‘It gives me freedom’: Genealogy experts explain discovering Black ancestry with the Observer

Viviette L. White, a librarian at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, explained why it’s necessary for African Americans to seek out their ancestral roots.

“It’s very important for African-Americans to have root in their history because our history hadn’t been processed properly,” White said Thursday as part of The Charlotte Observer live virtual event “Tracing Black roots: The process, challenges and emotional journey of exploring ancestry.”

“We all spoke different languages, we were all separated into different states around the country and when we finally got our voices back we had to find out who was a part of our tribe, literally.”

White, who was one of five genealogy experts who attended the event on Thursday moderated by Service Journalism Editor, Kendrick Marshall, summarized why it’s necessary for African-Americans to seek out their ancestral roots.

Mavis Jones, who was representing the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), said that Black families who trace their roots give voice to their ancestors who more than likely lived most of their lives as a silenced people.

“It helps validate our ancestors’ lives, especially those who were enslaved,” Jones said. “It helps give meaning to their lives, like they weren’t forgotten, that they actually existed.”

For documentarian Frederick Murphy, discovering one’s ancestry is a way to learn more about who you are.

“I’m 42 now, and I’ve been going pretty hard with researching since my early 20’s,” Murphy said. “It gives you a better depiction of the past in regards to who you’re looking at in the mirror because you’re a collection of all those things.”

Later on in the evening, Murphy also explained that researching Black family history can be a traumatic experience for some.

“Even individuals who may not have lived back during the time of the institution of slavery or during reconstruction, all of these [things] are deeply embedded into our memory based on stories that have been passed down, based on images that we see, so it serves as a trigger for you,” Murphy said.

For Robin Foster of Genealogy! Just Ask! on the other hand, discovering Black ancestry can provide a unique and cathartic experience. “Every time I find something on my family, whether it’s good or bad, it gives me freedom,” Foster said.

Many watching the online stream found the guests and their stories to be inspiring, like the story of former AAHGS president John Sadler, who has mapped out his family’s ancestry all the way back to slavery – a journey he began 40 years ago.

One viewer, Indiana L. Smith, commented: “This is quite literally what I need to be watching right now. I was about to give up on looking up my genealogy since I am adopted (closed adoption) and I have very little information to go on.”

“But I want to know. More than that, I think I need to,” Smith wrote.

The benefits of discovering more information regarding your family’s ancestry are plentiful. For Sadler, it’s an opportunity to carry on the legacy of family members whose stories would have otherwise been forgotten.

“In my research I found out that a lot of my ancestors registered for the draft in World War I and World War II. They actually served in the military,” Sadler said. “When you find those types of things out, it makes you feel better about your past and about your people in that your people, our people, didn’t just come up from the cotton fields..”

A recording of the event is now available for viewing on The Charlotte Observer’s website, or our Youtube and Facebook pages.