The Official Newsletter of the Midwest Afro-American Genealogical Interest Coalition (M.A.G.I.C.)
Volume 25 Issue 1 January-March, 2017
Inside This Issue
2017 Officers, Founders, Mission & Calendar ……...2
Slaves of Bates County, Missouri, 1850-1860 ……...3
MAGIC’s GENERATIONS 25th Anniversary ……...5
The Free Negro in Illinois Prior to the Civil War, 1818-1860 ……...6
Submit to GENERATIONS! ……...7
In Memoriam: Geraldine Elliott Robinson ……...7
Our Negro Population: A Sociological Study of the Negroes of Kansas City, Missouri
……...8
Connect Through Queries ….......9
Black History Month: Heritage Songs of Black America ….....18
Traveling Back Through Slavery to Find Your Enslaved Ancestors
…….20
Generations
Mark Your Calendar and Attend
2 GENERATIONS January-March 2017
2017 OFFICERS
President Preston Washington
Vice President Wayne Reed
Recording Secretary David W. Jackson
Assistant Recording Secretary Deborah Jones
Corresponding Secretary Virginia Flowers
Treasurer Camille Lester-Young
Assistant Treasurer Bobbie J. Stevenson
Historian Robert Stevenson
Publications Algy Mason
Gloria Johnson Jackie Dewberry
Generations Editor David W. Jackson
OUR MISSION
The purpose of M.A.G.I.C. is to pro-mote genealogy and family history
through the presentation of structured classes, exhibition of genealogies,
guest lecturers and tours of agencies that are considered sources of genea-
logical interest.
FOUNDING MEMBERS
Collins Fairfax Anderson, Jr., D.D.S. Jacqueline Briggs
Audreay McKinnie-Hunter Bertha Johnson
Kimberly Tucker-Paige Gwendolyn Richards Dorothy Witherspoon
Jan 7 Jul (NO MTG) Feb 25* Aug 5 Mar 4 Sep 2 Apr 1 Oct 7 * May 6 Nov 4 Jun 3 Dec 2 * Juneteenth Unless noted with an asterisk (*), all monthly meetings are held 1st Saturday of each month from Noon-2 p.m. at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center, 3700 Blue Pkwy, Kansas City, Mo. 64130.
CONTACT US: magickc.org
facebook.com/MAGICKansasCity [email protected]
PO Box 300972
The links on pages 6 and 8 were discovered and generously shared by Dolores J. Rush, who maintains four blogs. Check out “The History Nut of Missouri” blog at:
https://www.blogger.com/profile/13361713720158269624
1860 Agee Miles 1860 Allerd Francis 1860 Asply Samuel 1850 Ball Cecil D 1850 Barrows F 1850 Bartlett William 1850 Beale George C 1860 Bowman H P 1860 Bradley A V 1860 Bradley Meriah 1860 Bradley William 1860 Broom field T S 1860 Brown J 1860 Brown Jacob 1860 Browning Jasper 1860 Bush P W 1850 Cary Alfred 1850 Cary James W 1860 Cary Mary 1850 Cephas M Q 1850 Choteau Edward 1850 Cliser David 1860 Cogswell Henry 1860 Cogswell James 1860 Cogswell James 1860 Coleman C P 1860 Coleman E W 1860 Coleman James 1860 Coleman John 1860 Coleman M D 1860 Coleman N B 1860 Coleman T L 1860 Coleman T M 1860 Coleman Tureon 1860 Conners R W (Sr.) 1850 Cooper William 1850 Corker Hillary W 1860 Crill Luand 1850 Dobbins Samuel 1860 Doil Allen 1860 Dollis Ame
2 GENERATIONS April—June2016 January-March 2017 GENERATIONS 3
Slaveholders of Bates County, Missouri, 1850-1860 By James Baker, Jr., Cheryl Bell, and Dolores Rush
Compiled by David W. Jackson
1850 Douglass George 1860 Douglass George 1850 Douglass Joseph Smith 1860 Doyle Burton 1860 Doyle Mickle 1850 Drake Oliver 1860 Dryden Elizabeth 1860 Duinan James 1860 Duke G S 1860 Dyarnett Richard 1860 Earhart Alex 1860 Earhart George 1860 Earhart John 1860 Edwards David 1850 Edy F F 1860 Fisher Mary C 1860 Fisher R B 1850 Fisher Russell B 1860 France Henry 1860 France William 1860 Garrison G W 1860 Gates William 1860 Gibson John 1850 Gilbreath John 1860 Gilbreath John 1860 Gilbreath Simeon 1860 Gilbreath Stephen 1850 Gilbreath William 1860 Gilbreath William 1860 Glass George 1860 Hackett Precilla 1860 Haggard Louis 1850 Halley Absolom 1860 Hamilton William E 1860 Harrison J T 1860 Hawkins S F 1860 Henderson James 1860 Hill B 1860 Holingsworth J 1860 Holingsworth J H 1860 Hook James
4 GENERATIONS January-March 2017
1860 Hope Jerold 1860 Hover John H 1860 Hun Polly A 1860 Jackson A T 1860 Jackson Jerre 1850 Jackson Jerry 1850 Johnson Lewis 1860 Johnson Moses 1860 Kisen Philadelphia 1850 Loring S H 1860 Marshal W R 1860 McCool James 1860 McCoy June 1860 McGuines William 1850 McHenry Margaret 1850 McKenzie N G 1850 McNeil R W 1850 McRill James 1860 Meek M L 1850 Merchant Sarah 1860 Mest Monevy 1850 Michael Carter 1860 Morgan Catharine 1860 Morgan R M C G 1860 Nowman George 1860 O'Neale Oliver 1860 Owen John 1860 Owen Martin B 1860 Owens Crayton 1850 Parks John M/N 1860 Parks John M/N 1860 Peck G F 1860 Phillips John 1860 Powers William 1850 Pryor William 1850 Ramsey James 1860 Ramsey James 1860 Ramsey Worth 1850 Redfield Abraham 1860 Reed Elizabeth 1850 Reede Samuel 1860 Robison J S 1860 Rogers James L 1860 Sanford West 1860 Scoggin D C 1860 Scoggin John 1860 Sears Jane
1860 Simpson James 1860 Simpson Thomas 1860 Smith Joseph 1860 Smith William 1860 Spencer Nathan 1850 Stapp Ben 1860 Stratton E M 1850 Stratton G M 1860 Stratton P B 1850 Stratton Peter B 1850 Stratton Richard 1860 Strode Lucy 1860 Swan N G 1860 Thornton John 1860 Thrulsary T 1860 Tucker Morrice M 1850 West Mark 1860 White J J 1860 Williams J T 1860 Williams Tureon 1860 Woody Henry 1860 Wright Ruben Some schedules are hard to read and so names may not be completely transcribed accurately. You should view the original schedules for yourself, if you feel a name may be in error. For the detailed slave holdings (i.e., the individual slaves enumerated by gender, approximate age and perceived race), visit: freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jrbakerjr/genealogy/ rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mobates/Census/1860BatesSlave.htm If you have found other Missouri counties with similar slave listings, please let us know! E-mail [email protected].
Actual Actual Actual Printed Printed Printed Vol. No. Date Vol. No. Date
Vol. 1 No. 1 1993 missing Vol. 2 No. 1 1994 Vol. 2 No. 1 1994 Vol. 3 No. 1 1995 Vol. 3 No. 1 Winter 1995 Vol. 4 No. 1 1996 Vol. 4 No. 1 1996 Vol. 4 No. 2 1996 missing Vol. 4 No. 3 1996 Vol. 4 No. 3 1996 Vol. 4 No. 4 1996 Vol. 4 No. 4 1996 Vol. 5 1997 missing Vol. 6 1998 missing Vol. 7 1999 missing Vol. 8 2000 Vol. 8 No. 4-5 Jul-Dec 2000 Vol. 9 2001 missing Vol. 10 No. 1 2002 Vol. 10 No. 1 Jan-Mar 2002 Vol. 11 2003 missing Vol. 12 2004 missing Vol. 13 2005 missing Vol. 14 2006 Vol. 1 Spring 2006 Vol. 15 2007 missing Vol. 16 No. 1 2008 missing Vol. 16 No. 2 2008 Vol. 3 No. 2 Apr-Sep 2008 Vol. 17 No. 1 2009 missing Vol. 17 No. 2 2009 Vol. 4 No. 2 Apr-Jun 2009 Vol. 18 No. 1 2010 Vol. 5 No. 1 Jan-Mar 2010 Vol. 19 No. 1 2011 missing Vol. 19 No. 2 2011 missing Vol. 19 No. 3 2011 missing Vol. 19 No. 4 2011 Vol. 6 No. 4 Oct-Dec 2011 Vol. 20 No. 1 2012 Vol. 20 No. 1 Jan-Feb 2012 Vol. 20 No. 2 2012 missing Vol. 20 No. 3 2012 Vol. 20 No. 3 Jan-Feb 2012 Vol. 20 No. 4 2012 Vol. 20 No. 4 Jan-Feb 2012 Vol. 21 No. 1 2013 Vol. 21 No. 1 Jan-Mar 2013 Vol. 21 No. 2 2013 Vol. 20 No. 2 Apr-Jun 2013 Vol. 21 No. 3 2013 Vol. 20 No. 2 Jul-Sep 2013 Vol. 21 No. 4 2013 Vol. 21 No. 4 Oct-Dec 2013 Vol. 22 2014 missing No. 1 Vol. 22 No. 2-4 2014 Vol. 22 No. 2, 3, 4 Apr-Dec 2014 Vol. 23 No. 1 2015 Vol. 23 No. 1 Jan-Mar 2015 Vol. 23 No. 2 2015 Vol. 23 No. 2 Apr-Jun 2015 Vol. 23 No. 3 2015 Vol. 23 No. 3 Jul-Sep 2015 Vol. 23 No. 4 2015 Vol. 23 No. 4 Oct-Dec 2015 Vol. 24 No. 1 2016 Vol. 24 No. 1 Jan-Mar 2016 Vol. 24 No. 2 2016 Vol. 24 No. 2 Apr-Jun 2016 Vol. 24 No. 3 2016 Vol. 24 No. 3 Jul-Sep 2016 Vol. 24 No. 4 2016 Vol. 24 No. 4 Oct-Dec 2016
MAGIC’s GENERATIONS 25th Anniversary
This issue marks the 25th year of our publication’s existence! If you have any back issues of Generations that you may let us copy, we’d like to assemble a complete collection. As you can see from the list at the right, there are many years where issues are missing. Contact Generations editor David Jackson to help us out. E-mail: [email protected] Our Publications Committee has added a book to our bookshop, “MAGICs Generations Newsletter, 1991-2011,” which encapsulates the best of the first 20-years of articles that appeared in our periodical. The last five years are available on MAGIC’s website (and may become a future printed publication). Please take this moment to consider submitting to Generations! Among any other type of submission from photos to genealogy tid-bits, we need first-hand recollections...memories...of your everyday life in Kansas City! For instance, there are no archived recollections of anyone experiencing desegregation in schools, housing, etc. Start with recording your favorite memory and contact us how we may help you! The list at the right is what we know about Generations to date:
January-March 2017 GENERATIONS 5
6 GENERATIONS January-March 2017
BY STEVEN J. SAVERY Here is the beginning of his abstract. Read the 130-page thesis at:
https://archive.org/details/freenegroinillin00save
January-March 2017 GENERATIONS 7
Early, Long-Time MAGIC
member Passes Geraldine Elliott Robinson passed on November 28, 2016. Although her memorial tribute did not mention it, Robinson was an early and long-time MAGIC member.
Submit to GENERATIONS! This publication is only as good as you make it by your contributions. What we need more of are personal and family photos and recorded memories. A memory does not have to be ages old...it could be one created yesterday. But, we need to document personal stories of seemingly ordinary days in our lives that are now, after the passage of time, extraordinary! Did you live through wartime? Did you experience desegregation? Can you describe instances of racism you have faced? Who is your favorite ancestor? What is your favorite, personal memory? The list is endlessssss.
8 GENERATIONS January-March 2017
Read this 1913 book and enjoy the photos therein, online through the New York Public Library’s website at:
http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-b752-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
AFRICAN AMERICAN SURNAMES & LOCATIONS
Footnote number refers to contact/submitter on page 8
Adkins—LA49
Adkins—GA49 Adkins—SC49 Adkins—VA49 Aitch—Franklin & St. Louis Co., MO25 Aitch—Mecklenberg Co., VA25 Akers—Chariton Co., MO
25
Allan—LA10
Allen—MS20
Anderson—TN44 Anderson—AR44 Bailey—AR3 Bailey—Cherryvale, Montgomery Co., KS34 Banks—OK6 Berry—Pine Bluff, AR14 Bethpage—TN4 Blair—AR18, 41 Bonds—Hennings, Lauderdale Co., TN29 Bonds—Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO29 Brookings—Jackson Co., MO3 Brooks—AR45
Brooks—NC45 Brooks—GA45 Brooks—LA45 Brown—TX3 Brown—VA22 Brown—Washington, D.C.22 Bullock—NC47 Bumpus—TX3 Burton—NC47
Bussey—LA30 Bussey—OK30 Butler—St. Joseph, Buchanan Co., MO32 Byers—NC40 Byers—SC40 Byers—AR40 Byers—KS40 Byers—MO40
Caldwell—AR45 Caldwell—AR45 Caldwell—AR45 Caldwell—AR45 Campbell—MS
6
Carroll—Camp Co., TX8 Carter—AR18
Carter46
Carter—Hennings, Lauderdale Co., TN29 Carter—Jackson Co., MO29 Chaney—Calgary, Alberta, Canada3 Chaney—Edmonton, Alberta, Canada3 Chaney—TX3 Cherry—Houston/Jefferson Co., TX29 Clowers—GA26 Clowers—AL26
Clowers—MS26
Clowers—LA26
Coley—NC47 Collins—AL41
Collins—TX41
Cradock—Camp Co., TX8 Craig—KY38 Craig—AR38 Craig—TX38 Crawford—GA26
Crawford—AL26 Crawford—MS26 Crawford—LA26 Daniels —AL5
Davis—NC40 Davis—SC40 Davis—AR40 Davis—KS
40
Davis—MO40 Dorsey—LA35 Duffel—Kansas City, Wyandotte Co., KS37 Duffel—Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO37 Durham—MS39 Durham—AR39 Durham—Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO39 Edwards—TX3 Ellington—Chariton Co., MO1
CONNECT THROUGH QUERIES Search by surname below,
or location, separately on page 13
January-March 2017 GENERATIONS 9
Ellington—LA30 Ellis—AL26
Ellis—SW, AR & Pine Bluff, AR49 Ellis—GA26
Ellis—KS49 Ellis—MS26 Ellis—LA26 Epps—MS39
Epps—TN44 Epps—AR39 Epps—Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO39 Evans—AR
45
Evans—NC45 Evans—GA45 Evans—LA45 Felts—GA48 Ferguson—AR18 Ferguson—SC18 Field—MS17 Frazier—Calgary, Alberta, Canada3 Frazier—TX3
Gaaunt/Gantt—AL24 Gaaunt/Gantt—PA24 Gants—Pleasant Hill, Clay Co., MO14
Gibson—SW, AR *& Prairie Co., AR49 Giles—Richmond, Ray Co., MO19
Gilmore—AL49 Gilmore—AR49 Gilmore—GA49 Gilmore—LA49 Glover—AL5
Goodrem—NC43 Gore—MS6 Graham—MS27 Grant—Kansas City, Wyandotte Co., KS30 Grayson—OK6 Gumby—Westmoreland Co., VA8
Hall—AR45 Hall—NC45 Hall—GA45 Hall—LA
45
Hank—MS17 Hardin—NC40 Hardin—SC40 Hardin—AR40 Hardin—KS40 Hardin—MO40 Harris—NC47 Harris—AL26 Harris—GA26
Harris—MS26 Harris—LA15 & 26 Hayes—AL5 Hendricks—LA7 Hendricks—TX7
Hicks—GA48 Hill—Lee Co., AL4 Hodge—Camp Co., TX8 Hooker—MS39 Hooker—AR39 Hooker—Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO39 Houston—Kansas City, Wyandotte Co., KS
32
Houston—AR32 Huddleston—TN44 Humphreys—TX43 Jackson—St. Joseph, Buchanan Co., MO31 Jackson—Doniphan Co., KS2
Jackson—Franklin Co., MO2
Jackson—Holt Co., MO2
Jackson—Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO2
Jackson—Kanawha Co., W/VA2
Jackson—Charles Co., MD2
Jackson—Spotsylvania Co., VA2
Jackson—Westmoreland Co., VA2
Johnson—MS4 Johnson—VA22 Johnson—Washington, D.C.22 Jones—AR18, 45 Jones—NC45 Jones—GA45 Jones—LA45 Jones—Bunceton, Cooper Co., MO28 Jones—Calgary, Alberta, Canada3 Jones—Edmonton, Alberta, Canada3 Jones—VA17
Jones—MS17
Jones—Sardis, MS18 Kidd—Jackson Parish, LA5
Keller—KY38 Keller—AR38 Keller—TX
38
Land—Houston/Jefferson Co., TX29 Leach—MO3 Lee—AR41 Lester—AR18 Lester—Sardis, MS18 Levison—MS24 Levison—NE24 Lewis—AL11 Lewis—AR11
10 GENERATIONS January-March 2017
Lyles—MO3 Madison—St. Joseph, Buchanan Co., MO31 Malone—TX13 Marzett/Morissette —AL5 Mason—SC9 Mason—Fulton/Portland, Callaway Co, MO19 Mason—OK36 Mason—TX36 McClain—GA24 McClain—SC24 McDaniel—Blackwell, Conway Co., AR23 McDonald—MO3
McIntosh—AR8
McIntosh—MO33 McKinney—NC47 McLeod—AR18 Meggs—TX3 Mitchem—NC40 Mitchem—SC40 Mitchem—AR40 Mitchem—KS40 Mitchem—MO40 Moore—Calgary, Alberta, Canada3 Moore—Edmonton, Alberta, Canada3 Morgan—Fort Scott, Bourbon Co., KS19 Morris—Newport, Jackson Co., AR23
Morris—St. Louis, MO23 Nash—AR20 Nash—MS20 Nelson—LA16 Parker—TX3 Patenande—LA24 Patterson—LA24 Phifer—AR3 Polk—Calgary Alberta Canada3 Polk—Edmonton Alberta Canada3
Pryor/Prior—Franklin Co., MO2 Pryor/Prior—Holt Co., MO2
Pryor/Prior—Kanawha Co., W/VA2 Ramey—MS17 Ray—MS6
Ray—AR6
Reams—LA42
Reams—AR42 Reed—TN43 Reed—TX3 Rentie/Renty—OK6 Rienzi—MS4
Riley—OK36 Riley—TX36 Ross—TX3
Rowell—AR41 Sanders—SC9 Sansing—GA49
Sansing—NC49 Sansing—SC49 Sansing—VA49 Seymore—TX3
Sharp—Anderson Co., KY2 Sharp—Buchanan Co., MO2 Sharp—Holt Co., MO2 Sherard—NC47 Sidney46
Simpkins—AL11
Simpkins—AR11 Skinner—AR3 Slay—KY38
Slay—AR38 Slay—TX38 Smalls—AR12 Smalls—Jackson Co., MO12 Snowden—AR45 Snowden—NC45 Snowden—GA45 Snowden—LA45 Spratt—Camp Co., TX8 Stevenson—MS21
Stewart—AR3 Stitt—AR3 Tate46
Taylor—OK6
Taylor—Kansas City, Wyandotte Co., KS37 Vann—OK7 Vinson—Camp Co., TX8
Walker—AR49 Walker—DE49 Walker—GA49 Walker—LA49 Ward—AR18 Washington—Blackwell, Conway Co., AR23 Washington—Chariton Co., MO1
Washington—SC23 Webb—NC
43
Webb—AR18 & 42 Webb—GA42 White—TN4
Wiggins—AL26 Wiggins—GA26
Wiggins—MS26 Wiggins—LA26 Williams—AR18, 39
Williams—MS39
January-March 2017 GENERATIONS 11
Williams—Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO39 Winfield—Houston/Jefferson Co., TX29 Woody—SC23 Wright—Bunceton, Cooper Co., MO28 Wright—LA10
12 GENERATIONS January-March 2017
Wheatley Hospital Courtesy Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri.
Share your personal and family images with MAGIC for their website and GENERATIONS periodical.
QUERY CONTACTS
Contact information provided as submitted. We try to keep this list current. If you encounter defunct data, contact MAGIC ([email protected]) to see if further/current information about the submitter may be procured. Consecutive numerals below refer to footnote numbers in surname listing starting on page 9. 1 [email protected] 2 [email protected] 3 [email protected] 4 [email protected] 5 [email protected] 6 [email protected] 7 [email protected] 8 [email protected] 9 [email protected] & (816) 921-1225 10 [email protected] 11 [email protected] 12 [email protected] 13 [email protected] 14 [email protected] 15 [email protected] 16 [email protected] 17 [email protected] 18 [email protected] &
[email protected] 19 [email protected] 20 [email protected] 21 [email protected] 22 [email protected] 23 [email protected] 24 [email protected] 25 austinchummy@gmail 26 [email protected] 27 [email protected] 28 [email protected] 29 [email protected] 30 [email protected] 31 (816) 924-1417
32 [email protected] 33 [email protected] 34 [email protected] 35 [email protected] & [email protected] 36 [email protected] 37 [email protected] 38 [email protected] 39 [email protected] 40 [email protected] 41 [email protected] 42 [email protected] 43 [email protected] 44 [email protected] 45 [email protected] 46 [email protected] 47 [email protected] 48 [email protected] 49 [email protected] 50 YOUR E-MAIL COULD BE HERE!
M.A.G.I.C. members! Submit your genealogical queries, family
and/or local history stories.
Become a member
Deadline for Apr-June issue is March 1
January-March 2017 GENERATIONS 13
SURNAMES, BY LOCATION Search by surname on page 9
Alabama
Clowers Collins Crawford Ellis Gaunt/Gantt Gilmore Harris Hayes Lee Co. Hill Daniels Lewis Marzett/Morissette
Simpkins Wiggins
Arkansas Anderson Bailey Pine Bluff, Jefferson Co. Berry Blair Brooks Byers Caldwell Carter Craig Davis Pine Bluff, Jefferson Co. Ellis Evans Ferguson Gilmore Hall Hardin Houston Jones Keller Lee Lester Blackwell, Conway Co. McDaniel McIntosh McLeod Mitchem Newport, Jackson Co. Morris Nash Phifer Reams Rowell
Simpkins Skinner Slay Smalls Snowden Stewart Stitt Walker Ward Blackwell, Conway Co. Washington Webb Williams
Calgary Alberta Canada Chaney Frazier Moore Jones Polk
Delaware Walker
Edmonton Alberta Canada Chaney Moore Jones Polk
Georgia Adkins Brooks Caldwell Clowers Crawford Ellis Evans Felts Gilmore Hall Harris Hicks Jones McClain Sansing Snowden Walker Webb Wiggins
14 GENERATIONS January-March 2017
Kansas Byers Davis Kansas City, Wyandotte Co. Ellis Kansas City, Wyandotte Co. Grant Hardin Kansas City, Wyandotte Co. Houston Doniphan Co. Jackson Mitchem Fort Scott, Bourbon Co. Morgan
Kentucky Craig Keller Anderson Co. Sharp Slay
Louisiana Adkins Allan Brooks Bussey Caldwell Clowers Crawford Dorsey Ellington Ellis Evans Gilmore Glover Hall Harris Hendricks Jones Jackson Parish Kidd Nelson Patenaude Patterson Reams Snowden Walker Wiggins Wright
Maryland Charles Co. Jackson
Mississippi Allen
Campbell Clowers Crawford Ellis Field Gore Graham Hank Harris Johnson Jones Sardis, Panola Co. Jones Sardis, Panola Co. Lester Levison Nash Ramey Ray Rienzi Stevenson Wiggins Williams
Missouri Franklin Co. Aitch St. Louis Co. Aitch Chariton Co. Akers Jackson Co. Brookings St. Joseph, Buchanan Co. Butler Byers Jackson Co. Carter Davis Chariton Co. Ellington Clay Co. Gants Ray Co. Giles Hardin St. Joseph, Buchanan Co. Jackson Franklin Co. Jackson Holt Co. Jackson Kansas City, Jackson Co. Jackson Bunceton, Cooper Co. Jones Leach Lyles St. Joseph, Buchanan Co. Madison Fulton, Callaway Co. Mason Portland, Callaway Co. Mason McDonald McIntosh Mitchem St. Louis Morris Franklin Co. Pryor/Prior
January-March 2017 GENERATIONS 15
Hardin Mason McClain Mitchem Sanders Sansing Washington Woody
Tennessee Anderson Bethpage Hennings, Lauderdale Co Bonds Epps Huddleston Reed White
Texas Brown Bumpus Camp Co. Carroll Chaney Houston/Jefferson Co. Cherry Collins Camp Co. Cradock Craig Edwards Frazier Hendricks Camp Co. Hodge Humphreys Keller Houston/Jefferson Co. Land Malone Mason Meggs Parker Reed Riley Ross Seymore Slay Camp Co. Spratt Camp Co. Vinson Houston/Jefferson Co. Winfield
Virginia Adkins Mecklenberg Co. Aitch
Holt Co. Pryor/Prior Buchanan Co. Sharp Holt Co. Sharp Jackson Co. Smalls Chariton Co. Washington Jackson Co. Williams Bunceton, Cooper Co. Wright
Nebraska Levison
North Carolina Brooks Bullock Burton Byers Caldwell Coley Davis Evans Goodrem Hall Hardin Harris Jones McKinney Mitchem Sansing Sherard Snowden Webb
Oklahoma Banks Bussey Grayson Mason Rentie Riley Taylor Vann
Pennsylvania Gaunt/Gantt
South Carolina Adkins Byers Davis Ferguson
16 GENERATIONS January-March 2017
Brown Westmoreland Co. Gumby Spotsylvania Co. Jackson Westmoreland Co. Jackson Johnson Jones Sansing
Washington, D.C. Brown Johnson
West Virginia Kanawha Co. Jackson Kanawha Co. Pryor/Prior
January-March 2017 GENERATIONS 17
Booker T. Washington School Courtesy Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri.
Three heritage songs of Black America are: “Go Down Moses”, “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. The songs are most renowned during Black
History Month. During the month, we honor and praise Black and White who helped get us this far on the stony road we have trod.
In the middle 1900s, the African Methodist Episcopal Church denomination and churches of the National Baptist Convention, USA founded publishing houses in Nashville, TN that published and distributed periodicals to churches that were members of their organizations.
The books most ordered were church hymnals that averaged over 525 songs. Churches were not the only places the hymns were sang. They were on the program at school events and
marches. One song, written as a poem, has become known at the Black national anthem.
Heritage songs of Black America have inspired our grandparents and parents to move from shotgun houses in the South to public housing projects in the North and then on to the
House of Representatives and the Senate in the nation’s capital.
Messages in the hymns motivated hardworking black men
18 GENERATIONS January-March 2017
to flee from cotton fields in Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri and ride the rails to get to automobile jobs and meat-
packing jobs in Detroit, Chicago and Kansas City.
Heritage songs have encouraged students to finish school and college, to hold on to dreams and to become entrepreneurs, teachers, and generals in the military.
Songs of deliverance have spirited gifted and talented butlers and maids to escape Jim Crow and win Oscars in Hollywood, to become stars on Broadway, and to become sports heroes of the nation.
Black Americas my age remember when we were taught the songs in the hymnals that cased our ancestors to pray for a Moses, a liberator to free them from enslavement.
There are songs in the hymnals that gave Black soldiers in the Civil War the courage to fight and die to end slavery. There are songs that motivated freed slaves to founded churches and colleges after the Civil War and the Reconstruction Era.
Songs in the hymnals call on us to lift our voices and sing and to celebrate the victories we have won, and to seek public office and vote for people and causes that can make dreams come true.
Black Americans my age remember when songs in the hymnals
Black History Month: Heritage Songs of Black America
By Joelouis Mattox
January-March 2017 GENERATIONS 19
Joelouis Mattox is a self-described "born and bred in cotton-picking country" Viet Nam veteran (Spec 4, U.S. Army Signal Corps, 3rd Armored Cavalry, Germany). He is also a highly celebrated historian and civil rights leader and Life Member of the NAACP and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. He attends St. John A.M.E. Church in Kansas City, MO, and, of course, is a long-time MAGIC member and Generations contributor.
inspired members of the family and neighbors to steal away to cities up-North and out-West for better jobs and equal
opportunities, and to serve their county in the armed forces.
Words in the hymns have caused many black people and white people to stand-up for righteousness and justice, and to march on—with a steady beat—to the place we now stand.
In 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. looked over the mountain top and declared “I have seen The Promised Land. I may not get There with you but as a people will get to The Promised Land.” (He did not say
Beulah Land). That was 48 years ago. Dr. King would be disappointed that we have not entered The Promised Land and are work helping make this nation a more perfect union.
I agree with those who say the songs of deliverance, the ones in the hymnals, have become dated, gone out of style and are seldom sang any more.
Today, black advancement and progress appears to be stalled at the gates of The Promised Land at the time when the First Family of Country is Black American. This being our condition, heritage songs in the hymns should be given a second chance to make the prediction in King’s “Mountain-Top Speech” come true.
20 GENERATIONS January-March 2017
MAGIC (Midwest Afro-American Genealogical Interest Coalition; www.magickc.org) in collaboration with MGC (Midwest Genealogy Center;
www.midwestgenealogycenter.org) co-host an annual Black History Month/MAGIC Open House. Sherri Camp--Genealogy Librarian at the Topeka, Kansas, Library, founder and president of the Kansas Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), and National AAHGS Vice President--will teach participants four strategies to locate their enslaved ancestors. Participants will learn how to do a survey, find various documents to help determine where their ancestors were enslaved and who their owners were. It will also help them learn how to use the newly indexed Freedmen's Bureau Records. In addition, participants will learn how to keep track of the survey information that cannot go into a family tree. They will learn how to use OneNote to keep track of documents, names, and locations that they can retrieve to add additional information or use for citations Reserve a limited seat by calling (816) 252-7228, or online by February 18 so we may plan to provide light refreshments.
Traveling Back Through Slavery to Find Your Enslaved Ancestors
Saturday, February 25, 2017 1-4 p.m.
Midwest Genealogy Center 3440 S. Lee's Summit Road Independence, MO 64055