Celebration Sunday -Genealogy Happy Dance! The IAAM and a Serendipitous Meeting

 

You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone that you found the document, contacted a cousin with the family Bible, made a DNA connection, or found a new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls.

                                                          Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries. 

This weekly series enables everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment. 

Share by scrolling 

down and add your story to the comments section, or you may also put a link to a blog post telling about what had you dancing this week.

My Happy Dance Moment for this week:  

Visiting the International African American Museum in Charleston, SC, was an amazing experience.  It is a moving journey dedicated to the lives of the enslaved brought into Gadsden's Warf and their descendants. 

As the descendant of enslavers, I was brought to tears several times as I contemplated my ancestor's part in history.

The week before, my daughter and I traveled to Charleston to attend some of the opening celebrations for the museum. While we were there, we visited the Old Slave Market Museum. It tells the story of the enslaved that were brought from those ships that landed at the wharf and sold as chattel.

As we were moving through and looking at the artifacts and informative information on the walls, we overheard a young African American girl say, "I would have been given $300!" Her father gently explained to her that, no, you would have been sold for $300. Heartbreaking to see the reality sink into this innocent child.

I hope their next visit will be to the IAAM. There she will learn more about the sad history of her ancestors and so much about their remarkable strength and courage passed down through the generations.

She will see them honored and remembered. 

And, hopefully, take advantage of the Family History Center to begin the journey of finding their names. 

Cousin Shelley Murphy working in the Family History Center

If you get the opportunity to travel to Charleston, make this stop a must on your to-do list!

Cousin Ty Atkins and I meeting for the first time!

You may unexpectedly meet a cousin for the first time who is there for many of the same reason you are!

What's your Happy Dance Moment?

 Please share, and let's celebrate together!

                                                                      

                                                                                              

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Looking forward to reading about your Happy Dance moment!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,