DIG DEEPER ROOTS
“FIND YOUR ANCESTORS, FIND YOURSELF” FREE!!!!!! MULTI – CULTURAL GENEALOGY WORKSHOP AND BRUNCH On: September 10, 2016 10 am- 12 noon At: Panera Bread, 1190 E. Oglethorpe HWY Hinesville, GA ******************************************************************************************************** * HOW AND WHERE TO GET STARTED FINDING YOUR ROOTS * OVERCOMING OBSTACLES FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS SEARCHING FOR THEIR ANCESTORS · START YOUR TREE! · BRING YOUR LAPTOP! · GIVE AWAYS! PLEASE RSVP ON FACEBOOK & /or email at digdeeperoots@gmail.com FACILITATOR: DEIRDRE M.J. TAYLOR- FAMILY HISTORIAN AND GENEALOGY RESEARCHE SINCE 1991.
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My father was William D. Johnson, a social worker. He was born in 1925 to Lillian M. Davenport and James Johnson. I was told growing up his father left the family when he was two. My father’s nickname was brother. He was the youngest of three. His oldest sister was Anne and the middle sister was Sarah. I found out through my research recently that my father was initially named after his father, James. Somewhere along the line it was changed to William. When his mother, my grandmother and her mother Mary came to New York, they left my father with his grandfather, William H. Davenport until he was nine years old. Mary and William had divorced and William remarried. William was a minister who started a number of churches and a writer/ editor. He was featured in Who’s Who in Colored America , 1944:
SEE: Thomas Yenser, ed., Who's Who in Colored America (1944). My grandmother Mary was also quite accomplished as were her siblings. She taught college and after moving to New York she became an actress playing in parts besides the likes of Ruby Dee. But back to the daddies. Her father was Dublin Israel Walker, also a minister, but a legislator for the county of Chester, SC during the reconstruction, a so called “race man”, which we might call a militant today. I googled my great grandfathers’ names, and due to their accomplishments which got them written up in newspapers and they published writings as well I was able to learn more about them. So do not just stick to the census. Try Googling your ancestors. You may be surprised what you find. Happy Digging! |