African American Mosaic

Comment

Comment by Anita Wills on February 9, 2012 at 6:27pm

My  third book, Minqua People of the Welsh Mountains is scheduled to be released this summer. The book is Creative Non Fiction, a historically accurate book about the Authors Great Great Grandfather, Henry Green. The story covers the exploits of Henry Green, including his service in the United States Colored Troops, and involvement in the Christiana Resistance. Henry Green lived a life of resistance which was not documented until his arrest in 1851. The book covers the event of 9/11/1851, when a slave owner was shot and killed in Christiana Pennsylvania.

   Notes and Documents of Free Persons of Color, and Pieces of the Quilt: The Mosaic of an African American Family are still available through Amazon.com. The works are based on over thirty years of researching and documenting my African American family Genealogy.

Comment by Alvin Eugene Collins on June 22, 2011 at 6:07am

Many of my ancestors were slaves in Missouri, Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Among my slave ancestors in Missouri were Squire Lawrie (1821/22-1895), Pauline Stevens Lawrie (1841-1928), Rosetta Stevens Jones (1819-d. after 1900),Emily Graves (1845-1913), Solomon Graves, Charlotte Tuttle Graves (1825-1906), Joseph Endicott Jr. (1855-1916), Joseph Endicott Sr. (1828-1902).

Among my slave ancestors in Tennessee were Alex Jackson (1848-1876), Betty Grady Jackson (1852-1917) and Charity Grady Duquid (1830-1914). In Kentucky, there was Emily Gladdish (1848-1902). In Virginia, There were John Fuller (born 1815) and Caroline Galloway Fuller (born 1820). Also, I had a Black ancestor who was FREE ISSUE, meaning that he were born free prior to the Civil War. He was my great grandfather Attorney John Henry Collins (1848-1913), the son of a free Black mother and an Anglicized French Jew. Per the 1880 Halifax, North Carolina Census, the father of Attorney John Collins was born in France. He was born free in Norfolk, Virginia, and was States Attorney in North Carolina from 1878 to 1886. He later practiced law in Ironton, Ohio. Another ancestor who was free prior to the Civil War was a ggg grandmother Henrietta Robinson Gordon (born 1815). She was a free live in mulatto mistress of my ggg grandfather Attorney James Madison Gordon (1810-1875) in Columbia, Missouri. In the 1860 Boone County, Missouri Census she can be seen as a free woman living in his household.

Comment by George Geder on November 21, 2010 at 1:17am

Bennie J. McRae, Jr. Debunks Mythical Black Confederates

Bennie J. McRae, Jr. has been debunking this myth for over 12 years. Herein is evidence that we should review. Mr. McRae not only 'walks the walk and talks the talk'; he SHARES his findings so we all can be better informed. Take your time and read over the more than 60 pages contained in this PDF. Then, pass it on! Go to: http://post.ly/1E8hB

Comment by Julia Mitchel on November 11, 2010 at 12:24pm

Last saturday at our History Center in Frankfort, KY we heard a seminar by Deborah Abbott of Cleveland, OH on her research project for her minister. It was amazing, and the sources she found were some I had never heard of. I do not know if she has a website, but she is a nationally renown speaker on African American research. If anyone gets the chance, please go hear her.

Comment by Anita Wills on October 5, 2010 at 11:12am

Julia,
Thank you for sharing that information. The Library of Virginia is an excellent resource for those who have ancestors from that region.

Anita

Comment by Julia Mitchel on October 5, 2010 at 8:13am

Just a genealogist ladies, but very interested in all research. Wanted to let you know that the Library of VA has posted African American Marriages on line. I do not know what it is called but it is a must for your research. Go to their website Lib of VA and check their online databases.

Comment by Joyce Reese McCollum on July 22, 2010 at 9:52pm

33,000 S.C. Estates/Wills
Slaves named You can help put them online www.lowcountryafricana.com for details.Forever Free Online At Footnote.com

Comment by Sharon G. Holmes on March 24, 2010 at 1:50pm

I am very excited about this group!

Comment by Lynne Kirsch on August 27, 2009 at 6:05am

Thanks for the invitation, Anita, I will look forward to keeping up with your life and research. There is a self-guilded tour of the Christiana Riot coming up on Sept 12, 2009, and also a Hosanna Church Fest coming up on Sept 19, 2009. There are preview videos posted to YouTube. Take care! Lynne :-)

Comment by Anne Pemberton on August 26, 2009 at 5:00pm

Anita, I am now in correspondence with two young men in Northern Ghana (Tamale Region). Basit is in the village of Dungu, and Hamza is in the village of Gurugu. Basit is of the Dagomba tribe, which was apparently, at one time a pro-violence group in Ghana, but they are peaceful now, and help administer the government in Ghana. I sent a small camera to Basit, but he only has internet access through Internet Cafes, and the Cafes will not let him install any software on their computers. The camera will not load the pictures unless you use their software.

In the meantime, I am concerned about the homes in both the villages. They are built of sand with rice hulls, and during the rainy season, the rain breaks them down. I have corresponded with Hanza about them making bricks in their village, and he has located a source of clay in the nearby forest. Yesterday, I sent him some directions and suggestions on how to experiment on the making of bricks that can be fired in the fires they use to cook a meal.

Today I contacted the Ghana Embassy in Washington to find out if there is a cheaper way to send donations to them. He can provide me with a means to avoid the import tax, which I will look into. I think Basit had to pay that. Bob says that Ghana has an office in NYC that is ten minutes from his home. I may be able to get more information from him visiting their office.

This, of course, has nothing to do with genealogy, but is an update on our project to help these folks to self-sufficiency. If they are able to export art work from Dungu, the can afford to get a computer in the village and not only bring the world to their village, but also help anyone with genealogy questions on the various tribes in the area.

Anne