CARINVAL of AFRICAN AMERICAN GENEALOGY: GRANDMA HANDS! GRANDMOTHERS and THEIR INFLUENCE on the FAMILY!

April 6th, 2010 | 5 Comments »

I don’t remember my maternal Grandmother Odessa Amos(Big Momma to some but I like calling her NaNa). She passed away when I was 2 years old.

My Mom and Dad worked the evening shift and NaNa Odessa babysat for my brother and I a lot, especially since her and my Mom lived across the hall from each other in the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago, IL.

I’m quite sure we spent many evenings in the kitchen talking, sharing recipes, and eating together.

I’m thinking thats where my like for cooking and baking came from. Mom said NaNa always made her cakes from scratch and would have a strong dislike for the instant cake mixes that they sell today.

See NaNa Odessa left Cotton Valley, LA with only a third grade education and knew that she wanted something better for her children. She made sure all of her children took advantage of any and all opportunities that were provided to them. Each one recieved a Degree and two recieving a Master Degree(my mom being one of them).

She never wanted my Mom to marry my Dad, but of course my Mom did, but by the time my Mom recieved her Degree NaNa Odessa was already gone. I know she was proud of my Mom nevertheless.

One of the hardest things NaNa Odessa had to do was bury a child.

My Uncle Augustus Banks Jr. passed away sometime around 1968. What strength she must have shown while inside dying from a broken heart. She knew she had to go on for the rest of her children and be strong for them.

I still have all the cards and well wishes that was sent to my NaNa. I can tell she was well liked and really cared about the Community. I have her Voters Registration Card from 1964 and I am quite sure she voted every chance she was given as soon as African Americans were given the opportunity to vote. Since I found her card, I decided to vote every chance I get and Volunteer more in my own Community.

One thing that I have learned from her is her STRENGTH. Coming from a Community in LA with no electricity and runnung water, to a Community where she worked as a maid and raised her children to recieve College Degrees.

I watched my Mom bury 2 of her 3 brothers and keep it together like no other. She never lost it in front of us and I can see NaNa Odessa doing the same.

After everything that my Family and I have been through within the last six months, one thing that we remained is Strong. A trait that was passed on from generation to generation. I can hear my NaNa Odessa Spirit saying to me “Its ok Lisa, everything is going to be alright”.

See thats what she named me. Never being able to pronounce Felicia correctly she told my Mom “I’m calling this baby Lisa”, and that is what my Family and close Friends call me to this day. She also noticed that the spelling on my Birth Record was incorrect. I have a slash through my middle name on my Birth Certificate and the real spelling is above that.

I can hear her now teasing my Mom “Beverly why you name this girl after the Whale on Moby Dick. My middle name is Rachelle, but on my birth record it was spelled as Rachel and thanks to my NaNa, Rachel was crossed out and my true name was added.

No matter if I can remember her or not, her Spirit is with me everyday. Everytime someone says my name or I have to show a copy of my Birth Certificate.

Some of the stories about her I found out after starting my Research, but I knew about my name change at such an early age and that is the story about my NaNa Odessa that I carry with me everyday and deep in my heart. I know she  is so proud that I was choosen to tell the Nola Story, wouldn’t be surprised at all if NaNa had a hand in it all like all Grandmothers do!!

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Posted in Amos, CoAAG

Carnival of African American Genealogy: Restore My Name

March 17th, 2010 | No Comments »

I have been researching my Family’s History for a short period of time(One Year) and truly love being a part of the Genealogy Community.

With the showing of Face of America on PBS and Who Do You Think You Are? on NBC, I am hoping that it will spark a lot of new interest in Genealogy and there become some new Researchers and some new Family Trees going up that will allow more Genealogical connections.

There are so few African American Researchers in the Genealogy Community, but there should be a whole lot more. So many Researchers out there, but not enough online sharing information and making Family connections!

On a recent trip to Savannah, GA with my Genea-Sisters(and 1 Brother), we gathered for the Southeast Family History Expo. I sat threw a class given by Darius Gray called “Beginning Black Family History Research”. I was excited because on the front of their brochure it says “Learn to Search for your Missing Ancestors”. I can truly say thats not what his class was about. Although we were showed a slide show of the Gray Family and truly enjoyable as it was, I was for sure he was going to talk Researching.

With a class of 30 to 45 eager Researchers , not one mention about how to obtain records or share information. After the class, Luckie and myself shared our knowledge with the class on sharing information and putting you’re Family History online. Some of them had some very interesting stories and I hope to read them one day online. Praying that we were able to make a difference.

Now I know some believe “Family Business is Family Business”. The only thing I can say about that is “What if you hold the last piece to someone’s Research”? What if you have that information that can knock down someone’s Brickwall”? What if? What if? What if?

The only way I can explain what I am saying and answers those what ifs is:

Since our Ancestors were bought and sold and most Males were used for breeding, I might have some information on one Plantation that he was on, and you might have the information about another Plantation that he was on. If one of us are not online then how can we connect and share information.

It is so important to share any and all information and records that you might have. You see in my mind We Are All Related and I am trying to give my Ancestors a voice and make sure that their voices are heard. This message is not just for the Slave Descendants.

Thanks to Luckie of OurGeorgiaRoots Madness Monday Post: Open Letter To The Genealogy Community-Help Me To Understand and Sandra of I Never Knew My Father Friend of Friends: Lessons From The Underground Railroad Post, Now there are some SlaveOwners Descendants that are willing to share Slave Records that their Family has owned or Slave records that they might have came across in their Research, but there are some that think of this as “SHAMEFUL” and there are some that is “ASHAMED”.

I know during our Research we are going to come across things that our Ancestors have done that might be shameful, unlawful, and unforgiven, but their voices need to be heard also and there is nothing more shameful than hiding that shame and not letting the Ancestors voice be heard or putting the Ancestors with their Rightful Descendant.

You must know that we as African American Researchers hold no grudges. We know it was just what happened during that time period. We want no part of you’re Inheritance or Property. We just want to know where we came from. I can’t speak for everyone, but I have a right to “KNOW THY SELF!!

I know that all records are not online. The ones that are not are the ones that you have, so PLEASE SHARE!!

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Posted in CoAAG