Still Here

An email from ancestry.com yesterday, told me about my updated DNA results that included new regions in Africa. There wasn’t anything really new in the results location wise, but it got me thinking about how sad and disconnecting it is that I never can truly go or find home.

Today is October 15th.

Tomorrow is my father’s birthday.  I lost him when I was 18 years old.

As I think of him today and over the past few days leading up to today, I realized that I am still here.

My grandmother passed away on Memorial Day. She was blessed to live 101 years. But I’m still here.

So where am I going with this?

Last night I spoke at an event and I was talking about the incredible accomplishments of ancestors, Catherine and George Ward, who were enslaved on a rice plantation in Georgetown, SC and Caesar Ravenel, who was enslaved as a cattle minder and was courageous and determined enough to join the US Colored Troops.

I got to share their stories.

I got to say their names. 

I got to express my pride in their genius, their sacrifice and their resilience. Because I am still here.

An email from ancestry.com yesterday, told me about my updated DNA results that included new regions in Africa. There wasn’t anything really new in the results location wise, but it got me thinking about how sad and disconnecting it is that I never can truly go or find home.

As sad as it is, that’s something that every Gullah Geechee and Black person has to accept. 

We don’t have pictures.

We don’t have birthdays or death dates. 

We don’t know their stories. And probably never will.

But, the bigger picture is that I’m still here after 12 generations of ancestors since the early 1700s. 

That’s twelve generations that includes 4,096 of ancestors that woke up to another day of labor. 

Another night of pain filled weary rest that was full of colorful dreams about me.

A life that endured, yet survived enslavement so that I can be here.

Today, and every day that I can remember them and say their names, their memories and existence is and continues to be carried on by the winds of time.

Every day that I am still here, each and every ancestor is always going to be still here. 

They are in each and every breath I take and every drop of blood that I carry. 

They will always be here as long as I, and my descendants remember them and say their names. 

Josephine 

Frederica

Julius

Simon

Thelma

Earlease

Helen

Elgin Sr.

Mahatmabel

India

Ronnie 

John

Georgiana

Lenora 

Sam

Elgin Jr.

Jane 

Those are the names that I remember off of the top of my head. I know that there are many more yet to discover yet, I silently honor those whose names I may never know.

Because I am still here. 

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