Thread by @DrAPearson

For Black History Month I wanted to share an interesting story about my own family, dating back to the 1800s. From slaves to free people. 🧵 #TouchTheAncestors
#BlackHistoryMonth
#BHM

My Granny Corrine was born in 1916 in Arkansas to a woman named Cora. Cora was born during reconstruction, raised by a mother and father both born into slavery. Cora's father's name was Thomas, and his father was born in Africa. And that's where our line stops. 1/

It's well documented that our family's love of education goes way back. And the roots were laid during reconstruction. Thomas committed himself to establishing a family environment of curiosity, and this was passed on to one of his sons, and Cora's brother, William. 2/

William, now one generation removed from slavery, founded a church in Mississippi and became its first pastor. Not content with just learning Bible, he sought partnership with some Quakers in Mississippi who wanted to collaborate on founding a school out of the church. 3/

The Quakers understood that education for Black folk in the South was both inaccessible and extremely dangerous.

And YET!

So they started a school. Primary texts included the Bible and literary classics, primarily Greek and Roman texts. 4/

The impact of the school was immediate. Our family started to adopt the names of those we read in the texts. Electra, Sirce (Circe), and others. From there, a family of tradesmen, educators, and preachers emerged, including my own, where every single person is an educator. 5/

So that's part of my history. School-founding, Quaker-loving, Bible-teaching free men and women who, outlived slavery, made it out of the terroristic extremism of reconstruction, and emerged a family that's still educating to this day. /6

My family's history is American history. We are a woven thread in an elaborate garment of sorrow, joy, triumph and struggle. And that's just one story, from one side, from one family. There are millions more of us. Sit with us and listen. There's so much to share. /Fin

@HenryLouisGates this may be up your alley.

@cpearson116 forgot to tag you