Reparative Genealogy is the act of researching our heritage, acknowledging our connections to slavery, and daylighting the history of those who were enslaved.
While white families can't change history, or our ancestors' actions, we can take responsibility for finding slavery-era family records. We can provide them online so that descendants of the enslaved can begin to find their ancestors. Repatriation of these records is not just symbolic - engaging in this form of repair connects the present to the past, and the living with those who came before. Connecting families to ancestors is a solid first step toward reparative relationship-building.
"We wish to honor and credit our mentor and friend, genealogist Sharon Morgan of Our Black Ancestry, for providing the inspiration and guidance for our work."
Sharon Leslie Morgan
1951 - 2026
Finding Linked Descendants
Page through this slide show by Sharon Morgan, co-author of Gather At The Table, and founder of Our Black Ancestry to gain clarity on the process of reparative genealogy.
On Beginning the Work
It's easy to feel overwhelmed as we face researching perhaps 400 years of our family history. Taking a systematic, measured approach will help us stay focused so we may persevere through many hours of research. In the end, we will have built a remarkable family tree, documenting our family's trajectory in this country. In the beginning, though, we must start with what we know; the key lies with our own family.
For Black Families
Consider reading I am Nobody's Slave to gain clarity on the importance of reparative genealogy as well as gaining insight on the impacts of systemic racism.
I Am Nobody’s Slave tells the story of one Black family's pursuit of the American Dream through the impacts of systemic racism and racial violence. This book examines how trauma from enslavement and Jim Crow shaped their outlook on thriving in America, influenced each generation, and how they succeeded despite these challenges.
For white families:
Before beginning your research, consider William Horne's perspective on the importance of researching our heritage and engaging in clear-eyed conversations about it with our families.
White Americans Fail to Address Their Family Histories
For all families:
"Raícism, or rootedness, is the choice to bear witness to our specific, contradictory historical identities in relationship to one another. It is an accounting of the debts and assets we have inherited, and acknowledging the precise nature of that inheritance is an act of spiritual and political integrity."
Embracing Rootedness and Radical Genealogy
Websites and Tools:
Consider exploring some of these important sites and providers before beginning your work. There are many, many resources out there to help you!
Home - The African Kinship Reunion
Home - BitterSweet (linkedthroughslavery.com)
US Black Heritage Project (wikitree.com)
GU272 Memory Project (americanancestors.org)
Leeds Method (DNA)
DNA Color Clustering: The Leeds Method for Easily Visualizing Matches - Dana Leeds
Would You Rather Use a Worksheet? (The Leeds Method) - Dana Leeds
The Order of AncestryDNA's "Colored Dots" - Dana Leeds
Dana Leeds - Page 6 of 35 - Creator of The Leeds Method
Leeds Method: Why Do I Have More Than 4 Clusters? Or, Time to Consolidate! - Dana Leeds
Books:
Planning Your Research: Initial Steps
Summary
Our first steps may seem daunting, but all we really need to begin is some basic family information: our parents,' grandparents, and great-grandparents' full names and places and dates of birth/death. Sometimes this is as simple as phoning up one of our uncles or aunts, or even looking in the attic of an elders' residence. As challenging as this step may seem, many families keep these sorts of records in files or boxes. Even if this step is easy for us, we must be mindful that African American families may not be able to locate their ancestors at all, due to the lack of detailed record-keeping during the slavery era. When the going gets tough, we need to remember that we are doing this, not just for our own knowledge, but to support African Americans' right to recovering information about their own ancestors and families. Let that goal be your guiding light.
For African-Americans: Obituaries and death certificates are key elements needed for research. Many family elders don’t like to talk about experiences or people. Sometimes, a funeral is one of the few times family members get together to discuss the life of a departed family member. However, many Black Americans of the Silent and Baby Boomer generations hold on to and store obituaries; if they’re willing to provide you access, be sure to scan/digitize them. Copies of death certificates (depending on the date of death and the state) can be obtained for low cost with basic information (first and last name, birth and death date, location of death.)
Once you have collected as many family records as possible, begin looking online:
- Ancestry.com, Family Search and other genealogical sites
- Church records in your ancestors' homes' regions
- Library genealogical records
- Regional historical and genealogical societies
- History museums
- Library of Congress records
- Municipal, county and state online records
- Newspapers.com
- Familysearch.com
Note that for advanced research, you may need to travel to your ancestors' home region; while many records have been digitized, many have not and are available only by visiting a site. For a fee, some record-keeping sites may offer research and copying services.
Articles
10 Steps to Get Started on Your Family Tree (familytreemagazine.com)
New to Genealogy - Beginners First Step • FamilySearch
Getting Started with Family History (By Starting at the Beginning) (familysearch.org)
How to Build a Family Tree: Tracing Your Ancestors (ngsgenealogy.org)
Genealogy for Beginners - A Guide for Getting Started in Genealogy (smarterhobby.com)
Start Your Genealogy Research | National Archives
Websites
Genealogy, Family Trees and Family History Records online - Ancestry®
Start Your Genealogy Research | National Archives
United States Genealogy • FamilySearch
African American Genealogy • FamilySearch
African American Genealogy Research — FamilySearch Community
Arphax - Family Maps and Texas Land Survey Maps - Genealogy History
Slave Archival Collection Database (rootsweb.com)
Books
Podcasts
Shining a Spotlight on Marriage Records: Episode 151 (familytreemagazine.com)
Family History Episode 5 - Unlocking the Past and Home Sources - Genealogy Gems
Learn about Reclaiming our African Roots • FamilySearch
Videos
Beginning Genealogy: Search These 5 Records First to Build Your Family Tree
Must-Use U.S. Records at Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast and MyHeritage - Sunny Morton
What Records Exist and Where Do I Find Them? | Barefoot Genealogist |
Genealogy Tip Tuesday: Unusual Places for Vital Records
When You Can't Find A Death Record | Ancestry
Getting Started: Where to Find Records on FamilySearch
Marriage Records for Family History: Where to find them on Ancestry.com & FamilySearch.org
Building a Genealogy Research Toolbox
What Records Exist and Where Do I Find Them? | Barefoot Genealogist | Ancestry
African American Genealogy - Locating Your Ancestors in Historical Record Sets
Summary
Oral histories are the lifeblood of our families, the stories that keep our family memories alive. Consider who the elders in your family are; how long will they be here to tell their stories? What history will be lost if we do not take the time to inquire? For many families, time is of the essence.
Below, you will find resources to help you begin documenting the oral histories of your family. Many genealogical mysteries can be solved simply by asking an elder to recount their life story.
For African-Americans (mainly): When discussing family history with elders, do not be dismayed by an abrupt stop or an elder's lack of desire to share information. Trauma or fear may play a role. If you’re spending an extended period with them, be aware that they may circle back to you with a thought or statement if something triggers them to recall the information. Stay as ready as you can to record or take notes (i.e. on a smartphone).
-
- Be willing to pivot. Reiterate that it’s okay if there are aspects they can’t recall.
- Come up with general and specific questions about people, places, and things, and let their memory guide you. If you have come across new relatives or places (especially in proximity to where they grew up) in your genealogical research, ask if they have any specific memories or stories about those people or places. See if you can gather more details about these family stories and others you’ve heard; the telling of one story will likely lead to another.
- If they’re uncomfortable with being on camera, don’t push. Audio is okay too and is often seen as a comfortable alternative because they don’t have to be hyperaware of how they look. If your hands are otherwise free, take notes as they talk (of your thoughts/questions, specific things mentioned that were otherwise unknown, etc.)
Articles
The Oral History Interview: Don’t Miss a Chance to Record Family Stories |
Creating Oral Histories • FamilySearch
Record and Share Your Family History in 5 Steps - The New York Times
4 Methods for Collecting and Preserving Your Loved One’s Life Stories | Guideposts
Putting the "Story" Back in Family History: Genealogy Research Goals (legacytree.com)
8 Tips to Help Find Your Family Tree
#52Stories for Families (familysearch.org)
Conducting Oral Histories with Family Members | UCLA Library
Resources for Oral History Interviews (familytreemagazine.com)
Websites
Web Guides to Doing Oral History | Oral History Association
Making Sense of Oral History (gmu.edu)
Books
Oral History for the Family Historian: A Basic Guide by Linda Barnickel
Using Oral History in Community History Projects by Laurie Mercier
The Griots of Oakland: Voices from the African American Oral History Project by Angela Beth Zusman
Story Bridges: A Guide for Conducting Intergenerational Oral History Projects by Angela Zusman
Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball
Doing Oral History: A Practical Guide by Donald A. Ritchie
Capturing the Living Past - An Oral History Primer
Podcasts
Videos
Oral History for Beginners - Interviewing is Key
A Gift of Life: Who's Writing Your Story?: Deborah Abbott (rootstech.org)
Interviewing Family Members to Grow Your Family Tree | Ancestry
Capture Family Stories with Oral History, Part 1 of 2
Capture Family Stories with Oral History, Part 2 of 2
The Family History Interview Question
Tips For Oral History Interviews
Interviewing Family Members Oral History Basics
Most Black McGruders can trace lineage back to slave in Alabama - YouTube
Summary
Often, the first indication many families have of a familial link to slavery, are family heirlooms and historic documents of the era. Ask elders of your family if they have such documents; check out garages and attics! Connect with distant cousins on genealogical sites and see what items have been handed down; ask for copies. Items such as photos, personal stories, records from prior centuries and other personal ephemera items, even if in poor shape, can give important historic clues. Copies can be uploaded onto genealogical sites for sharing or donated to historic societies for preservation.
For African-Americans: Ask for obituaries, baptismal records, and family reunion information
- Tip: If you have a robust repository of information, or find yourself visiting others regularly to see/collect photos and documents, invest in a quality portable scanner (usually $100-$200)
- Tip: After scanning records any records you may find, consider donating them to your City, County, or State Archives
Tips for preserving family ephemera:
- Stabilize the items, shield from water, mildew or sunlight damage, and purchase appropriate storage media.
- Have the items professionally photographed or documented, or rebound.
- Consider donating to local, regional or national historical societies for items with historic significance
Articles
Preserving your Family Documents, ‘Fabulous Finds’ and Other Ephemera |
How to Preserve Family Archives (papers and photographs) | National Archives
Websites
Preserving Your Family Treasures (americanancestors.org)
ChaunceyDeVega.com
Sons and Daughters of the Middle Passage
"How to Archive Family Keepsakes"
Personal Digital Archiving | Digital Preservation - Library of Congress
How to Preserve Family Archives (papers and photographs) | National Archives
Books
Podcasts
Preserving Your Heirlooms: Episode 25 (familytreemagazine.com)
Videos
Organizing and Preserving Photograph Collections: Ari Wilkins
Heirloom, Documentation or Junk: What to Keep or Toss: Janet Hovorka (rootstech.org)
Summary
Once we have collected a sampling of our family history, it's time to consider how we will organize and store this information. A growing number of people are signing up to use online genealogical platforms, which link together millions of users, some of whom may be your cousins. Other prefer their privacy and opt for local-computer-based software, which offers a bit more flexibility for tree-building.
Here is information about the wealth of platforms and software packages available in the market and how to choose one that will work for you.
- Tip: If you subscribe to a website that requires a paid membership for access to documents (i.e. Ancestry.com), be sure to download and file photos and documents as you find them, in the event you no longer subscribe to the service.
- Tip: Paying for an African American's genealogical research tools is a great avenue for reparations!
Articles
How to Pick the Best Software for Your Genealogy Goals
Websites
The Ten Best Genealogy Websites for Beginners | Ancestral Findings
Coming To The Table Genealogy Guide
Coming To the Table Linked Descendants Guide
African American Genealogy Books
Books
Podcasts
Family History Episode 1 - Getting Started - Genealogy Gems
Family History Episode 7 - Best Genealogy Websites, Part 1 - Genealogy Gems
Family History Episode 8 - Best Genealogy Websites, Part 2 - Genealogy Gems
What are the Four Best Free Genealogy Websites? | Ancestral Findings
Videos
Learn Genealogy - Software vs Online Services - Episode 9
Comparing the Genealogy Giants: Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast and MyHeritage (rootstech.org)
Which is the Best Genealogy Site? Ancestry.com vs. FamilySearch.org: Learn the Power of Using Both!
Choosing a Genealogical Software Program
Comparing Family Tree Software Options 2019
10 Little-Known Free Genealogy Websites Professionals Use
Ancestry and FamilySearch, FindMyPast or MyHeritage: Family Tree Trifecta Strategy
Summary
At some point we may need professional help to solve genealogical mysteries. Hiring a professional genealogist is simple; however one must be very clear regarding goals for each project. Below you will find advice for finding the right genealogist for your research project.
Articles
3 Tips for Hiring a Professional Genealogist You Can Trust
How to Hire a Professional Genealogist
Hiring a Professional Researcher • FamilySearch
6 Signs It's Time to Hire a Professional Genealogist
Websites
Association of Professional Genealogists
African American Heritage Genealogical Society | HOME PAGE
Home - National Genealogical Society
Trace.com - Global Genealogy Research Services
a3Genealogy - Genealogical Research
Books
Podcasts
Ancestral Findings Genealogy Podcast - AF-035: When to Hire a Professional Genealogist
Videos
Hiring a Professional Genealogist You Can Trust
RLP 15: When to Hire a Professional Genealogist
How to Hire a Professional Genealogist: Finding a Professional
"Thank you for freeing trapped souls still in bondage so that they may be reunited with family."
Next Steps: An Overview
Once we have collected the vital records for our immediate family, grandparents and great-grandparents, if possible, we are ready to consider building our family tree. There are many more considerations, however: what platform or software will we choose? How will we find slaveholders in our trees? What do we do when we find them?
Summary
Once we have chosen our platform, we can begin to enter the information we have gleaned from the shoebox of records we've assembled. Here are tips for building your family tree.
For African-Americans: Remember to work laterally when you build your tree, including siblings for each generation. Depending on the origins of your family, children may have been separated from parents and the locations of family members may be outside the radius you have already traced family to. Including a direct ancestor’s sibling(s) is likely to trigger access to other documents or unlock a memory in the mind of an elder.
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- As in Africa, the motherland, people listed in the household on census records can sometimes be distant relatives, or not related by blood at all. However, those relations may span decades or centuries, and are important.
- Be on the lookout for spelling variations of last names in census and other historical documents. Literacy levels (of the census taker and of the resident) play a huge role; the spelling of surnames was often assumed by the census taker, spelled phonetically to the best of someone’s ability, deliberately changed, or listed differently for unknown reasons. Sometimes the spelling varies from census to census.
Articles
Genealogy Getting Started Guide
How to Build a Family Tree: Tracing Your Ancestors
10 Steps to Get Started on Your Family Tree
Family Tree | Make a Free Family Tree at Ancestry
How to Start a Family Tree on FamilySearch • FamilySearch
Websites
Genealogy, Family Trees and Family History Records online - Ancestry®
FamilySearch • Free Family Trees and Genealogy Archives
Books
Family Tree Building Basics: A Book for Beginners by Mercedes Brons
My Family Tree Workbook by Rosemary Chorzempa
Podcasts
Family History Episode 9 - Using Census Records - Genealogy
Family History Episode 10 - Deeper into Census Records - Genealogy Gems
Videos
Getting the Most Out of Ancestry.com
RootsTech General Session 2018: Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.
How To Make a Family Tree! |Genealogy 101 pt1
How to Create a Floating Tree on Ancestry
A Beginner's Guide to Getting Started in Genealogy - Beginning Genealogy Tips
Summary
Building our family tree may have seemed simple, but at some point we will inevitably run into problems, like duplicate entries and lineage errors. Check out the links below for solutions to some of the most typical - and vexing - problems people encounter in building their family trees.
For African-Americans: Always look at the document yourself (if you have access). Errors (handwritten and transcription) can be abundant on the records of Black people for myriad reasons.
Articles
3 Common Genealogy Problems & How to Solve Them : Genealogy Stories
5 Common Genealogy Errors (and How to Avoid Them)
Common Family Tree Problems • FamilySearch
Rookie Mistakes • FamilySearch
How to Use Online Genealogy Trees and Hints Wisely - Genealogy Gems
10 Rules for Accepting (or Rejecting) Online Family Tree Hints
How Accurate Are Ancestry Hints? (And Why They Go Wrong) – Data Mining DNA
Merging Duplicate People (ancestry.com)
How To Find Your Ancestors On A Ship Manifest (4 Tricks!) - FHF.com (familyhistoryfoundation.com)
U.S. Passenger Lists (ancestry.com)
Using Ship Manifests for Slave Research (archives.com)
Websites
Books
Podcasts
Rooting Out Research Mistakes: Episode 85 (familytreemagazine.com)
Video
Should You Take the Hint? Automated Record Hinting on the Giant Genealogy Websites: Sunny Morton
When Details Disagree: 8 Ways to Resolve Conflicts—D. Joshua Taylor
Are These Really My Ancestors? | The Barefoot Genealogist | Ancestry
Correcting Mistakes in Your Own Family Tree | Ancestry
Growing Our Tree on Ancestry.com and an Introduction to FamilySearch.org
Ways To Clean Up Your Family Tree | Ancestry
Dealing With Errors in Online Family Trees | Ancestry
Genealogy Brainstorming: I'm Stuck. Now What? | Ancestry
5 Ways To Tell If Your Genealogy Research Is Accurate | Ancestral Findings
Summary
Once we are adding ancestors who lived in the nineteenth century or prior, we may begin to see evidence of slaveholding. While you may intuitively want to focus on those ancestors who lived in the South, be sure to evaluate your northern ancestors too, as some were likely slaveholders or slave traders. As you search, look for the following types of documents:
- Look for census documents from 1800s on, that may list residents defined as ‘slave’, ‘negro,’ ‘black’ or ‘mulatto.’ They may also be listed in the same household separate from the main (white) family or listed after property columns.
- Look for slave schedules through 1865; though they likely will not list enslaved people by name, much may be inferred by looking at these schedules by age and sex.
- Look for names associated with slave/boat manifests (both surname of the enslaver or of the enslaved)
- Look for probate records, including wills that list slaves, sometimes by name, in bequests.
- Look for historic society documents recounting family history, including references to ownership of slaves or plantations.
- Check to see if your family owned a plantation (or property near one) that may be open to the public as a historic site.
Articles
(Finally) Adding Enslaved People To My Family Tree – A Long Way to Tennessee
Did your family own slaves? New searchable database goes live - oregonlive.com
Federal Records that Help Identify Former Slaves and Slave Owners - Handout (archives.gov)
09-Researching_Slaveholding-Trading_Ancestry.pdf (comingtothetable.org)
Successfully Researching Slaveholding Ancestors | by Andre Kearns | Medium
Documenting the Slaveowner in Your Genealogy Software > Reclaiming Kin %
Federal Records that Help Identify Former Slaves and Slave Owners - Handout (archives.gov)
Websites
OBA Tutorial (ourblackancestry.com)
Enslaved people and slave owners - The National Archives
US Census 1850 Slave Schedule | findmypast.com
List of slave owners - Wikipedia
Slaveholders and African Americans 1860-1870 (rootsweb.com)
Searching Slave Schedules (ancestry.com)
1850 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules | Ancestry®
1860 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules | Ancestry®
ENSLAVEMENT-TO-CITIZENSHIP - Home
Books
Podcasts
Research at the National Archives and Beyond - Finding Our Slaves with Konnetta Simons Alexander
Videos
Documenting the Enslaved in Your Family Tree | Ancestry - YouTube
Slave Traders, Speculators, and the Domestic Slave Trade—Kenyatta Berry (rootstech.org)
How To Find Your Ancestors Slave Masters Living Next Door
How To Find The Slave Masters Of Your Ancestors
Summary
If you have located your family's slavery-era records, it is critically important to upload, annotate and tag them so others can find them online. Below you will find various methods of uploading documents to various sites and annotating and tagging them to provide as much information as possible.
Articles
How To Add Photos To An Ancestry Tree – Data Mining DNA
Uploading Photos or Documents (ancestry.com)
Websites
United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860 — FamilySearch.org
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Research_Steps_for_probate_records
Books
Podcasts
Videos
Organization: Scanning and Uploading Family Photos | Ancestry
How to Upload Your Family Tree to FamilySearch.org - YouTube
Uploading a document to FamilySearch that has been scanned and attaching it as a source
Summary
While it may take many years, considerable sweat and resources, an ultimate expression of reparative genealogy is to build trees for the African American families our ancestors enslaved and repatriate their family histories to their descendants. We may be able to do some of this research ourselves, or we may have to rely on the services of professional genealogists specializing in slavery-era research. In any case, the goal is to create as complete a record as possible for the descendants, a true act of repair.
Articles
Descendants of slaveholders, we have a job to do — The Golden Egg Genealogist
Research strategy for descendants of enslaved persons - The Beyond Kin Project
Records of Enslaved People | SLNC (ncdcr.gov)
Interview With Allison Thomas & Maria Sharp Montgomery — Reparations 4 Slavery
How do descendants of slaves find their ancestors? (slate.com)
Suggestions For the White Descendants of Slaveholders
Tracing Your African American Genealogy | FamilySearch
Shared Legacies.pdf (zehr-institute.org)
Websites
Beginners Guide to African American Genealogy (afrigeneas.com)
Federal Records that Help Identify Former Slaves and Slave Owners - Handout (archives.gov)
Gwynn's Island Project (gwynnsislandproject.com)
Quick Guide to African American Records • FamilySearch
Descendants' Project | Montpelier
Descendants - Georgetown University
Afro-Louisiana History and Genealogy
USF Africana Heritage Project. Rediscovering Records of African American Genealogy and History
Louisiana, U.S., Records of Enslaved People, 1719-1820 | Ancestry®
ENSLAVEMENT-TO-CITIZENSHIP - Home
About | Mapping The Freedmen's Bureau
Books
Books on African American Genealogy — Reparations 4 Slavery
Cousins: "She Challenged Me to Live Dr. King’s Dream" by Betty Kilby Baldwin
Podcasts
How to Research Enslaved Ancestors: Episode 134
African-American Genealogy Research: Episode 105
Genealogy Adventures: S04 E38 Researching Enslavers Reframing The Narrative With Adrienne Fikes
Videos
Family History Research Tools: Finding Linked Descendants
Researching Persons of Color: African American Genealogy
Helping African Americans Trace Slaveholding Ancestors Using DNA
African American Family History Research: Breaking the 1870 Wall | Ancestry
Black History: African American Genealogy Before 1870
Slave Traders, Speculators, and the Domestic Slave Trade—Kenyatta Berry
RootsTech General Session 2017: African Heritage and Panel
Tracing Enslaved Ancestors | Expert Series | Ancestry
Resources for African American Genealogy Research | Ancestry
How To Find Your Ancestors Slave Masters Living Next Door
BlackProGen LIVE! Ep 51: Finding and Tracing Enslaved Ancestors - YouTube
Genealogy Garage: Finding American Slave Ancestors
African American Genealogy Challenges: What You Need to Know
Summary
SHAME. GUILT. DEPRESSION. FEAR.
As we begin to discover the pain and suffering our collective enslaver ancestors have caused, and our own complicity in upholding institutional racism by extension, we may become overwhelmed with feelings of shame, guilt, remorse or even anger.
Good. Be with those feelings, truly feel them. Reckoning with our family's history is challenging, especially when we realize that our families may have not told us the truth. Most of us have been taught that our ancestors were good people, that we are part of an honorable lineage, the very fabric of America. Learning about our family's legacy of slavery makes us feel defensive. "Surely no one believes that this is my fault, do they?"
Processing shame and guilt and the many layers of feelings that arise in their wake takes time. However, it is an essential step in becoming an effective anti Black racism advocate.
Consider these perspectives on white shame and guilt, then look inward.
Norma Johnson:
"White guilt and shame regarding slavery is something I don’t really understand. Why would you feel guilty or shameful about something that you were not a part of? Unless of course, there is a feeling of being a part of it in the present. Whiteness has evolved as a very, very tricky opponent. Its dominance depends on one not knowing what they know. I sometimes wonder if white guilt & shame are moments of stepping into that knowing but not knowing what to do about it.
I often sense that fear is really what lies at the base of this shame & guilt. Perhaps overcoming these feelings is really about exploring the fears that lie beneath them. We humans seem to have a knack for complicating things, and we are all a part of that. But I really think that for white people to break the cycle of guilt and shame, it requires exploring their fears regarding the topics of genocide, slavery, race, reparations and whiteness. And included in that exploration is the conversation about fears white people have regarding white pushback/retaliation from others if they decide to talk about and act on dismantling systems of white supremacy. What are the fears regarding this kind of complicated membership with the white club?
For white people, there is a lot to break down, to learn about, to explore and to feel. For most, thinking about race and the systems of white supremacy is a new concept. And like anything new, it’s going to take a while to get your groove on and to understand where you are in all this. But I ask white people to please, please not turn away from this. Because without you, it will never change, just continue to evolve. We’ve been inviting you to join us in this journey of black lives matter for over 400 years now."
David Ragland:
"Well, if you hear that your family has participated in slavery, the initial response is all sorts of guilt, right? Well, a political act might be to acknowledge that white people’s feelings have always been acknowledged first. An act of political solidarity with those who've been harmed would be to lift up their stories, rather than your own. Connect with those who’ve been harmed, help us find our genealogical records. People's lives are missing. Support black people’s efforts to find their own histories, beyond just gene-testing.
Felicia Furman:
"Well, when I was a child, I didn't feel guilt or shame about my family’s owning slaves. I did feel guilt and shame over the way my parents treated African American people in our household, however. We had African American maids, nurses and cooks; I couldn't understand why they were treated a certain way. Later, I read books including “Black Like Me” by John Howard Griffin and began to listen to African American’s experiences of violence and discrimination. It was then I began to feel truly ashamed that my family played such a major role in the hurt that people like James Baldwin have so eloquently described. I decided to make my film, Shared Histories, as a response to these feelings and a growing sense that I needed to do something about it."
Articles
What Responsibilities Does a Descendant of Slaveholders Bear?
My ancestor owned 41 slaves. What do I owe their descendants? | America Magazine
04-Confronting_Slavery_Family_History.pdf (comingtothetable.org)
Suggestions For the White Descendants of Slaveholders
After gut punch from genealogical research, reparations |
Her Family Owned Slaves. How Can She Make Amends? - The New York Times
A Northern Family Confronts Its Slaveholding Past | History | Smithsonian Magazine
Websites
Books
Slavery's Descendants: Shared Legacies of Race and Reconciliation by Jill Strauss
Podcasts
Videos
What to Do When You Discover You Have Slave-Owning Ancestors - Interview with Cheri Passey
Discovering Slaveholders in the Family Tree—From Reaction to Action
How to Handle Lies, Injustice, and Difficult Truths in Your Research
Shared History – A film about confronting the realities of our shared history through slavery.
Repatriating Slavery-Era Records
Once we are familiar with the process of tree-building and have learned how to find, interpret, and tag census and slave schedule records in our trees, we are ready to begin repatriating these records.
Summary
As we find slavery-era information, we must repatriate it as soon as possible, so that others, who are seeking these records can find them. While we may have grand plans of building websites documenting the family histories of those our families enslaved, these plans make take many years to materialize. Rather than focusing on the perfect or ideal, it is these interim gestures of repair that may end up meaning the most.
Consider these sites as possibilities for repatriation of family documents
African-Americans have a major barrier to researching their ancestry; in many cases, slavery-era documents, including census documents from the 1800s on only refer to enslaved people by sex and age, rather than by name. If you happen to find historic records related to people your family enslaved, these documents can be uploaded onto Black ancestry sites to help African-Americans trace their heritage. Taking this step is of tremendous significance for both the descendants of enslavers and the descendants of the enslaved. Repatriating these records may be the only way descendants of the enslaved can find their ancestors. Repatriation is an essential element of repair.
- Tip – inquire with any Black churches in the areas surrounding plantations as to whether they would like a copy of slavery-era documents and information for their records. Churches often are the main way Black Americans can verify their ancestors’ existence and cross-check information as they work their way past the “1870 wall.”
Articles
Learn about Reclaiming our African Roots • FamilySearch
Facebook Groups For Repatriating Documents
Enslaved Ancestors and Freedmen Genealogy!
I’ve Traced My Ancestor’s Slaveholders
AfriGeneas African American Genealogy Group
African American Genealogy Forum
Websites For Repatriating Documents
Slave Societies Digital Archive
Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
https://www.slavevoyages.org/contribute
Freedom on the Move - for runaway slave ads
Examples of Personal Family Sites
Gwynn's Island Project (gwynnsislandproject.com)
Books
Podcasts
Videos
Reparative Relationship-Building
Ultimately, our trees become hollow if we don't reach out and expand our family affiliations. Contacting linked descendants, African Americans we may be related to through DNA or through our family's slaveholding past, can be intimidating. "How will they respond? What do I have to offer?" are common refrains heard in circles like Coming To The Table's Linked Descendants group, which provides support for people hoping to initiate contact. These are also common refrains in African American genealogy circles! While some people will decline our requests to connect, others are actively seeking these connections.
Summary
Taking a DNA test, and connecting the test to our family tree online allows us to connect with "cousins" across many generations - and potentially across race. This step is essential if we hope to solve the puzzle of our ancestry and, potentially, find other descendants linked through slavery. There are many DNA tests to consider. Below you will find more information about the significance of taking this step, the vagaries of which DNA test to take, and how this tool can assist you in finding your linked descendants and cousins.
Articles
The Best DNA Ancestry Test (forbes.com)
The 3 Best DNA Testing Kits of 2021 | Reviews by Wirecutter
Best DNA Tests for African Ancestry 2021: Accurate & Insightful (dnaweekly.com)
Beginners' guides to genetic genealogy - ISOGG Wiki
How To Get Started With Genetic Genealogy and DNA Research (familytreemagazine.com)
How to Get Started Using DNA for Family History - Genealogy Gems (lisalouisecooke.com)
Proving a Connection to Enslaved Ancestors Through DNA - WSJ
How Do You Know Ruben Gee? | To The Best Of Our Knowledge
Can DNA tests tell us who we are? Only if we’re racists.
How African Americans Use DNA Testing to Connect With Their Past - The Atlantic
How the slave trade left its mark in the DNA of people in the Americas | New Scientist
For African Americans, DNA Tests Reveal Just A Small Part Of A Complicated Ancestry |
Websites
African Ancestry – Trace Your DNA. Find Your Roots. Today.
DNA Testing for Ancestry & Genealogy | FamilyTreeDNA
DNA Genetic Testing & Analysis - 23andMe
MyHeritage DNA | Reveal your Ethnicity & Ancestry | DNA Testing - MyHeritage
Leeds Method (DNA)
DNA Color Clustering: The Leeds Method for Easily Visualizing Matches - Dana Leeds
Would You Rather Use a Worksheet? (The Leeds Method) - Dana Leeds
The Order of AncestryDNA's "Colored Dots" - Dana Leeds
Dana Leeds - Page 6 of 35 - Creator of The Leeds Method
Leeds Method: Why Do I Have More Than 4 Clusters? Or, Time to Consolidate! - Dana Leeds
Books
Genealogy Books — Reparations 4 Slavery
The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation After the Genome by Alondra Nelson
Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past by David Reich
Podcasts
More African-Americans Are Learning Their Roots With Genetic Testing : NPR
What can DNA tests offer Black Americans? — WHYY
Scientific Sankofa And The Complexities Of Genetic Ancestry : Short Wave : NPR
Videos
Getting started with DNA (rootstech.org)
DNA Is Dynamite - How To Ignite Your Ancestral Research (rootstech.org)
A DNA Match with No Tree? No Problem!: Diahan Southard and Lisa Louise Cooke (rootstech.org)
Ancestry.com: ThruLines Explained (2020)
Helping African Americans Trace Slaveholding Ancestors Using DNA
Can DNA tests help repair social ruptures from transatlantic slavery?
Alondra Nelson, The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation after the Genome
The Long Juju: Searching for Descendants of People My Family Enslaved
Summary
Reparative relationship-building is the act of forming relationships with the descendants of those our ancestors enslaved. This process, when it is successful, may take many months or years to unfold; it is emergent in nature and takes place slowly, at the speed of trust. To engage in reparative relationship-building we must let go of our needs for efficiency and our secret hope to be absolved of guilt or thanked for our efforts toward repair. Instead, we can consider that reparative relationship-building is the process of building the equitable future we all long for, and this future begins with our first step.
Before contacting linked descendants, it is vitally important to understand basic "linked descendant etiquette" and consider how we will handle any number of issues that may come up. Consider joining Coming To The Table, specifically the linked descendant group, to find out more.
- Tip: Plan for how you will proceed, should descendants respond favorably. Conversely, think about how you will come to terms with and move forward from rejection. These are aspects of reparative relationship-building we assume we know how to deal with in the moment; however, feelings such as shock, fear, and excitement can cause “analysis paralysis” when (or if) the moment comes.
Articles
Contacting_Linked_Descendents.pdf (comingtothetable.org)
Confronting_Slavery_Family_History.pdf (comingtothetable.org)
BitterSweet Blog | Coming To The Table
Interview With Allison Thomas & Maria Sharp Montgomery — Reparations 4 Slavery
Interview with Randy Quarterman and Sarah Eisner — Reparations 4 Slavery
Interview With Norma Johnson and Holly Fulton — Reparations 4 Slavery
Websites
Linked Descendants Working Group | Coming To The Table
Books
Cousins: "She Challenged Me to Live Dr. King’s Dream" by Betty Kilby Baldwin
The Hairstons: An American Family in Black and White by Henry Wiencek
Uncle George and Me: Two Southern Families Confront a Shared Legacy of Slavery by Bill Sizemore
Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball
Podcasts
How Enslavers' And Slaves' Descendants Became Friends : NPR
BBC Radio 4 - Descendants - Downloads
Genealogy Adventures: S04 E38 Researching Enslavers Reframing The Narrative With Adrienne Fikes
Videos
Once Enslaved, Once Slaveholder—Forging a Forever Family Bond Part 1 of 2
Once Enslaved, Once Slaveholder--Forging a Forever Family Bond, Part 2 of 2
BlackProGen LIVE! Ep 77: Connecting with the Slave Holder’s Descendant
Hard Conversations About Slavery: A Talk Between Descendants on Both Sides of Shared Slavery History
Once we have researched our ancestry and understood our family's relationship to the institution of slavery, we can begin to create a plan for reparative action. Here are some simple reparative acts that could provide substantial benefits to our linked descendants, our cousins linked through slavery.
- In addition to repatriating slavery-era documents to on-line repositories, create a website to provide a full set of documents and links regarding people enslaved by your family.
- If plantation lands are still in your family, and especially if slave dwellings exist, schedule an overnight sleepover and history session with Joseph McGill of the Slave Dwelling Project
- Consider funding the restoration of cemeteries on your plantation lands where enslaved are buried
- Consider bringing descendants of those your family enslaved together with your family for a healing ceremony.
- Donate to local Black churches and funeral homes for the upkeep of cemeteries near the area of historic family plantations
For a more comprehensive list, review
Designing a Family Plan of Repair — Reparations 4 Slavery
Faith Communities: Understanding Complex Links to Slavery — Reparations 4 Slavery
Read the stories and gain inspiration from those who have travelled the path before us:
History Before Us - The True American History | Black History
Betty Kilby Baldwin and Phoebe Kilby with Cousins | Malaprop's Presents
Watch: Linked Descendents Phoebe Kilby and Betty Kilby Baldwin
What can we hope to accomplish in connecting with the descendants of those our ancestors harmed? Phoebe Kilby traced her family's connection to slaveholding and later met a linked descendant, Betty Kilby Baldwin. Watch the video to hear more of their reparative story; read their book, "Cousins," to gain inspiration for your own journey.
Watch: "What's in Your Bones?" by Norma Johnson
Wisdom of the Akan people of Africa
“Sankofa” teaches us that we must go back to understand our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone, or been stripped of can be reclaimed, revived, preserved, and perpetuated.