Celebrate Black History Month by Leaving a Genealogy and Family History Legacy
As our nation celebrates the month of February as Black History Month, I would like to encourage people of all ethnicities to become family historians and writers. Afterward, they will be able to reach out and teach their current and future generations that many of their ancestors and relatives–being aware or unaware of God's presence and guidance–did experience many successes in the midst of their sacrifices and failures.
"One generation shall commend thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts."
–Psalm 145:4 KJV
God has blessed us all with gifts. Some of the gifts that He has blessed me with consist of teaching individuals how to research their genealogy and family history and writing about the subject.
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"A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, It prospereth."
–Proverbs 17:8 KJV
"A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men."
–Proverbs 18:16 KJV
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?"'
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What is genealogy and family history?
Although often used interchangeably, genealogy is the study of pedigree, e.g., names, dates, relationships and events, while family history consists of the narratives or stories behind the pedigree, e.g., social and political history, etc. Therefore, genealogy is the bone structure and family history is "the meat on the bone" so to speak.
Why are documenting and sharing genealogies and family histories important?
Numerous detailed genealogical lists or lineages are included in the Holy Bible, including those of Adam Noah (Genesis 5) in the Old Testament and those of AbrahamJesus the Christ (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38) in the New Testament. God led the people of Israel to record and share these genealogies in order to provide historical authenticity to His written Word, helping "establish an accurate chronology of events." It was also used to confirm prophecy—the Son of God's arrival through the line of David.
An informative Jewish family heritage can also be derived amongst the Bible's
genealogies. What is heritage? According to an 1828 edition of Noah Webster's
American Dictionary of the English Language, heritage is defined as inheritance; an estate that passes from an ancestor to an heir by descent or course of law; that which is inherited.
"A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just."
–Proverbs 13:22 KJV
Christians and Gentiles are grafted into the lineage of Abraham. Therefore, we are
Abraham's descendants and a part of his covenant with God—inheriting His promises, blessings and land, which were originally bestowed upon the people of Israel.
"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that GOD would justify the heathen
through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all
nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful
Abraham. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not,
And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ."
–Galatians 3:7-9, 16 KJV
The Bible also states the following about His children:
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
–Psalms 127:3 KJV
Today, many of our genealogies and family histories still reside in our memories and with each passing generation, we lose vital information. Before the technology age in the 21st century, and before the founding of the United States, it was customary for families to record their genealogies within the family Bible.
Prior to recent genealogical technology advances, and within the Black community—especially those with southern roots—family oral histories being shared with subsequent generations became less of a practice. Also, much of our histories have been, and continue to be, minimized or briefly documented, omitted, or distorted in history books.
Discovering how our ancestors and relatives have contributed as a part of the overall historical picture changes us. According to a 2010 Emory University study, sharing the family's history with children have shown to produce within them higher levels of selfesteem.
Documenting and sharing our family histories is also likened to recording and
sharing a book full of testimonies. My own family's historical narrative includes
experiences or testimonies about their triumphs and tragedies, and how their survival in American continued to exist, despite their tremendous odds as a black race of people with African, European, Native American and Asian ancestry. As Christians, we honor the Lord by sharing our testimonies. He is to be glorified, not ourselves. We share with others about our lifestyles prior to salvation, how God's salvation has redeemed us, and how He has and continues to work in our lives as His children.
"I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I
praise thee."
–Psalms 22:22 KJV
God's grace and mercy through redemption may also be evident by the numerous
testimonies expressed during the lives of our ancestors and relatives. For example, deliverance from ancestral iniquities provides for a powerful testimony. As conveyed by God to the children of Israel in the following scripture:
"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
–Joshua 24:14-15 KJV
Two noted Hollywood films—"The Pianist" (2002) and "Hidden Figures" (2016) were
originally evolved from shared family history memoirs. "The Pianist" is about the survival of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jewish pianist in Warsaw, Poland, during World War II and the country's Nazi occupation. "Hidden Figures" is based on the previously and widely unknown true narrative of three black women who worked for NASA as "human computers"—"mathematicians who helped win the space race" against our Soviet Union rivals. These pioneering women were among a small group of other African American women hired by NASA in Virginia during the South's Jim Crow laws of segregation. Although not all family histories—verbalized, documented and shared—will develop into best selling books or become celebrated Hollywood movies such as The Pianist and Hidden Figures, but they will bring to life those gone before us, and add to the lives of those still living and those yet to come.
How to begin your genealogy and family history research?
Interest in genealogy and family history research soared after the author and historian Alex Haley's epic television mini-series Roots was released in 1977. However, within the last several decades, the hobby and profession have become so popular that it has been transformed into a billion dollar industry. It's also considered the second most well liked hobby within the United States. Technological advances such as commercial genealogy and DNA website companies, family tree software programs and social media have also contributed to its revival in addition to related television programs such as African American Lives (PBS), Finding Your Roots (PBS), and Who Do You Think You Are? (TLC).
Over 20-years ago, I began my paternal family history research—not knowing any of my relatives living in Mississippi—my ancestral homeland. However, my journey began with interviewing my 89-year-old second great aunt Mamie Lee McArthur—a native Mississippian who migrated to Detroit in 1935. After several conversations and introductions to new family members occurred, the word of my endeavors began to spread and unknown relatives throughout the United States began to make contact and familial connections were established.
Therefore, the first step of the research involves the family interviewing process. Please take a moment and call your eldest relatives first—Cousin Virginia, Aunt Jessie or Grandfather Richard.
"Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old."
–Job 12:12 KJV
"I said, 'Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.'"
–Job 32:7 KJV
"The glory of young men is their strength; and the beauty of old men is the gray head."
–Proverbs 20:29 KJV
Prepare in advance to jot down a list of questions or utilize a recording device (with permission) before the interview process. Communicating via text or email messages can be very impersonal. Therefore, make it a great and personal experience and listen to their voice as they hear yours over the telephone or in person. Ask them about their childhood, their siblings and other ancestors. Ask them about the environment where they were reared, any associated social activities, and the identification of people in new and old photographs. If your relative is not forthcoming with the information, you may want to engage them by inquiring as to how you fit into your family tree and the known branches within that tree, and not as a family history project. A sample question could consist of you wanting to know about your own biological inheritance or unique physical traits such as "Where do my hazel eyes come from because my other siblings' eye color is dark brown?" A wealth of information could possibly be divulged by using this tactic.
"Your maternal great grandmother Pauline had hazel eyes," could be a possible response which could lead to further study. Some of the researched information received may be perceived to be negative or of a very sensitive nature. However, as with all families, there are speckles of good and bad history throughout. Let these be teachable moments for your family, your community, and the communities of other ethnicities and cultures.
Afterward, work backward from the present (yourself and then to previous generations) in tracing your genealogy and family history. Locate information in existing records or other resources in your family homes, such as the family Bible, personal papers, photographs, obituaries, newspaper clippings, school records, etc. Other valuable resources consist of vital records (birth, marriage and death certificates, etc.), federal and state census records, church records, military records, city directories, newspapers and periodicals, etc. Many of these records can be found at your local library, courthouses, archives and commercial genealogical databases. Also, studying the history of the ancestral homeland gives you a sense of their social life and their environment.
Documenting the acquired information is an important part of the genealogy
organizational process. Document your information on blank family pedigree and family group charts (free via the Internet), family tree charts, notebooks, and software applications (Microsoft Word or genealogy programs). Recording devices are also very useful during the interview process.
For African American enslaved ancestral research, similar records are used in addition to reviewing records produced by the identified slave owner such as family papers, inventory lists, probate records, wills, deeds, etc. Also, review records produced by former slaves such as freedman's bank records. In conclusion, it's important for us to know and share our family histories–to maintain that connection with our past, present and future generations–and to learn from the past, live in the present, and build for the future. To know our heritage is like a tree with roots. Leaving our children a legacy in the physical form of a family history record is extremely enlightening and profoundly rewarding.
"Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun."
–Ecclesiastes 7:11 KJV
Nevertheless, there is no greater legacy substitute than to leave our future generations with an eternal spiritual legacy—a personal faith and relationship in Jesus Christ.
