The Mercer Connection. . .

In a previous entry I briefly talked about Dr. William N. Mercer and his ownership of my great-great-great grandmother, Charity Rounds. I came across this information from an excerpt of the book "African American Historic Places" published by the National Register of Historic Places.
As I usually do, I started with a general search ofgoogle and Ancestry.com. One of my first significant finds was to learn that Mercer and his wife's family (Ellis-Farar) had donated their family papers to Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA. I immediately contacted the staff at the LSU Special Collections and arranged to recieve a copy of the slave lists from all the plantations in Mississippi owned by the Farar and Ellis families. I will be recieving copies of the listings from the Ormond, Laurel Hill, Natchez and Presleigh plantations, which cover southwestern Mississippi and Louisiana. I'm excited as to what I will find, whose names will be listed. Of course I'm looking for my relatives, Charity and possibly Charles Rounds.
More to come on this research. . .

The Countdown begins. . .

Today I finally sent my DNA test back to African Ancestry, in Silver Spring, Maryland. 6 to 8 weeks and I should be recieving my results, which means I should recieve them by July 2009. So the countdown to the results now begins. . .

Whew!

Family Griot

My MtDNA. . .

Today, I recieved my DNA testing packet from African Ancestry by mail and I'm truly excited.

For the past few years, I have been struggling with the decision to take this test. The source of my struggle was emotionally based. The test I'm taking will trace my maternal lineage from my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and through to my great great grandmother Dinah Brown-Rounds. The source of my conflict lies in the stories of my great-great grandmother's heritage. My mother's family is very racially mixed with caucasion and possibly Native American ancestry. According to family oral history, Dinah Rounds was bi-racial and has native American heritage in her lineage. I honestly don't believe that she has a Native American background because this is a common coping mechanism within the black community to pyschologically deal with the violence committed against our women by white men. Another topic for another posting. I am truly hoping that my great-great grandmother's mitochondrial DNA will reflect an African ancestor. I'm not exactly sure what ethnic group that branch of my family will originate from. This is what makes this new discovery I'm about to embark on the more exciting. The uncertainty of it all. The discovery of who my women folk are, the knowing of who my kinfolk are beyond the shores of America hopefully into the continent of Africa.

Spiritually speaking, my belief is that this discovery will lead to another level of my own spiritual development. I believe that knowing my African heritage of both my parents families will enable me to understand, connect and become more aligned with my spirituality and my purpose in this life. It will also help me to understand some other spiritual things that I see in my family that I may have inherited. This is a path I have been actively journeying for the last two years.

It will be sometime before I can share the results of my tests on my blog because I will be sharing the results with my family first. Look for an update in July 2009. Until then. . .

Family Griot

Family Reunions 2009

The Summer of 2009 two of the Family Griot families will be hosting reuinons in the months of July and August.

3 - 5 July 2009
The Washington-Rounds Family of Adams County, Mississippi will be hosting their family reunion 3 - 5 July 2009 at the famiy homestead in Adams County, Mississippi. This year's reunion will be extra special as the family will be celebrating a wedding on the final day of the reunion. If you are affiliated with this family and would like to attend this reunion, e-mail vandersong@bellsouth.net for further information.

31 July - 2 August 2009
The Callins Family of Dallas & Autauga Counties, Alabama will be hosting a reunion in the bayou city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana from 31 July - 2 August 2009. For more information, deadlines and fees, visit www.easysite.com/callinsclayreunion.


Family Griot

Benjamin Thompson on the African American Civil War Memorial

I want to thank Khathu from Afrigeneas for sending me these pictures! This is the plaque bearing the name of my ancestor Benjamin Thompson who served in the 82nd and photos of the Civil War Memorial. Enjoy!

Journey of Discovery. . .

Today I had a chance to reflect on exactly why I am researching my family genealogy and history. For me, it's a part of a greater journey of discovery. One that is within me and outside of me.
My journey on a quest to find my people began with a realization that African descended people in America were mostly missing from history books in the context of intellectual and humanitarian accomplishments. I began to research everything that I could about African descended people in America who had contributed anything of significance to American society. Along the way I discovered that as a group of people we are the most creative and most connected people that I know of. Our branch of the African Diaspora has survived and thrived under some of the most oppressive conditions in the Americas.
However, studying African-Americans wasn't enough, I had to take a look inward. I realized that I didn't know much about my own family, their achievements or their lives. These are the very people whose DNA and blood flows through me, their very existence allowed me to be brought me into being. As to date, I'm finding that success runs in my family in terms of their material wealth, spiritual wealth and gifts.
This journey has been eye opening for me in various ways. As I am journeying through this search for my family, I'm discovering more about myself, more about my people and more about my spirit.

I invite all my readers to continue with me on this journey of discovery. . .

The Family Griot

THANK YOU CCHARITY.COM!!!

I would like to make this short entry to thank the African-American genealogy website CCharity.com, which I've been following for several years, for featuring my blog on her website! Thank you Christine! I'm so honored to be featured on your site.

The Family Griot on CCharity.com

Family Griot

Intuition in Genealogical Research

One of my methods in conducting my genelogical research could be considered unorthodox by some, but has always worked to some degree for me. That method is called intuitive research or serendipity. In this method of research you depend on guesses, first thoughts, some deductive reasoning, happenstance, coincedence to move you towards the next level of research or complete missing gaps in research. Information just seems to come out of nowhere for you and links you to a long lost relative or relatives.
In his book "Psychic Roots: Serendipity and Intuition in Genealogy", author Henry Z. Jones relates his own experiences and those of other genealogy researchers who have experienced this type of phenomena.
My suggestion to those who are open to seeking help from their long deceased ancestors to find their family history is to just say a short prayer of request for their assistance in locating information about the family and then get to work. The information will come. You just have to trust that it will.