A mother sold away from her children, a husband and wife torn apart by the slave trade. During and after the Civil War, African American families struggled to find out what happened to their loved ones, hoping to one day be reunited. Their stories have been collected from newspaper ads, letters, and diary entries. We hear from a historian who has learned their stories. We also talk with a genealogist who traced her family lore and discovered a relative who had enlisted with the US Colored Infantry and escaped capture by Confederate troops.
Guests:
Dr. Heather Andrea Williams: author of "Help Me To Find My People: The African American Search for Family Lost in Slavery"; professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Williams will be at an event at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum tomorrow.
Angela Y. Walton-Raji: author of several books on African American and Native American genealogy. You can find more of her genealogical research at African Roots Podcast.com. Information about upcoming genealogy classes here.
