WHO ARE WE? Embark on a Journey of Self-Discovery by Exploring Your Heritage with Black Genealogy and History. Understanding our heritage is not just a matter of curiosity; it is a fundamental part of our identity.
“In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage, to know who we are and where we come from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness.” This quote was made by Alex Haley, the writer whose bestselling book “Roots: The Saga of an American Family” was the basis for the groundbreaking TV miniseries by the same name. The miniseries was eight nights long and aired on network television in 1977 from January 23rd to January 30th.
Alex Murray Palmer Haley was born in Ithaca, New York, on August 11, 1921, to Simon and Bertha Palmer Haley. The family later moved to Henning, Tennessee, where Alex spent his formative years. His early graduation from high school at age 15 and subsequent two-year stint at State Teachers College in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, were just the beginning of his remarkable journey. His time in the Coast Guard, where he honed his writing skills by crafting love letters for his fellow sailors and writing short stories, was a significant chapter in his life. After leaving the Coast Guard in 1959, he dedicated himself to writing full-time, with his first considerable work being “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.”
Haley’s 1965 discovery of the names of his maternal great-grandparents in the National Archives in Washington, D.C., was the catalyst for tracing his ancestry. “Roots” is not just a story; it is the story that Alex Haley’s grandmother told him when he was a child. This intensely personal journey, a connection to Haley’s great-great-great-great-grandfather, Kunta Kinte, who was kidnapped in Africa and sold into slavery in the United States, is what makes the story of ‘Roots’ so compelling and relatable to all of us. It is a story that resonates with the universal theme of family and self-discovery, a narrative that connects us all and makes us feel a part of something bigger. It reminds us that we are all part of a larger story of resilience, survival, and the unbreakable bond of family.
My genealogy journey began 30 years ago. Back then, genealogy was far from the instant gratification of today’s digital age. Researchers like me had to rely on traditional methods, such as writing letters to archives, libraries, and courthouses and enclosing a self-addressed stamped envelope known as “SASE.” The journey was slow and often challenging, but the rewards of self-discovery and understanding my heritage were immeasurable, making every obstacle worth overcoming. This dedication and perseverance are not just essential but also the most rewarding aspects of successful genealogical research.
Generation Z, known as Gen Z or Zoomers, is the first generation to grow up with access to the Internet and digital technology. They have a head start with their computer skills. Genealogy was once the hobby of old people, but computers have changed the face of family history. Technology makes it easier to find and organize data, write books, share your findings by way of a blog or website, preserve your family history, and communicate with like-minded people. Not everything is on the internet, especially in small towns without this technology; millions of records are added daily. All Gen Z needs is a spark of interest in genealogy and time to do it. Commercial genealogy websites like Ancestry (www.ancestry.com) and My Heritage (myheritage.com) are expensive but offer free 14-trials. Additionally, many free websites exist, such as Family Search (familysearch.org), The US Gen Web Project (usgenweb.org), the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov), Find a Grave (findagrave.com), and National Archives (www.archives.gov).
STARTING YOUR GENEALOGICAL PURSUIT
African American genealogy can be challenging, but Alex Haley demonstrated that tracing our ancestors back to Africa is possible. While we may not be able to trace our specific ancestors back to a village in Africa as Haley did, we can take a DNA test to reveal the countries where our ancestors originated.
Basic Principles of Genealogy:
1. Start with what you know. Begin with yourself and work backward one generation at a time. Talk to your parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Write down oral traditions that have been passed down through your family.
2. Gather old records, photos, letters, vital records (birth, marriage, and death records), military papers, newspaper clippings, etc., in your home. Locate ancestors with census records after 1870, the first census that enumerated formerly enslaved people.
3. Organize the material you gathered for a single person or couple into three-ring binders, file folders, or genealogy software. Keep a research log so you do not repeat your searches. As you research, take notes and be sure to date them.
4. Prepare a plan. What questions about your ancestry do you want to answer? Finding the questions will become your goals.
5. The pedigree chart (or five-generation chart) and the family group sheets are two charts that will help you organize and summarize information. Free charts and family group sheets can be found on the internet. Cite your sources. Research without sources is worth absolutely nothing.
6. Visit local, regional, and state libraries. They may have special collections and computers for patrons’ use.
7. Join a genealogical society for support. I am a member of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society (Spokane), the National Genealogical Society, the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California, the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, and the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
8. Study the social history of your ancestors. Social history puts your ancestors in the context of where they lived. A few things to consider: What was their community like? Who were their neighbors? What significant events happened during your ancestors’ lives? How did the economy, religion, and politics impact their lives?
WHO AM I? I am Patricia Bayonne-Johnson, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and a retired Biology teacher. I am the family historian for my paternal and maternal lineages. I have traced my roots back to slavery and to the last slaveholders of most of my lineages. My most significant and most recent project is writing a blog in 2011 about my great-great-great-grandparents, Nace and Biby Butler, and their 14 children whom the Jesuits of the Maryland Province enslaved. My blog was discovered on November 16, 2015; the rest is history. The connection between Jesuit enslavement and our ancestors was found in 2004 while planning a reunion in New Orleans for the Hicks/Estes family, my maternal ancestors. My Jesuit enslaved family was sold downriver to plantation owners in Louisiana in 1838 to pay down the debt of Georgetown College, now known as Georgetown University. I also found the Katharine Jackson of Georgetown, the ship that transported my family to Louisiana on July 4, 2008.
LET’S GET STARTED
Embrace the empowering principle of Sankofa. Sankofa means “go back and get it.” This principle is symbolized by a mythical bird from Ghana’s heritage. The bird is characterized by its unique features, including a backward-facing head and forward-facing feet, symbolizing a deep connection to the past while moving forward to the future. This symbol serves as a reminder to honor our roots, acknowledge them, and strive for a better future.
My genealogy society, the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California, has a motto that we all can live by, “It’s Your History. Isn’t it time you told your story?”
If you don’t, who will?
Stay tuned for more tips for your genealogy.