I’m overjoyed to share that my new book, From Fragments to Foundation, is officially available! This project comes straight from my heart, mind, and soul. It’s a seven-generation odyssey that brings history to life through the lens of genealogy, resilience, and discovery. More than just my family’s story, it’s a teachable journey—revealing how to uncover …
Continue reading NOW AVAILABLE: From Fragments to Foundation
GREAT NEWS: This book is now available. Click HERE to order. I have exciting news! I am happy to announce that my new book, From Fragments to Foundation: Uncovering a Buried History of Tragedy and Triumph, will be released in late October. Ordering will be available soon. Stay tuned! Please see book details below for a …
I’ve had this poem saved on my computer since 2001. It highlights the vital role of oral history and the importance of interviewing our family elders. Their memories and stories are priceless. Since then, many of my own elders have passed away, but I’m deeply grateful that they shared so much of my family’s history …
Celebrating Black History Month should be done continuously with intensity; nothing or no one can take our history, even while national forces aim to hide the accomplishments of Black people, women, and other marginalized groups. Let's continue to highlight the sacrifices, diligence, bravery, and unyielding resiliency of our ancestors. All of that is in our …
Continue reading Drawing Strength from the Ancestors’ Stories 2
Happy Black History Month! Lately, I have been thinking a lot about how our ancestors survived and persevered through centuries of inhumane, ungodly mindsets, some of which we still face. The operative verb here is "survived." Like my mother’s paternal grandfather, William "Bill" Reed of Tate County, Mississippi, only three generations away from me. In …
Continue reading Drawing Strength from the Ancestors’ Stories
2024 Ealy Family Reunion, Nash County, North Carolina, July 20, 2024Photography by James Warren, TGR1.618 Photography, LLC We decided to take our 50th Year Anniversary Reunion to Raleigh, North Carolina. This reunion included a Birthplace Tour to Nash County, where we visited the Nash County Courthouse in Nashville, Bass Crossroads that's very near the birthplace …
Now that you’ve read the title, here’s what I mean. Many of our ancestors have been trapped in a prison for the forgotten. Genealogy is the key that released them. Their names are unearthed and called. Their stories are being told to whoever wants to listen. Genealogy has not only freed our souls held back …
During the 1940s and 1950s, most of my maternal grandmother’s siblings joined the exodus of African Americans from Mississippi who were migrating north to Chicago, Detroit, Gary, Indianapolis, and other places. They were looking for better opportunities in the industrialized northern cities where decent-paying, factory jobs were available. They were also escaping from the tumultuous …
This picture above represents the decision many of our enslaved ancestors had to make after they heard, “We free now!” Let me explain. Many of our enslaved ancestors asked, “What do we do now?” Options were VERY few. Many remained in the area where they had been enslaved, and some packed up and left eventually …
Picture Source Everyone has 23 pairs of chromosomes. One chromosome in each pair was inherited from the mother and the other chromosome was inherited from the father. Below is a snapshot of my mother’s paternal chromosome 2 in DNAPainter.com, a web-based tool for chromosome mapping – the process of labeling/assigning your chromosome segments to specific …
Continue reading Chromosome Data Matters: Exploring Ewe Connections from Ghana
Roots Revealed 