I often wonder which one of my ancestors I am most like. I wonder if I looked like her and have her disposition. Did she work in the big house or in the field; or just how many times the master's whip found itself striking her because of her inability to keep that guard over her mouth? Did she organize others in an attempt to escape or did she want to "stay put" in an effort to protect those she loved? Then I wonder if my ancestors were aboard one of the ships that embarked off the coast of Ghana. I wonder to which tribe did they belong and if they were considered the leaders, the adventurers, or even the griots.It is no doubt that ever since Alex Haley found "the African", that the thought of tracing or retracing our heritage has been at least a fleeting desire. And I must say that watching the Obama's in Ghana that my own fleeting desire to trace my own roots resurfaced.
Professional genealogist and author, Tony Burroughs, knows much about tracing and retracing his African roots. Through his investigative travels, he has found ancestors who were lawyers, organizers, veterans of the Battle of Lake Erie and the Civil War. He has also found as he puts it "some cooks, farmers, barbers, and bank robbers".
In a recent post which appeared on Anderson Cooper's blog, however, Burroughs presents several challenges to tracing one's roots back to the Motherland. These challenges include:
- Not all slaves carried the surname of their master.
- Slave records, if and when available, typically list only the first name of the slave.
- Most slave ship records don't include names
- Can't always believe the stories or myths. Instead you must place your ancestors into an historical context.
Are there any Sojourners retracing their ancestral roots? Let us know...share your journey with us.
Much Obliged...
Very Much Obliged to you for hearing me ~ ~
SjP
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