Thank you Miss Donna of “Daughter of Slave Ancestry” for this wonderful post. It nearly brought tears to my eyes and made my heart beat faster. And when I saw the image she used I was blown over!! It shows that she knows exactly what Opening Doors in Brick Walls means to me.
The 1870 brick wall is no less surmountable in cyberspace than it is in the analog archives of today’s courthouses. Court records from times past divulge varieties of slave/slaveholder relationships. Knowing the records exist is not the same as locating and examining them for myself. I do realize this problem is not exclusive to African Americans. But the fact still remains that it is more difficult due to the fact that my enslaved ancestors were considered chattel property; and, prior to 1870, they had no surnames. And even their given names are inconsistently recorded in the census records that followed.
Some have managed to scramble over their brick walls — only to find . . . yet another. Then what do we do? We dust ourselves off and rescale to the other side to devise another way.
Insurmountable? Maybe. Impenetrable? Not if Cathy Meder-Dempsey and Schalene Jennings Dagutis have anything…
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You’re more than welcome, Cathy. I was equally moved by your efforts and your diligent attention to detail. I will continue to promote your post. I can’t wait to read the reactions of descendants who will benefit from your recognition of their ancestors.
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Thank you Miss Donna. You are not the only one who will be waiting to read the reactions of descendants.
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Oh, I forgot to mention your selection of brick wall photographs is simply amazing! They are bright and vibrant. I like what you do with them. I love collecting photos of architecture; and brick and stone really capture my attention. About half-way through the post, I knew which photo I would to use.
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I love it! I have many more photos but haven’t gotten around to including them in posts.
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I love this! The more we share the more there is to share.
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This is how I’ve been doing my genealogy from the beginning. Sharing and collaborating. Makes all the difference!
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I completely agree! I don’t want to ever make a family member feel like I “own” family information. I share, share, share.
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