[Music]
several years ago while attending a
conference I listened to a presenter
share with us how we as counselors and
therapists can utilize utilize our
skills to move into different genres
outside of therapy she asked regardless
of money what could you do all day if
you had the opportunity to I quickly
raised my hand and went acknowledged I
said I could do ancestry research all
day and with matched enthusiasm she
responded well what have you found out
so far I don’t think she knew she was in
for I want full force into my family’s
story I could spend hours telling her
what was going on in my family what I
figured out I don’t think anyone else
got to share their what I would do all
day story either so while the passion
was present then it definitely didn’t
start that way it literally was
something I found in the middle of a
field at the time I was a recent college
graduate ready to take on the world but
was barely lucky enough to find a
part-time job I started working at a
local department store and that summer I
took a position with the US Census
Bureau as an enumerator your job as an
enumerator is to collect data on various
residents this particular day I was in
state of Georgia off for dirt road at a
residence for the second time knocked on
the door no one answered the property
appeared vacant and so I didn’t see any
neighbors for a good distance but in a
fire i saw farmer or what appeared to be
a farmer I go trudging through
thigh-high grass in pursuit of an answer
about this residence and the
conversation went a little like this
good afternoon sir
I’m Tyranny Thurman from the US Census
Bureau I’m here to inquire about the
residents nearby you’re a stuntman yes
sir
are you from cancer this person in that
person he starts to name all these
individuals and I a little confused and
unfamiliar with the supposed kinfolk I
said I’m just not really sure how you’re
referring to the conversation went on
for some time he shared with me that the
home that I was inquiring about belonged
to his mother who had passed away I
express my condolences and my ear tuned
in to the story that he began to share
with me about the contributions my
family made to the community there used
to be a great big old white house at
that intersection up there
it belonged to another Thurmond family
they were white I think the house has
been uprooted now moved to another city
I was completely enthralled where’s this
house that he speaks of I was so
immersed in the conversation that I was
late to my department store job and we
all know how important that is my
ancestral research went on for several
months I researched every branch of my
family tree like there were veins in my
own body I spent hours in the community
library hours and church cemeteries
slave cemeteries and researching court
records I was even blessed enough to see
my great-grandmother’s Bible where she
documented birth dates death dates and
even weddings
who knew you can be inspired to a
greater purpose to ancestral research at
the time I certainly didn’t I was so
immersed in our story that later on my
exploration led me to this amazing book
the history of the American Negro and
his institutions it was published in
1917 and many of my ancestors are
chronicled here first I found my fifth
great-grandfather slavery left him poor
and uneducated but not defeated after
emancipation he was able to move into a
great farmhouse and cultivated over 250
acres of land and sent all five of his
children to college late more pages led
to a Renaissance man a distant cousin a
songwriter a poet and a musician he even
traveled the country sharing his music
he was even able to travel couldn’t
travel not only the US but to Canada as
well it was also noted
as the inventor of the local
merry-go-round he created two of them as
a matter of fact
and then there was Professor hunter a
gentleman whose character reminded me so
greatly of myself
a credentialed educator a social justice
advocate like me and a community leader
his biography read he is not devoted his
life to the makings of money but to
being a great asset to his denomination
and his section of people the resiliency
and vibrancy of their lives inspired me
it helped me realize my life’s own
potential ancestry research can be a
critical component to one’s life and
tear existence while riddled with
unfortunate circumstances and a harsh
life they helped me understand my own
worth
in addition to inspiration it can be
great at assembling one’s pieces to
their own puzzle and help you answer
questions that you didn’t even know that
you had during my exploration I also
found out how my family came to settle
in state of Georgia my fifth
great-grandfather another fifth
great-grandfather was born in 1862 in
present-day edgeville South Carolina he
migrated here to Augusta Georgia to the
port of the Savannah River while here he
was befriended by another Thurmond
family while history will lead us to
believe that the relationship was forced
I found that it was quite congenial this
family was white taking in a young black
man and they settled in state of Georgia
I’ve spent hours researching my family
lineage on the computer I even was able
to even work with individuals and record
them on film and document them via pen
and paper
many have passed away since my
exploration started but their stories
reside in my head my heart and pages of
my journal the unfortunate part about
this is the more that I unveiled about
my family story the more of an Oblivion
I realized I lived in about the
contributions of people of color to
American history our people are heroes
and heroines as well my distant relative
led the charge in Tuskegee Alabama when
there was a voting rights ban on African
Americans African Americans votes he
sued the city of tyskie and the court
case was heard before the US Supreme
Court the key the historic case of go
million versus Lightfoot this was rooted
in my family story in my family tree a
story that I knew nothing about but it
was rooted in perseverance and
resiliency it was I was quite impressed
now I want to be honest with you all
while the story to find out who you are
is intriguing and inspirational and
captivating it’s also very
time-consuming when I transitioned in my
life I was moving into a new career I
moved to a new state took on a new job
working with new college students and
unfortunately my ancestry research had
to fall by the wayside but it wasn’t
until that fall semester when we’re
planning for upcoming Black History
Month program that voila tracing your
roots merged it was opportunity for all
of our students to participate in their
ancestral research there is power and
knowing where you come from my students
were finding World War draft cards and
calling grandparents to verify web
information the people the pieces of
their puzzles were coming together
there’s satisfaction in knowing that
you’ve found your people they’re not
just any people but they’re your people
they belong to you my students were
reintroduced to familiar family members
and introduced to unfamiliar ones like
me I watched them find meaning in their
lives they began to develop a better
understanding of themselves and who they
had the potential to become who knew the
ancestry research could be so impactful
research can be an empowering experience
that provides texture to our lives it it
encompasses and helps us encompass an
understanding of traditions values in
oneself my ancestral research and my
discoveries taught me that despite heart
ships and losses my people remain a
testament to human adaptability and
cultural survival even in the face of
opposition their resiliency produced me
my future family my present family
through my own journey I learned that we
come from spaces where our family
members sacrifice with a great belief
that their future must be greater than
their now and as we stand on the
shoulders of these giants we have a duty
to match their contributions so I
challenge you all to get to know yours
know your ancestors a little bit better
learn a little bit more about yourself
and what you have the potential to go
thank you [Applause]
several years ago while attending a
conference I listened to a presenter
share with us how we as counselors and
therapists can utilize utilize our
skills to move into different genres
outside of therapy she asked regardless
of money what could you do all day if
you had the opportunity to I quickly
raised my hand and went acknowledged I
said I could do ancestry research all
day and with matched enthusiasm she
responded well what have you found out
so far I don’t think she knew she was in
for I want full force into my family’s
story I could spend hours telling her
what was going on in my family what I
figured out I don’t think anyone else
got to share their what I would do all
day story either so while the passion
was present then it definitely didn’t
start that way it literally was
something I found in the middle of a
field at the time I was a recent college
graduate ready to take on the world but
was barely lucky enough to find a
part-time job I started working at a
local department store and that summer I
took a position with the US Census
Bureau as an enumerator your job as an
enumerator is to collect data on various
residents this particular day I was in
state of Georgia off for dirt road at a
residence for the second time knocked on
the door no one answered the property
appeared vacant and so I didn’t see any
neighbors for a good distance but in a
fire i saw farmer or what appeared to be
a farmer I go trudging through
thigh-high grass in pursuit of an answer
about this residence and the
conversation went a little like this
good afternoon sir
I’m Tyranny Thurman from the US Census
Bureau I’m here to inquire about the
residents nearby you’re a stuntman yes
sir
are you from cancer this person in that
person he starts to name all these
individuals and I a little confused and
unfamiliar with the supposed kinfolk I
said I’m just not really sure how you’re
referring to the conversation went on
for some time he shared with me that the
home that I was inquiring about belonged
to his mother who had passed away I
express my condolences and my ear tuned
in to the story that he began to share
with me about the contributions my
family made to the community there used
to be a great big old white house at
that intersection up there
it belonged to another Thurmond family
they were white I think the house has
been uprooted now moved to another city
I was completely enthralled where’s this
house that he speaks of I was so
immersed in the conversation that I was
late to my department store job and we
all know how important that is my
ancestral research went on for several
months I researched every branch of my
family tree like there were veins in my
own body I spent hours in the community
library hours and church cemeteries
slave cemeteries and researching court
records I was even blessed enough to see
my great-grandmother’s Bible where she
documented birth dates death dates and
even weddings
who knew you can be inspired to a
greater purpose to ancestral research at
the time I certainly didn’t I was so
immersed in our story that later on my
exploration led me to this amazing book
the history of the American Negro and
his institutions it was published in
1917 and many of my ancestors are
chronicled here first I found my fifth
great-grandfather slavery left him poor
and uneducated but not defeated after
emancipation he was able to move into a
great farmhouse and cultivated over 250
acres of land and sent all five of his
children to college late more pages led
to a Renaissance man a distant cousin a
songwriter a poet and a musician he even
traveled the country sharing his music
he was even able to travel couldn’t
travel not only the US but to Canada as
well it was also noted
as the inventor of the local
merry-go-round he created two of them as
a matter of fact
and then there was Professor hunter a
gentleman whose character reminded me so
greatly of myself
a credentialed educator a social justice
advocate like me and a community leader
his biography read he is not devoted his
life to the makings of money but to
being a great asset to his denomination
and his section of people the resiliency
and vibrancy of their lives inspired me
it helped me realize my life’s own
potential ancestry research can be a
critical component to one’s life and
tear existence while riddled with
unfortunate circumstances and a harsh
life they helped me understand my own
worth
in addition to inspiration it can be
great at assembling one’s pieces to
their own puzzle and help you answer
questions that you didn’t even know that
you had during my exploration I also
found out how my family came to settle
in state of Georgia my fifth
great-grandfather another fifth
great-grandfather was born in 1862 in
present-day edgeville South Carolina he
migrated here to Augusta Georgia to the
port of the Savannah River while here he
was befriended by another Thurmond
family while history will lead us to
believe that the relationship was forced
I found that it was quite congenial this
family was white taking in a young black
man and they settled in state of Georgia
I’ve spent hours researching my family
lineage on the computer I even was able
to even work with individuals and record
them on film and document them via pen
and paper
many have passed away since my
exploration started but their stories
reside in my head my heart and pages of
my journal the unfortunate part about
this is the more that I unveiled about
my family story the more of an Oblivion
I realized I lived in about the
contributions of people of color to
American history our people are heroes
and heroines as well my distant relative
led the charge in Tuskegee Alabama when
there was a voting rights ban on African
Americans African Americans votes he
sued the city of tyskie and the court
case was heard before the US Supreme
Court the key the historic case of go
million versus Lightfoot this was rooted
in my family story in my family tree a
story that I knew nothing about but it
was rooted in perseverance and
resiliency it was I was quite impressed
now I want to be honest with you all
while the story to find out who you are
is intriguing and inspirational and
captivating it’s also very
time-consuming when I transitioned in my
life I was moving into a new career I
moved to a new state took on a new job
working with new college students and
unfortunately my ancestry research had
to fall by the wayside but it wasn’t
until that fall semester when we’re
planning for upcoming Black History
Month program that voila tracing your
roots merged it was opportunity for all
of our students to participate in their
ancestral research there is power and
knowing where you come from my students
were finding World War draft cards and
calling grandparents to verify web
information the people the pieces of
their puzzles were coming together
there’s satisfaction in knowing that
you’ve found your people they’re not
just any people but they’re your people
they belong to you my students were
reintroduced to familiar family members
and introduced to unfamiliar ones like
me I watched them find meaning in their
lives they began to develop a better
understanding of themselves and who they
had the potential to become who knew the
ancestry research could be so impactful
research can be an empowering experience
that provides texture to our lives it it
encompasses and helps us encompass an
understanding of traditions values in
oneself my ancestral research and my
discoveries taught me that despite heart
ships and losses my people remain a
testament to human adaptability and
cultural survival even in the face of
opposition their resiliency produced me
my future family my present family
through my own journey I learned that we
come from spaces where our family
members sacrifice with a great belief
that their future must be greater than
their now and as we stand on the
shoulders of these giants we have a duty
to match their contributions so I
challenge you all to get to know yours
know your ancestors a little bit better
learn a little bit more about yourself
and what you have the potential to go
thank you [Applause]
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