More Than Black History - My History

As a little girl, I remember when Black History Month was just a week. We'd always talk about Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglas, George Washington Carver and others I dubbed, "The Regulars." Around sixth grade, I realized there was much more to Black History, and more importantly, my history.


On my mother's side of the family, I know that my great, great, great grandparents were slaves. My great, great, great grandfather was responsible for taking the master's children to school. While waiting in the back of the school house for them, he too learned to read. He is also responsible for establishing the church in our "Home" community. Many of my family still worship there, and we return every year for our family reunion.

On my father's side, I knew my grandfather was half Indian, and that's all. We've never known what tribe, or nation his family was from. I don't know much about American Indians or the culture, but I've always been intrigued. Recently, reading "A Legacy of Love & Pride," in Essence Magazine, a story of one young lady's search and discovery of her ancestry, stirred up that interest in me again. So much so, it moved me to action. Read the rest of the post