Journey Through the Generations
Uncover Your Roots: Exploring Ancestry & Family History
There was always something special about my Granny's house. Her door was always open to anyone who needed a place to stay, a hot cooked meal, advice, or a listening ear. For me Granny's house was where I went after school, where my family gathered for Sunday dinners, and where holidays and summer days were... Continue Reading →
Every year on April 25, we celebrate National DNA Day, commemorating the completion of the Human Genome Project and the incredible advancements in genetic science. For family historians and genealogists, DNA is more than just science. it is also a powerful tool for discovery. DNA testing has transformed the way we research our family histories.... Continue Reading →
Women’s History Month often brings stories of famous women who changed the world; Daisy Bates, Dorothy I. Height, Harriet Tubman, and Phyllis Wheatley whose names appear in textbooks. While those stories are important, there is another group of women whose histories deserve just as much attention: the women in our own families. The women in... Continue Reading →
As I celebrate Black History Month and the Black excellence found throughout my family, it feels important to pause and include someone I often overlook in these stories: Trisha Mays-Cummings. That's right this blog post is all about the researcher. For more than a decade, I have been researching my family’s history and their communities,... Continue Reading →
Black excellence lives in my family in education, faith, service, music, and the commitment to preserve our history. Honoring them is how I celebrate Black History Month. Family photographs are more than images, they are visual records of our Black excellence. So this Black History Month, take a moment to look through your family photos,... Continue Reading →
As part of my Black History Month series, Black Excellence in My Family, I’m honoring the everyday excellence found in my own family history. My 3× great-grandfather, Rev. Robert Hatchett, was Black excellence under circumstances that were designed to deny him. Though he was enslaved, he served as a Baptist minister, performing marriages and leading... Continue Reading →
As part of my Black History Month series, Black Excellence in My Family, I’m honoring the everyday excellence found in my own family history. My grandfather, Gus Hatchett, was Black excellence in more ways than one. He was a member of the singing group The United Harmonizers, who made history as the first African American... Continue Reading →
February is the shortest month of the year and often the coldest, but it has always been my favorite. It’s the month we celebrate Black History Month and recognize Black excellence. Through my family history research, I’ve learned that Black excellence doesn’t require wealth, fame, or celebrity. It shows up in everyday choices—especially the courage... Continue Reading →
Journey Through the Generations 