Every life has a story, and genealogy helps us put our full picture together. But for the African diaspora, this can be a difficult and a painful task. For centuries, Black families were separated purposefully to delete and separate any sort of throughline, any sort of emotional connection.
To build our picture, I started with what I knew and for years, I built on that base. As a child, I sat at the feet of my grandparents, Pearl and Lance and great-uncle Carlton, with a pen and paper, asking endless questions and jotting down information about relatives that had come before them. I was grateful to receive more information from cousin Shelley, who had notes from her mother, Linda, information she got from her cousin, Audley. At my grandfather’s dying bed, I gathered more information, quite by chance from cousin Wendell. My mother, Lystra, gathered information from great-aunt Sydell, and from several other cousins.
Today, we are more fortunate than most Black families to have upwards of seven generations recorded. I hope that these documents become at the very least, cherished pieces of paper, tucked away in a jewelry box, for generations after you to find and hold dear. It is my greatest wish that you continue to share the stories, the power of connection and the joy of seeing our family tree grow.
Download the most updated version of our family tree and narratives below.
Love,
Khadeidra