis na Ceton Rai na Amurka. Etheridge ya ƙirƙiri atisaye masu tsauri wanda ya ba ma'aikatansa damar yin duk ayyukan ceton rai, kuma tashar ta sami suna a matsayin "Ɗaya daga cikin mafi kyawun wurare a bakin tekun Carolina." Ya yi aiki a matsayin mai gadi na tsawon shekaru 20, fiye da kowane mai tsaron Pea Island, kuma ya mutu yana ci gaba da aikinsa.

Ceto Jarumi na ES Newman

A daren 11 ga Oktoba, 1896, jirgin ruwan ES Newman, wanda ke tafiya daga Providence, Rhode Island, ya yi karo da guguwa a tsakiyar guguwa. Ba tare da ya iya harba jirgin ceton rai ko kuma harba bindigar Lyle Gun ba saboda guguwar, Etheridge ya koma ga ma'aikata masu ƙarfi a matsayin zaɓi na ƙarshe.

Da yake neman ma'aikatan sa kai guda biyu, Etheridge ya umarce su da su ɗaure igiyoyi a jikinsu su yi iyo zuwa wurin da jirgin ya faɗa, yayin da sauran ma'aikatan da ke bakin teku suka riƙe igiyoyin a matsayin hanyar tsira tsakanin ƙasa da teku. A wannan daren, ma'aikatan Pea Island sun ceto dukkan mutane tara da ke cikin jirgin ES Newman, ciki har da matar kyaftin ɗin da ɗansa ɗan shekara uku.

Saboda jarumtar da suka nuna, Etheridge da ma'aikatansa sun sami lambar yabo ta Zinare ta Ceton Rai ta Rundunar Tsaron Teku ta Amurka bayan mutuwarsa a shekarar 1996, inda suka zama 'yan tsiraru na farko da suka sami lambar yabo ta jarumtaka a lokacin da suke bakin aiki.

Ƙarƙashin Rage

Aikin Etheridge ya faru ne a lokacin sake ginawa, lokaci mai cike da rikici da haɗari a dangantakar launin fata ta Amurka. Shekaru biyu kacal kafin ya mutu a shekarar 1900, tarzomar masu ra'ayin wariya a Wilmington, NC, ta kori 'yan ƙasar Baƙar fata daga mukamai masu ƙarfi. Duk da haka, 'yan Afirka-Amurkawa sun ci gaba da zama ma'aikata kusan gaba ɗaya a Tsibirin Pea na tsawon shekaru 47 bayan mutuwar Etheridge, wani gado da ya wuce Outer Banks mai nisa.

Kamar yadda Joan Collins, sakatariyar ƙungiyar kiyaye tsibiri ta Pea, ta lura, "Richard Etheridge ya buɗe ƙofofin ga 'yan Afirka da yawa a wannan yanki don shiga Rundunar Tsaron Teku. Tsawon shekaru 67, Tsibirin Pea yana da ma'aikata 'yan Afirka-Amurkawa. Da ba shi ne wanda yake ba kuma ya kafa misali da ya kafa, da hakan ba zai faru ba."

A yau, sunan Richard Etheridge yana nan daram. USCGC Richard Etheridge, wani mai yanke jirgin ruwa na aji na Sentinel, yana girmama tunawa da aikinsa da kuma hidimarsa. Labarinsa yana tunatar da mu cewa jarumtaka, sadaukarwa, da kuma ƙwarewa za su iya shawo kan shingen wariya, kuma gudummawar da Baƙar fata 'yan Amurka suka bayar sun kasance muhimmi ga gadon teku na ƙasarmu tun daga farko.

Game da Watan Tarihin Baƙar fata

Wannan shekarar tana cika shekaru 100 da Watan Tarihin Baƙar fata, wanda za a iya dangantawa da kafa Makon Tarihin Baƙar fata a watan Fabrairun 1926 ta hannun Dr. Carter G. Woodson. An haife shi a shekara ta 1875 a Virginia ga tsoffin bayi, Woodson ya sami digirin digirgir a Tarihi daga Jami'ar Harvard kuma ya kafa abin da yanzu ake kira Ƙungiyar Nazarin Rayuwa da Tarihi ta Baƙar fata ta Amurka. Ya zaɓi watan Fabrairu don wannan bikin saboda Baƙar fata Amurkawa sun daɗe suna girmama ranar haihuwar manyan Amurkawa biyu waɗanda suka taka rawa sosai wajen inganta rayuwarsu: Abraham Lincoln (12 ga Fabrairu) da Frederick Douglass (14 ga Fabrairu).

Tun daga shekarar 1986, lokacin da Majalisar Dokoki ta ware watan Fabrairu a matsayin Watan Tarihin Bakar Fata na Ƙasa, kowane Shugaban Amurka ya fitar da sanarwa don girmama wannan muhimmin bikin. Kamar yadda Shugaba Reagan ya ayyana, "Babban manufar Watan Tarihin Baƙar fata shine a sanar da dukkan Amurkawa game da wannan gwagwarmayar 'yanci da daidaiton dama."