Telling your Family Story

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Permalink Reply by Shirley Hay on July 12, 2009 at 10:46pm

I had two cousins that shared their suspicions that we had black roots when I started my interest in genealogy. One of those cousins always said her dark skin came from her Polish father (which never made sense to me since he didn't have dark skin}. When I told them, their father and their children they were pleased to know the truth. I have one cousin (the one that I got to submit his DNA) that I have tried to drop hints but I think he doesn't want to know the truth. My children just thought it was interesting. When I told my brother he didn't really react at all. I have one aunt by marriage that I discussed what I had found with and she just seem to not understand what I was saying - she is 90 years old so I didn't want to push it.

Permalink Reply by Angela Walton-Raji on July 13, 2009 at 9:15pm

Hi Shirley, I have an amusing story to share with you.

I have a good friend who is white who is also a genealogist. One day after I visited her mom who is in her 90s said "You should have Angela help you research your dad's line." She thought that was strange since she herself is a genealogist and had documented her dad's line already pretty far back at least to the early 1800s. She asked her mom why and mom who was eating her breakfast at the time, said, "well, you know some of his relatives are dark." She agreed and said yes she knew that. Then mom stopped eating, looked up and said, "really dark." My friend then asked her mom "Mom remember when I hit a roadblock in that line around 1810, and found that mulatto family and could not go back anymore? Are you suggesting that the mulatto family I found is really the right family and they are our ancestors? Mom looked up and smiled and said, "Well I guess you now know the family secret. But you don't have to tell anybody till I am dead." And she went back to eating her oatmeal.

My friend looked at her mom, who occasionally looked up from her bowl and smiled at her. Well, she was not upset or anything with the results and now she often tells the story of her discovery of having black ancestors. She had found this family many years ago, but had no idea that this was indeed her line. She considers applying to the DAR on these ancestors who were free people of color.

Thanks for sharing your story as well.

-Angela-