BLACK CAESAR
In 1802, there was a Black man who dared to hire himself out to masters of his own choosing. This was allowed by the widow of his former enslaver. The courts of Greensville County were not having it and took measures via court order to fine the mistress and to sell this certain Black Caesar……
Books and Things: Back to Black…ATHENA. The Great Debate (1996)
February 1 will come and February 28/29 will go but Black history is everyday. To that end, we have a wonderful presentation-preserved in time, of a battle-debate concerning “this stuff—the stuff that scholarship is made of.” As described by moderator, Utrice Leid, “the battle is as much as for the authority to write history, and…
The Gift of a Soul in 1853: Raburn Gunn
Another genealogical gem has been discovered, courtesy of FamilySearch’s Experimental Lab with AI. This is where AI is being trained to read old handwriting in old, unindexed court records on FamilySearch. So far, the offerings are very limited, but as you might imagine, the possibilities are extraordinary. I very recently shared HERE about my delight…
Companion Guide: Migrant Farm Workers’ Family History
US Department of Labor Finalizes Farmworker Protection Rule Rule protects worker self-advocacy, promotes employer accountability, enhances safety Link to press release: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20240426 Farmworker protection rule finalization news item from Citrus Industry. HISTORY OF BELLE GLADE “Harvest of Shame” 50 Years Later LEARN MORE Common Questions About Migrant/Farmworkers —-HUD.gov Migrant Farm Workers in America: A Florida…
Discussion Time: Migrant Farm Workers’ Family History
Hello everyone! Thank you for taking the time to stop by, today we will be discussing the topic of Black migrant farm workers and family history. My guest today is Ann Heath-Mims, originally from Belle Glade, Florida, and she will graciously share about her own family’s experiences. Several years ago, I was introduced to a…
Brothers Brewington: Beloved in Deeds
Hardy A. and Joshua L. Brewington were the sons of Raiford Brewington (b.1812) and his wife, Bashaba Manuel (b.1818). They hailed from Sampson County, North Carolina and descended from free people of color who identified as Indian (Indigenous—-Native American). In fact, as I have shared HERE, there is a bio-sketch of the Brewington family featured…
New Discovery: A Gift for Maria
On a late October day in 1874, a young man not thirty years old prepared his last will, in Southampton County, Virginia. That young man was named Thomas Payne Harris (1846-1874), originally of Northampton County, North Carolina. His father, Benjamin Harris, had passed away sometime before. His mother, the former Frances Ann Jordan (1827-1887), had…
Just Another January Day in 1863
What were some folks doing on the historic day of January 1, 1863? Why, selling ye ol’ slaves, of course. “President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared ‘that all persons held as slaves’ within the rebellious states ‘are, and…
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Video deep dive: THAT SHALL HE ALSO REAP: Music by Mattie Moss Clark and Michigan State Community Choir KING COTTON: As pictured in 2018 at National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. STORY QUILTS: Artist Stephen Towns’ Nat Turner’s story quilts ENSLAVED PETER: Formerly identified as “Gordon,” this haunting image piercingly…
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