Editor’s Note: This column was originally published January 30, 2014
This February 2014, our nation celebrates Black History Month. I have heard, as you probably have, “It’s the shortest month of the year, why bother to celebrate it.” The truth is, a Black man; Mr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) started the celebration. It originated as Negro History Week. I personally believe that it’s a great idea.
Black History Month is a time to reflect on our ancestors and contributions that the Black race made not only to the United States of America but also to the world. To me, it doesn’t matter who, what, when, why, and/or where, just since we celebrate Black History, especially since most of it is not widely taught in our public and private schools during the school year. As a retired teacher, my desire is that the facts are taught anytime, anyplace and anywhere.
I mention our ancestors because as the saying goes, you can’t know where you are going until you know where you have been. What a great time to start gathering facts and stories about your family than during Black History Month.
Mr. Thurman Jones, Publisher of North Dallas Gazette, handed me a book to review a few years ago. I found, after looking through the book and reading some chapters that Discovering Your African-American Ancestors: How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage by Franklin Carter Smith & Emily Anne Croom (Houston) is a book that many genealogists needs to add to his/her home library.
In completing my son’s “baby book” many years ago, I called upon the wisdom and knowledge of my entire family on both sides. On the home going of my mother, Mrs. Cedella Baker Demus in 1984, the search and recording of my family history became urgent and very important to me. Since no one else in my family was compiling our family history, I realized that there is no greater gift that I can leave to my heirs and other family members than to research and publish our family history.
After writing ROOTS, Mr. Alex Haley (1921-1992) caused people of every race, creed, and color to begin searching all kinds of records to put their family history on paper.
I am reminded of a saying that I picked up someplace, I will repeat it now. The author is unknown to me but if you have a name, please email, fax or mail it to me so that I can give credit.
“There is something unique about being at a family gathering,
you can see a link to the past by watching the young children, perhaps
a walk, a smile, a stand, a laugh, or just the way someone hold his or
her head. You may see an aunt, uncle, cousin, or another relative in
some of the children, especially if that relative has passed away.
You will really begin to see that the family never really dies.
It is like looking into the future and seeing the past at the same time.
Precious moments like this would be missed if you miss a family
gathering without just cause.”
If you don’t think this is true, I challenge you to ask other family members if they haven’t found this to be true. A few weeks ago my sister, Ida Mae, saw the likeness of her daughter and granddaughter in an old family picture of some cousins. She just had to have a copy of the picture. Also, two cousins, Jackie & Sharon, found that people were commenting how much they looked alike and was sure that they were sisters, even though, at that time, they had never met each other.
I have conducted several workshops on how to research your ancestors, give me a call if I can help you get started documenting your family history.
Please remember, I want to hear from you. I want to share your stories and events with our readers. Call, fax, email, mail or just leave me a message on my voice mail.
Thought for this week: If the roots are deep and strong, the tree need not worry about the wind. Jeremiah 17:7 & 8, paraphrased.
Remember to celebrate how special and unique you are, one of a kind.
