What first drew you/how did you get involved in family history and preservation work?
In 1977, nearly every American household tuned in to ABC-TV’s “Roots” miniseries. The story of an African man and his descendants sold into slavery captured the attention of an estimated 130 million viewers over the course of eight nights. It was inspired by Alex Haley’s novel Roots. Haley was named the Godfather of Genealogy because he popularized ancestral searching among scores of Black families to trace their heritage. I, too, was intrigued and began the fascinating journey of tracing my family history.
In the early 1970s ethnicity was not discussed in my community, we were identified as Mulattos, Colored, Negros, Afro-Americans, African Americans, and Blacks. As a former fashion model who broke the color barrier as the first Black in-house swimsuit model on Seventh Avenue, I then evolved as a project manager for the Jackie Robinson Foundation and later as a New York City health care executive. When I started modeling, people in the showroom would ask, ‘What are you? Where are your people from? You’re not all Black.’ A psychic nailed my ethnicity: “You have native American blood. I can tell by the tone of your voice.” These were questions never asked in my community. That revelation prompted me to push further for answers by confronting my father and grandmother, who confirmed the family’s heritage as Cherokee, along with Scottish, Irish, German, and Sub-Saharan African descent. I became intrigued with genealogy because I was repeatedly being questioned about my own ethnicity.
What does a typical day of work or research look like for you?
With my parents long gone, I continued relentlessly digging into my maternal and paternal family lineage. The ongoing process of piecing together the interconnecting relationships to complete the family enigmas is challenging, and I love unraveling the narratives and setting the record straight. Uncovering evidence means spending hours, days, months, and years researching and circling back and forth as more information becomes available. It is always work in motion, searching through newspapers, library visits, analyzing photographs, and interviewing as many older relatives as possible. Surfing the internet is a daily routine, looking for sources to prove family lore and following endless leads. It is fascinating!
Between Haley’s inspiration and support from long-time friend Rachel Robinson, who cataloged every artifact about her late husband Jackie, my diligence and perseverance have yielded encouraging results. I have researched over nine generations of family members, two more than the Cherokee tradition. Cherokee people believe each person is responsible for seven generations. This philosophy helped me uncover generations of family. The spirit of our ancestors surrounds us and protects us. I walk on the grounds of the cemeteries fearlessly; I know I do not walk alone; they want us to tell their stories, so I document.
What particular skills or perspectives do you bring to your work and research?
Born a native New Yorker with Southwest Virginia roots, I have always had a strong desire to delve deeper into preserving, documenting, and honoring the lives of my ancestors, especially the enslaved individuals of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Over the years, I have interviewed family members, descendants of the enslaved, and friends who have since passed away. These interactions have helped me envision their lifestyles and understand the moral fiber of their lives. I have used court documents, cohabitation records, family bibles, old photographs, and video interviews to tell their stories. Additionally, I have located grave sites dating back to the early 1800s by walking upon the land. Throughout my journey, I have met many wonderful people who have assisted me in preserving and documenting my family history.
My passion, commitment, and thirst to uncover the truth and document the family folklore is insatiable. Over the past forty years, I have developed excellent research skills and have acquired invaluable experience with proven results. I thoroughly enjoy the mystery of the unknown and am driven to unearth the truth and rework the fragmented history. It is exceedingly exciting to bring reality to light and preserve a place in time in American history shared by indigenous peoples, European settlers, and enslaved to free people of color.
What are you most proud about your work in this field?
My highest achievement was locating my long-lost half-brother, whom I had never met until 1997. Barry Hunt (1944–2022) was born to my father, John Hunt, and his white British mother, Jean Holloway, during World War II—a time when interracial marriages were forbidden. Years later, without cell phones and DNA, I traveled to England with keen research skills and determination. I obtained his birth certificate and placed an ad in the Southampton newspaper where my father was stationed. I located Barry in Wales. Two months later, a gift for my father! A glorious Thanksgiving reunion with the entire Hunt family transpired stateside, with my 82-year-old father proudly embracing his 53-year-old son he hadn’t seen since he was six months old. The tear-shedding moment made a permanent imprint on the Hunt family. Barry and I shared a very close brother-and-sister relationship from across the pond.
Additionally, I’m a proud member of The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and Chair of the VA’s Veterans’ Committee. I also created, developed, and implemented a New York Veterans Hospital Genealogy Group and I’ve taught veterans the importance of tracing their ancestry. I received a Lifetime Appreciation Award from the U.S. Department of Defense Vietnam War Commemoration.
And my 25-year search to locate the burial grounds of my Cherokee and Black ancestors: the Mahanaim United Methodist Church Cemetery (1803).
What have been some challenges, and how did you navigate them?
The biggest challenge is that so little documentation is readily available to people of color. They are challenged with piecing together fragments from various sources. As more and more information is digitized, the search becomes easier. It has been and is very challenging trying to locate the family members who were separated and sold away from one another during slavery. It is equally complicated following dead-end trails trying to connect the enslaved ancestors and their enslavers. So many interconnections and moving parts have been lost to the Civil War. It is difficult to locate the descendants of slaves, family historians, and griots in those extended families before the 1870 census records. This time period can be very frustrating and daunting. Although the 1866 cohabitation records are not available for all states and counties, they can be extremely valuable and helpful when they are available. The cohabitation records list the husband, wife, and children and the date the couple jumped the broom. Very importantly, the record indicates the name of the slaveholders. Many local historical societies do not have the family history of people of color, and I donate my family history to them most of the time. Last but not least, locating and obtaining documented information in family bibles.
Can you share with us or give us a glimpse of what's next on the horizon for you?
My goal is to preserve and inspire others, especially Black Americans, to build on the legacy of their ancestors. It is most important for me to lead by example by telling my stories and continuing to uncover their truth. There was a time in history when it was against the law for people of color to read or write; they suffered severe punishment for the crime of literacy [such as] beatings and amputation of fingers and toes. Therefore, it is my calling to preserve and document their history and leave the blueprint of their lives. I need to write their stories of resilience, dedication, and love of family! In addition, I am committed to expanding the Veterans Genealogy Group Program to other VA facilities in New York and continue to offer presentations and workshops on genealogy through my associations.
My book projects are:
- “The Scent of My Father” details the struggles and triumphs of finding my 53-year-old WWII half-brother over in Wales.
- “A Mother’s Love” is about my German 5th-great-grandmother who chose to keep and raise her mulatto sons in Tennessee during the 1830s. Catherine Cansler left her German community in North Caroline and moves to an abolitionist Quaker community in Maryville, Tennessee, to raise and educate children who became prominent and renowned adults in Knoxville, Tennessee.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about undertaking family history and preservation work, particularly other women?
Family history, genealogy, and preservation work are wonderful worlds of intrigue and mystery. There is a fascination in knowing and discovering who you are and learning about your roots is captivating. You’ll gain a great sense of pride and accomplishment in documenting and preserving your family lineage.
Getting started can be as simple as creating an ancestral chart to be disseminated among members at family reunions. Documenting births, deaths, marriages, and whatever else is known can often lead to outside connections—contacting libraries and courthouses where county and state files can be obtained. Granted, the accessibility of record keeping for many Black families was prohibited before the 1870 census, but persistence is pivotal for cultural preservation.
Every Black person should be able to identify their enslaved ancestors. The Bible can provide an excellent source of family history. Back in the day, every Black home had a family Bible, [and many had] a particular scripture marked, a lock of saved baby hair, or other keepsakes. I had the good fortune of having my great-grandmother's Bible passed down to me from the ancestors.