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Days 9 and 10 | 24 Hours in Paris

2012-01-06T08:07:00.000-08:00

We were faced with quite a dilemma as Day 9 began. There had been miscommunication with the airlines regarding our group airline reservations. When initial travel arrangements were made, the summer schedule was in use and the time of our flight back to Paris was 11:59pm. We were now operating using the winter schedule which made the flight 12:04am the next day. This meant that there would be nearly 24 hours between our flight from Yaounde to Paris and our flight from Paris to Washington Dulles. I was excited. It meant that I’d get to spend almost a day in Paris, which is has been something that I always wanted to do. It was two trips in one.

Me and Regina took a stroll along Seme Beach before we left. This beach was adjacent to our hotel and had lush brown sand that was so self contained that it barely got on your shoes. This is a huge deviation from beach experiences I’ve had in the U.S. where you almost pack up all the sand on the beach with you as you leave.

There were many rocks and footprints strewn upon the sand as we headed to where the Seme River deposited into the Atlantic Ocean. The calmness of the area reminded me about my previous experience sitting on the shores of Bimbia. The water from the river was cold when compared to that of the Atlantic. It was almost as though the river was reflecting the sentiment of having to send it’s children (the enslaved) into that ocean.

Leaving Limbe became known as “the amazing race.” We were scheduled to travel through Douala which included a stop for lunch. On the way there, one of the buses broke down and all of it’s riders had to be distributed onto the other buses. As is customary in Cameroonian culture, we went to the house of a prince after we entered Douala to get our blessing to enter the area. There, a short libation ceremony was performed. When combined with the stop for sandwiches, this made the journey back to Yaounde rushed. It was a mad dash inside the hotel after we got to Yaounde.

Many in the group had taken smaller bags to Limbe and needed to repack in order to meet security requirements. There were bags strewn everywhere as everyone repacked and changed into clothes appropriate for the Parisian weather. Some had bought fabric and had clothing sewn and needed to facilitate fittings and pick up. The conference space we were located in looked like a wild market place.

During our closing program, we were given amazing paintings from local artists as gifts. Additionally, we were given ARP/Cameroonian flip flops, a towel, and t-shirt from CAC International. It was then time to head to the airport.

Following our flight from Yaounde to Paris, the delegation successfully navigated Charles de Gaulle Airport and dropped off our things at the hotel. A group of us took the Metro and headed into Paris proper to view the Effiel Tower and Notre Dame Church. The weather was extremely cold and a much of a deviation from what we had experienced in Africa the days prior. We enjoyed hot chocolate and meringues from a local cafe as we walked.

Me, at Seme Beach.

The trip had come to an end. ARP 2 was much different than ARP 1, but in good ways. My favorite portions of the trip were the land title ceremony, the trip to the North, especially our visit with the Lamidat, the late night dinner with music from The Richard Band, and our many laughs on the bus that we affectionately nicknamed “The Laugh Factory.”

I’m left with many questions though. Would there be an ARP 3, and would the ARK Jammers coordinate it? Is ARP 3 going to be geared toward another African nation? What will happen to Bimbia in the interim? I imagine that only time will answer these things.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Delegation members from the Tikar people with
Dr. Rick Kittles of African Ancestry (center)

Day 8 | A World Apart - Returning to Bimbia

2012-01-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

Day 8 signaled a return to the slave port Bimbia, which is near Limbe, formerly known as Victoria. I knew returning to the site would be an emotional experience, but I was unprepared for what we saw once we actually got there.

The ARP 2 visit to Bimbia included a slave trade re-enactment and purification ceremony. During the re-enactment, local dignitaries noted key areas of the port and the fact that an anthropological survey has concluded that dried bananas were used to feed the enslaved that were housed there before their transportation to other countries in Africa, South America, or the United States. Additionally, they said that they’d identified figures that state that as many as 30,000 people moved through Bimbia and were held in 7 different camps there. Avline Ava, president of ARK Jammers, gave an emotional speech about her emotions regarding what had taken place at the site.

I took time away from the re-enactment to go and sit by the the ocean. It was something that I wanted to do while at the site during the ARP 1. A couple of the other people from the delegation did the same. Amongst the silence and peacefulness around us, we talked about the feelings the port conjured up for each of us. It made me think about how the beautiful had been turned into the ugly. If you saw this beautiful site 400 years ago, you’d be almost sure you’d never see your family again. Here I am sitting at this site, and I can enjoy it and leave freely.

The purification ceremony began the day prior and included water from a creek that runs through the site. Local chiefs blessed the water and poured it on the hands of each member of the delegation. The purpose of the ceremony was to connect us to the ancestors so that we, ourselves, could be free from bondage.

It was very obvious. Bimbia had changed. There were wood chips and sawdust everywhere. Burned tree stumps abounded. It was brighter in presentation. I’m unsure whether I like that. I saw the seeds of development in the area, which was good, but it had me concerned. The previous state that the site was in was more evocative, in my opinion. The tunnel that the trees formed as you walked towards the Atlantic Ocean was gone and now open air was around you as you looked out towards it.

Following the visit to Bimbia, the delegation headed to eat with the local dignitaries in Limbe. The scene was reminiscent of the ARP 1, only it took place later in the program.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Day 7 | The Land Give

2012-01-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

The day had finally come. It was more than a year in the making. Out of delegation of 87 participating in the ARP 2, there were more than 20 who were making a return trip, in part, to receive titles for 1/4 of an acre that was given during ARP 1.

The land, which is 5 acres and located in Kribi, was gifted to us by Nathan Simb, a business owner. Simb had saw coverage about ARP 1 on Cameroonian television and was moved to give the land, free of charge and expectation, to all ARP 1 participants, regardless of a DNA tie to Cameroon. The land ceremony was the first time that most of the ARP 1 participants were able to see their land. Founded in 1889, Kribi is located near the Gulf of Guinea which runs into the Atlantic Ocean. The original name of Kribi was Kiki Ribby which means little people.

The land ceremony was extremely touching. The minister who presided read Psalm 130 which detailed the Israelites journey. Choirs sang Cameroonian and negro spirituals, which included “We Are No Longer Afraid.” The mayor of Kribi II, Sabikanda Guy Emmanuel, and Eric Chinje of ARK Jammers also shared kind words about the land gift and ceremony. The people of Kribi were happy about the land gift and shared cheers, smiles, and hollers as Mayor Emmanuel and Eric spoke.

Next, each of us were called up one by one to receive our titles, by hand, from a notary public. We were also partnered with a host family from the area who would take us on a tour of our individual plots. I couldn’t believe the size of it. I could easily build three buildings at the site and have more than enough space for a front and backyard.

I had carried rocks from the land that my great grandfather, Louis Balfour Atlas, Sr., owned in Lake Providence, LA with me to Cameroon. As I walked my land, I placed those rocks in the soil. I wanted a piece of our family to return, and by placing the rocks, I felt like I did that. My great grandfather was one of the first land owners in our family and I am possibly among the first land owners in our family in Africa. He had only a sixth or seventh grade education. I am a college graduate. He wasn't able to vote, but paid poll taxes. I am active voter and voted in the first African American president. In four generations, we made significant strides. In seven generations, we returned back to our country of origin. Now, 10 generations descend from our progenitor who was taken from Cameroon.

Mr. Simb then invited everyone to his home for a excellent dinner. I had been waiting the whole trip to have shrimp since the country’s name means shrimp. I was not disappointed and took more than my share. *Laughs*

The dancers during the dinner were fantastic. One of the things we’ve seen for the first time during this ARP is a Cameroonian bottle dance where dancers balance bottles of beer on their heads. The first time we saw the dance was the previous night during the concert. We’d never seen a person balance four bottles on their head at one time. Dancers at the dinner did a similar routine.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Day 6 | The Spirit and a Musical Healing

2012-01-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

By this time during the ARP I, I was exhausted. The heat combined with mental and physical fatigue had begun to take their toll. This caused me to miss a church service at Pariosse EPC Djoungolo Berceau Prostestantine dans le Region de Yaounde. Members of the delegation who attended the ARP I service came back with wonderful words about it. I made sure that I didn't miss the service this year, and I'm so glad that I didn't.

EPC Djoungolo is a warm, welcoming congregation which features four choirs and at least one set of dancers. In addition to a rousing sermon on Psalm 30, one of the most significant parts of the service was when one of the choirs sang the U.S. National Anthem. Many were moved to tears and by the end of the service, nearly everyone agreed that it was a powerful and life changing.

Following lunch near our hotel, we were given some downtime. This was proceeded by the CamAm Healing Concert. Musical artists included local dancers, Regina Riberio, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jay Lou Ava, Noel Ekwabi, and South African jazz legend, Hugh Masekela. The concert during ARP I was excellent, but this concert has topped the list and probably won't be duplicated. Every single aspect of the concert was well planned and executed and all the performers were top tier. I found myself wanting to know the names of the songs performed so I could download them.

Like last year, our delegation was invited on stage towards the end of the show. One of the event sponsors gave us gift baskets with lotions from their company. We were all excited to receive them, but due to their weight and the amount of them, the cellophane wrap around them began to burst open. Timing exactly when a person's bag was going to burst open became a running joke in our group. It's going to be a beast to try to get them back home.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Denise Rolark Barnes and Dr. Lisa (Asili) Aubrey

Hugh Masekela

Regina Ribiero

Avline Ava and Sheryl Lee Ralph

Day 5 | Bonne Anne from Cameroon

2012-01-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

Day 5 began with a conference featuring experts on various topics, from linguistic patterns, to infrastructure to DNA. The program was as follows:

F. Bingono Bingono, Linguist - "Some Cultural Aspects: Traditional Communication (The Talking Drum)"
Jerome Minlend, CEO of CAC International - "How to Create a Business in Cameroon"
Jean-Emmaneul Pondi, Professor - "A Brief Historical, Political, and Geographical Presentation of Cameroon"
Rick Kittles, PhD, Co-Founder, African Ancestry, Inc - "The DNA Structure"
Dominic Ntube, PhD, Professor - "Synergy Between The Cameroon Diaspora in America and the Nation Builders in Cameroon: Wealth Creation"
Lisa (Asili) Aubrey, PhD - "Slave Trade in Cameroon"

Dr. Lisa (Asili) Aubrey, right

Highlights of the conference included:

Cameroon was never technically a colony.
Most Cameroonians speak two to three languages
Cameroon is 50% of Africa's GDP
Africans have more genetic diversity than any other group but yet have fewer letters to available to identify mtDNA and Y chromosomal haplogroups
15%, or 1 and 5, of the test results that African Ancestry gives have a result of Cameroon

Following the conference, the group headed over for lunch at U.S. Ambassador Robert Jackson's house including the ambassador and his staff. Since our last visit, a number of art pieces have been added to the home as part of an art exchange program created for U.S. Embassy's by President John F. Kennedy.

The evening was then capped off with a television taping for Cameroon TV (CTV) which featured members of the delegation and music. Noel Ekwabi and Jay Lou Ava were a couple of the performers. The group also made a stop at Noah Country Club for a late dinner to truly end the evening. The club is owned by Zacherie Noah, famed Cameroonian soccer star. Mr. Noah is the father of famed tennis star Yannick Noah and the grandfather of NBA player Joakim Noah. Although Yannick and Joakim were unable to join us, they sent warm text messages which were shared with the group.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Kevin Corley and Omaurou Chinmoun

F. Bingono Bingono, linguist

Barbara Jackson and US Ambassador Robert Jackson

Day 4 | Le Nord es Gorges

2011-12-30T19:20:00.001-08:00

Amazing natural beauty. Those three words accurately sum up Day 4’s events in the Northern Province and later Cameroon’s capital.

One of the most apparent differences between ARP I and ARP 2 is the fact that land travel has taken place far less frequently. The delegation traveled more than 800 miles by land at the end of ARP I while land travel did not start until Day 4 of ARP 2.

Following breakfast, the group headed to Gorges de Kola, an internationally known canyon. The rocky terrain by itself is a sight to behold, but once you learn that water covers the entire area during certain times of the year, it’s even more extraordinary. The site is a mile wide and is 60 feet deep in places. Members of the delegation wore their bravery hats and climbed down inside the gorge. I wanted to head down there myself, but I chose not to due to my camera equipment and well, I was sort of scared. LOL

Our next stop was to visit the Lamidat of the Gorges de Kola area. Unfortunately, our leaders had to apologize to the Lamidat because we couldn’t participate in the event that he had planned for us. Additionally, we arrived at prayer time. This was problematic considering that the area is heavily Muslim and stops whatever they are doing to pray.

After we made the stop at Lamidat’s, we had a formal lunch at the Tourist Hotel in Garoua. As we left, we were greeted by traditional dancers from the local area. We then headed for shopping at a local market. This was a big draw for attendees since we haven’t had an opportunity to go shopping during this trip. Many of the women bought distinctive feather fans. They reminded me of what the Mardi Gras Indians costumes look like in New Orleans.

Next, we took an hour flight back to Yaounde. It was nearly 11pm when we arrived, but we hadn’t had dinner yet. Our hosts took us to a wonderful restaurant where the Richard Band Eotele played music during our meal. I could not stop dancing. I was not the only one who felt this way. Their sound was so crisp. We were joined by South African Jazz Legend Hugh Masekela, who tore up the dance floor himself. We didn’t make it back to the Hilton Yaounde until after 2am, but it was so worth it. As tired as I was, I had a ball.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Safiya and Crystal with one of the fans purchased in
Garoua.

Hugh Masekela, far left, and Sheryl Lee Ralph (middle)

Day 3 | Lord, Ring That Chimin' Bell

2011-12-29T23:43:00.000-08:00

Day 3 of the ARP II started in song. Ysaye Barnwell of the Grammy award winning group, Sweet Honey in the Rock, lead the group in singing spirituals to commemorate our trip back to our ancestral homeland. There were lots of laughs around the circle when Ysaye broke us into sections. The warm up exercises had people, including me, challenged. 1...2...3...*clap*...5...6...and then singing the numbers in a particular key. We learned two songs, "We Are Almost Home" and "Sing to the Power of the Lord Come Down." We were also visited by a expert on local history who gave us information on the culture and people of the north along with information about slave trade there.

Next, we headed to visit the governor of the area. Members of the delegation gave him gifts, such as books and posters. The governor gave Ysaye some bound cotton as a gift.

From there, we headed to see La Mido, who is a cultural and political leader in the North. This visit reminded me a lot of our visit last year with the Sultan. Our visit started with introductions which then went into a surprise wedding between two members of our delegation, the McNairs, who are celebrating 30 years of marriage with this trip. La Mido and members of his tribe commemorated the vow renewal with a traditional ceremony, which included traditional food (sticky treats).

After a short visit to a museum of artifacts, there was a festival of sorts, a fantasia, which included dancers from 11 different tribes, horsemen (from the Sultan's area), and a comedian. Eric Chinje served as the MC for the event. It was extremely emotional for members of the delegation as they moved amongst the crowds of dancers to meet people from their native tribes. It reminded me of how I felt last year when we visited the two Bamileke chiefdoms.

Dr. Ysaye Barnwell teaches the delegation a song.

I wasn't sure what a fantasia was before the trip started. What I didn't know was that I had seen one last year when we visited the Sultan. A fantasia involves skilled horsemen who salute the a fon (chief) with their horse riding skills and raising of swords. It's like a dance and conversation all at the same time. Towards the end of our visit, we were able to ride the horses, who are said to be the best in the region. Eric made an announcement about our group being in the country to reconnect with our roots. The event was then closed out with our group singing "We Are Home" instead of "We Are Almost Home." The audience erupted with applause.

After a trip back to the hotel, we headed for a dinner and for a impromptu wedding reception for two couples celebrating their anniversary.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Stefan Lockridge

Crystal meets members of the Massa/Hausa for the first time.

Day 2 | Prime Times and the Whole 9

2011-12-29T04:12:00.000-08:00

L to R, Callie Riser, Brigitte Tapp, Regina Jackson,
Wanda Lockridge, and Thomas Ava

Day 2 of the ARP II program began with a visit to His Excellency Prime Minister Philemon Yang. Members of the delegation shared where they were from, which tribes they were part of, and their excitement to meet him. Attendees also brought him gifts such as spices, items from their home towns, and books. H.E. Yang blessed the group with a bag which included a Cameroonian atlas and Cameroonian coffee.

H.E. Yang was joined by the Cameroonian Ministers of Communication, Health, and Tourism. A member of our delegation who works for a major HMO was able to ask the Minister of Health some questions. One of the things that the Minister told us was that HIV and malaria are the countries two biggest health issues. Infant and maternal mortality are also high, as 1 in 4 mothers dies during or following childbirth. One of the ways that the country is trying to combat the issue of malaria is by providing medication for all children ages 1 to 5. They also have distributed more than 8 million mosquito nets.

Sen. Vincent Hughes (PA), husband of Sheryl Lee Ralph, spoke about his desire to continue the connection between Cameroon and the United States. Oakland, CA Vice Mayor Desley Brooks also spoke about her elation about being part of the trip.

Following our visit with H.E. Yang, we boarded a Camair Co. flight to Garoua, which is in Northern Cameroon. This brought us to a new hotel location. Many of us began to watch the Cameroonian version of American Idol which included lots of different performers. My personal favorite was a man in red pants with red velvet leather shoes who had killer dance moves. LOL

After checking into our rooms, we headed to dinner which included a new group favorite, Schweppes Ginger drinks. It’s closer to ginger beer than ginger ale. Our dining experience also included a Soul Train line around the food buffet. We sat around talking for a while afterwards sharing our “how I met my spouse” stories.

The sound of crickets was resounding, almost a symphony to a person’s ears. It made it feel like we were camping although we were indoors. We were surprised very late in the evening by a power outage at our hotel. Luckily, it only lasted about 20 minutes.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

H.E. Philemon Yang, Prime Minister of Cameroon

Omaurou Chinmoun, First Secretary, Cameroonian
Embassy in the United States

PA State Senator Vincent Hughes

Avline Ava, president of ARK Jammers, Inc.

Day 1 | Reconnection Ain’t Dead...It Lives in Cameroon

2011-12-27T23:52:00.000-08:00

Deborah Boddie, Esq. and Gina Paige

Fons from the Washington Metro area with
H.E. Foe Atangana (middle)

Monday, December 26 signaled the beginning of the next installment of the Ancestry Reconnection Program hosted by ARK Jammers, Inc. This program is the second one of it’s kind where a group from the African Diaspora has been invited back their country of origin, Cameroon, based solely upon their DNA. I participated in the first installment which took place from December 26, 2010 to January 5, 2011. Last year’s trip had 50 attendees while this year’s trip has nearly 90.

Me and Regina Jackson, a friend, fellow CamAmerican, and Bay Area native, were greeted with hugs and smiles from familiar faces and handshakes and greetings from lots of new ones as we arrived at Washington Dulles Airport. 20 of the 50 from last year’s trip will be returning. African Ancestry.Com’s co-founders Gina Paige and Rick Kittles, and United States Cameroon Embassy First Secretary, Omaurou Chinamoun, are also in attendance.

As the group headed to the security checkpoint, we were received by the Cameroonian Ambassador to the U.S., His Excellency, Joseph Foe Atangana, and chiefs (fons) that reside in the Washington metro area. They each gave the group their blessings for our journey and wished us well. The fons poured libations and also used a traditional broom to perform the ceremony.

Me and Regina had already logged four and a half hours of air travel in order to join the group at Washington Dulles. We then added an additional six hours of time as we traveled from Dulles to Paris (CDG). Despite a snafu with regard to boarding passes and luggage, our group of more than 80 successfully boarded our flight from Paris (CDG) and flew another six and a half hours to reach our final destination, Yaounde (NSI). In all, me and Regina logged more than 18 hours of air travel in the space of a day.

The minute we exited the plane we were met with hugs from members of the ARK Jammers and local media including photographer Claude Badaha, and Randy Joe Sa’ah of BBC News Africa. Each of us also shook hands with Paul McDermott, from the United States Citizen Services, Consular Section of the United States Embassy in Yaounde. Actress and philanthropist Sheryl Lee Ralph and her husband, Sen. Vincent Hughes, were added to our delegation.

Fons local to Yaounde met us as we exited the airport. ARK Jammer, Eric Chinje, served as an interpreter during their blessing ceremony in which we were given a Cameroonian fruit to eat. This gesture takes place between Cameroonians and their visitors and is seen as a sign of good will. I have to admit that the fruit wasn’t what I expected, but I ate half of it. Oakland, CA Vice Mayor, Desley Brooks, served as the delegation’s representative and spoke on behalf of the group.

We were then lead outside to the sound of drummers and dancers. As a band played, I noticed that one of the saxophonists had on a shirt that said “Hip Hop ain’t dead...it lives in the west. Los Angeles.” I immediately smiled since I was showing my California roots by wearing Converse sneakers. (Listen to “California Love” by 2pac for his reference to wearing “Chucks not ballys.”) I need to find that t-shirt, especially since it was printed in Cameroonian colors.

Next, we boarded six buses to our hotel destination, Hilton Yaounde. It was 8pm local time. We saw a number of local eateries on Rue de Mben that had a lot of people outside and hoped the bus driver would let us out so we could go and hang out. One of the things a number of the returners long for is the ability to meet and converse with “regular people.” It feels like we’re a “doggie in the window” sometimes as we sit in our bus, detached somewhat from what life is like here. On the other hand, it may not necessarily be safe for a group of our size to be out with each individual doing their own thing. Our security detail is the same as it was during ARP 1.

At Hilton Yaounde, there was a conference held where attendees were given back their passports and yellow cards, and the ARP 1 participants were united with ARP 2 participants as buddies during the trip. Each of us shared a little about ourselves such as where we live and which tribe we are from. I have four buddies - two from California and two from Michigan. One of my buddies is a woman named Meredith that I have been in correspondence with and who had read this blog about last year’s trip. Dr. Kittles also spoke about his excitement about being part of ARP 2.

By this time, we were very hungry and tired. The 10 hour time difference had caught up to us. Once we were all assigned our rooms, many of us ate and headed straight to bed. There was lots planned for tomorrow and each of us needs to be well rested in order to enjoy it.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

African Ancestry's Dr. Rick Kittles

Jerome Minlend and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Eric Chinje and Avline Ava (center)

Heading Back to Cameroon | Ancestry Reconnection Program II

2011-12-05T17:03:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to report that I'll be representing the research team, again, during the next installment of the Ancestry Reconnection Program during December 2011! This year's trip is slated to be bigger and better than the last, which was awesome! I'll be going it solo (without my trusty sidekick Jean), but I'll be in the great company of our extended Cameroonian American family.

Among the list of activities includes:

A healing concert taking place at the Palais des Sports de Warda in Douala
A visit to the Extreme North Province
A street naming ceremony
Another reception with the US Ambassador to Cameroon, Robert Jackson
Meetings with Cameroonian Government Officials
Lots more shopping :)

I'll be blogging for the duration of the trip, so be sure to stay posted to the ARP II category on this blog. Or, to see both trips in their totality, stay posted through the Ancestry Reconnection Program Daily Posts category.

(c) 2011, AtlasFamily.Org Genealogy Research

Henry Smith | Slave of Shapley Owen

2011-10-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Just located is a lengthy piece written by Charles Goffe that was published in the East Carroll Banner Democrat on May 8, 1897. It's a profile (using the world loosely) of Henry Smith who was noted to be a loyal slave of Shapley Owen and his wife. For more on Shapley Owen, please see this previous post.

An Incident of Ante-Bellum Days With a Squeal After the War
May 8, 1897, East Carroll Banner Democrat

Lethia Faulkner | Former Slave of Keene and Constant

2011-09-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

From the Banner Democrat, published on June 1, 1895 is a profile on "An Aged Negro Woman" named Lethia Faulkner was a former slave of J.W. Keene and Col. E.W. Constant.

East Carroll Banner Democrat
June 1, 1895, Page 3
Source: Library of Congress

Details of Article

Lethia was purchased in 1853 by JW. Keene in the 2nd Ward of Carroll Parish, LA. Col. Constant notes her age as 115 (born about 1780). Said to be too old to work when originally purchased.

Further Research
A search of the 1880 US Census for East Carroll Parish, LA notes a Letha Folkner living in Ward 2, District 29 (line 9, page 577D). She is living in the same household of WB (William Bodien) Keene, noted as a merchant and planter. Her age is 90 years old (born about 1790), and her occupation is an "Old Family Servant." Her and both her parents have birth states of Virginia listed. Additional servants in the household are Hester Bynum, and Edward Singleton.
Year: 1880; Census Place: 2nd Ward, East Carroll, Louisiana; Roll: 453; Family History Film: 1254453; Page: 577D; Enumeration District: 29; Image: 0056. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limited use license and other terms and conditions applicable to this site. Original data: Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

WB Keene was associated with the following plantations in the East Carroll Parish area: Atherton Plantation and Bellagio Plantation.

The 1870 US Census has Lethia listed in the 2nd Ward living at Guier Plantation (which could be Hollybrook Plantation, or Poverty Point Plantation) on line 32, page 177B. She is listed as Lefe Falkner.
Year: 1870; Census Place: Guier Plantation Ward 2, Carroll, Louisiana; Roll: M593_509; Page: 177B; Image: 358; Family History Library Film: 552008. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

(c) 2011, AtlasFamily.Org Genealogy Research

Oldest Man in Parish in 1901 Reportedly 105 Years Old

2011-08-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Anthony Owens, whose birthdate was speculated between 1794 and 1796, died Monday, February 11, 1901 in East Carroll Parish, LA. He was said to be the oldest man in parish at the time of his death, as per the local paper:

Source: East Carroll Banner Democrat, February 16, 1901, Image 3
Library of Congress Chronicling American Historic American Newspapers

A search of the prior year's census has a corroborating age.

1900 US Census, Ward 3, District 40, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, Page 5B, Line 80, Dwelling Number 108, Family Number 112
Anthony Owens, head, black, male, born May 1794, age 106, widowed, birthplace: North Carolina, father's birthplace: North Carolina, mother's birthplace: North Carolina, a day laborer employed 8 months, cannot read or write, owns mortgaged home.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Ward 3, East Carroll, Louisiana; Roll: T623_ 564; Page: 5B; Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls. Enumeration District: 40.

A search of the 1870 Census shows him living on Frellson Plantation, which was owned by JH Frellson. This time, the information provided is different:

1870 US Census, Frellson Plantation, Ward 2, Carroll Parish, Louisiana, Page 215A, Line 32, dwellinig number 862, family number 862
Anthony Owens, age 60, male, black, a farmer, born in Kentucky, could not read or write. Wife: Hannah Owens, Children: Julia Owens, Eli Owens.

Year: 1870; Census Place: Frellson Plantation Ward 2, Carroll, Louisiana; Roll: M593_509; Page: 215A; Image: 433; Family History Library Film: 552008. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

It's pretty awesome that Mr. Owens lived in three different centuries. More amazing than that, he lived in two of those as a slave and two as a free man. I am hoping that one of his descendants Google's him and finds this post since it's an amazing story.

Since discovering this obituary for Anthony Owens, I have noticed a number of them for African Americans in the Banner Democrat. I'm hoping to find some for the Atlas family, or even other notable African Americans in the area.

Canon Hunter | Killed in Gun Accident, December 1901

2011-08-05T16:27:00.000-07:00

Canon Hunter, son of W.H. Hunter, was the innocent victim of an accidental shooting at the home of T.J. Powell during December 1901. Canon was the "house boy" for a Mrs. McRae, who was a neighbor of T.J. Powell.

In addition to Canon's death, another child, McFarland Long (son of Dr. W.E. Long) was injured but lived. A third child, Joe Powell, son of T.J. Powell, shot the gun in the incident but was unharmed. Below is a short obituary for Canon.

Source: East Carroll Parish, LA Banner Democrat, December 7, 1901, Image 2.
Library of Congress Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers

The event was covered by the Banner Democrat and can be read here, which is the same page as the obituary above.

Nathaniel Williams - 11 Year Old Given 1,000 Lashes

2011-08-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

Just located this sad story in the Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers Collection at the Library of Congress website:

Source: East Carroll Parish, LA Banner Democrat, December 28, 1901, Image 4.
Library of Congress Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers

Nathaniel would have been born about 1890.

We Are Family - Verse 3

2011-07-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

"Living life is fun, and we've just begun to get out share of the world's delights. High hopes we have for the future, and our goal's in sight. No, we don't get depressed. Here's what we call our golden rule. Have faith in you and the things you do. You won't go wrong, oh no! This is our family jewel." So goes the final verse of the infamous song "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge, and it describes exactly how I felt at the culmination of the 2011 Atlas Family Reunion. At the bbq, we enjoyed food, fun, and of course family! Neither the unrelenting Louisiana heat nor the cooling rain was able to halt the family gathering. It was nice to be together in an informal setting to eat, laugh, and fellowship! The highlight of the bbq was the family portrait orchestrated by Nicka - truly a sight to see!

Sunday morning was bitter sweet. Laughter filled the air as we bid farewell and fought back tears, promising to see each other in 2 years at the 2013 Atlas Family Reunion! As Nicka said

at the banquet, "[We] need to own this...to think about those after [us]." Knowing our family history is equally as important as being with our family in the present. That way, we can all say, "We are family. I got ALL my sisters (cousins, aunts, grandparents, etc.) with me!" We hope to see YOU in Minnesota! I'm sure Nicka will be there to capture every moment!

Rain Drops and Good Eats | BBQ

2011-07-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

The third day of the 2011 Atlas Reunion was the day of the BBQ/picnic. This is almost always the most attended event at the reunion.

Many family members were excited to taste the food at the BBQ due to the hype that the research team has been making about the caterer for some time. Felton Coleman, of Coleman's Pub and Grub Catering, always fixes the research team a meal when they visit Baton Rouge during their research trips. Everything this man has ever cooked has been excellent, and the food at this year's BBQ was no exception.

Before heading to the park, I checked the weather report. It said to expect rain about 5pm, but the rain came an hour early. Luckily, the reunion hosts had secured a pavilion so we all would stay dry. Some of us chose to stay in the rain since it was already muggy, hot, and humid.

After it stopped raining, we all gathered for our group picture.

During the course of the reunion, I've been interviewing family members about their experiences at the reunion and with the family history project. It's been very rewarding and I can't wait to use the interviews for the commemorative DVD.

An important fact that I neglected to mention is that this is the first reunion where descendants of all of King Atlas, Sr.'s sons have been in attendance. This is huge considering the fact that reunions have been taking place for nearly 40 years.

Tomorrow is the last official day of the reunion. The only event is a church service and then we'll bid each other farewell until the next reunion in the Twin Cities, MN in 2013. This reunion has been so much fun! I'm sad to see that it's over, but I know that we will cherish the memories for a lifetime.

There were lots of these types of pictures
that popped up in cousins cameras. *Laughs*

We Are Family - Verse 2

2011-07-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

The family banquet was absolutely wonderful! Young and experienced (really means elderly lol) alike joined together in remembering our family's past, enjoying the present, and looking forward with high hopes & expectations for the future!

Past - Nicka gave intricate details about our family history, stressing the importance of remembering those who came before us. A snippet of her documentary, If These Waters Could Talk, was shown in which Brenda Pridgen (another Cameroon traveler) remarked, "Our [African American] history doesn't start with slavery; it precedes it." Thanks to Nicka, we now know that our family history started in Cameroon, Africa.

Present - The 2011 Atlas Family Reunion marked the first time that King Atlas Sr.'s entire lineage was represented! We also made history by having the most number of family members present at this reunion! To celebrate the present, a slideshow was shown celebrating new births, marriages, & graduations of family members since the last reunion! Our family is growing rapidly - 9 generations and counting! Time was taken to also celebrate those that are still with us, such as Annie who will be 95 years young in just a few weeks! We also recognized those that contribute greatly to the success of our family, such as John Atlas, Timothy Phillips, Edward Atlas, Raichel Brown, Jean Denton-Thompson, just to name a few. While these ones were given special recognition, we all contribute to the success of our family. Each family member's presence at this reunion is a present in itself. For those who cannot be here physically, your spirit is felt in more ways than you know.

Future - Our family is ripe with talent & tenacity! What strings these two together is the "perfect bond of union" - LOVE! The banquet was a perfect symbol of such, but prior to the banquet was the family symposium where the destination for the 2013 reunion was chosen (Minnesota!), and a family non-profit organization was discussed. The love that we show towards each other coupled with the love that God shows for each of us ensures that our family will continue to blossom!

Learning and Loving | Workshops and Banquet

2011-07-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

Day 3 of the reunion started with workshop sessions taught by family members. RaShad Smith's workshop was all about federal taxes, how to make the most of your filing experience. Workshop attendees had many questions and shared wonderful feedback about the session.

The next workshop was taught by Nicole Robinson and was about increasing your mobility through flexibility. Many family members reported feeling relaxed and refreshed after the session.

Mobility class attendees pose for a picture.

The next portion of the day was the family symposium where concept of The CoOp was discussed and feedback was given on improvements and attendance at reunions. Additionally, family members voted and approved a proposal to pursue a cruise for the 2015 reunion following a presentation.

Family group photos were taken just before the banquet. These proved to be fun. I decided to take them because I noticed how many we lacked while putting together the latest volume of the family history. As you can see, we had a great time with these.

The last event for the day was the family banquet. It was quite an experience. Family members from the following states were present: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Texas. By a show of hands, most of those in attendance at the reunion were born in Lake Providence or Oak Grove and/or baptized in the lake in Lake Providence. It was also shared that yearly revival season baptisms will actually take place this weekend in Lake Providence.

Following our seafood buffet dinner, awards were given out to family members for being part of the research team (smile) and for being the oldest active family member (she will be 95 soon!) Additionally, I was surprised with an award for my work on the family history project. It was absolutely beautiful!

The banquet wrapped up with a presentation about the research team's trip to Cameroon and a preview two sections of our documentary, If These Waters Could Talk.

I have to remark how nice the t-shirts are this year. I was taken aback by them. I loved how the logo that I created that merged our Louisiana heritage and the colors for Cameroon came came together on a red shirt. Everyone will be wearing their shirts tomorrow at the BBQ.

Two of the hosts for the next reunion with the plaque.

Finally! A picture of all four research team members.

We Are Family - Verse 1

2011-07-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

"We Are Family" is a popular song from the 1970s by Sister Sledge. The collective verses of the song are an anthem for family units everywhere, played at bbq's, family reunions, and the like! My blog posts will be much the same - given in verses, if you will. So here goes...

Verse 1:
The 19th Annual Atlas Family Reunion began Wednesday, July 27th. However, my immediate family & I will make our entrance to the family reunion today for the symposium and banquet (later this evening). While packing to leave Jackson, MS today, I reflected on what family means to me and how important reunions like these are. As my mother always says, "Family is the tie that binds us all." Attending family reunions can feel like meeting total strangers, but by the end, everyone has a true sense of belonging, a purpose for which we are all called - family. Our family is truly a unique one - connected not only through reunions like these but also through our family website, Facebook, Twitter, & other electronic media. I must truly say, though, that I cannot wait to see smiling, welcoming faces that are a part of me - family.

Take Me To The Top | Tour of Baton Rouge

2011-07-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of the 2011 Reunion was all about the tour of Baton Rouge for adults and the waterpark for the kids.

The first stop was Southern University. This college was the educational institution for a number of family members. This was because they were in school during the years of segregation and had limited choices because of their race. Additionally, others chose Southern because they noticed other family members who went there and succeeded or they had heard of it's reputation.

Following a drive around most of the campus, visits included the the bluff along the Mississippi River which has the gravesites of the first two presidents of the school and and their wife/mother, the bookstore, a famous footbridge, and dormitories. Timothy Phillips, Sr., an alumnus of Southern, shared his best memory.

Next, we headed to the state capitol. The ornate decoration of the capital was a sight to see. There were 50 steps leading up to the entrance that had the names of all 50 states. The size of the entire building was massive.

Once inside, we headed directly up to the 27th floor to the observation deck where we we able to see the city of Baton Rouge. It was a gorgeous view.

From there, we headed to the Louisiana State Senate and House of Representative chambers where we saw a familiar face among the photos of former state representatives, cousin Cedric Richmond who is now in the US House of Representatives.

The last stop of Louisiana State University. The size of this campus was massive. I couldn't imagine being a student there!

Tomorrow's schedule has the first ever set of workshops for The CoOp and the reunion event which is slated to have the most attendance, the banquet.

We Meet Again | 2011 Reunion Hospitality Night

2011-07-27T23:15:00.000-07:00

2011 Reunion - Registration Table

July 27 signaled the beginning of the 19th Atlas Family Reunion which is being held in Baton Rouge, LA. This is the first time that the reunion has been held in Baton Rouge and it's been 8 years since it's been held in Louisiana.

After checking in and receiving their bags, family members gathered for the time honored "get acquainted/hospitality night." The reunion spirit was definitely in the air as laughs and the sounds of enthusiasm rang throughout the hotel lobby. There were approximately 50 people in attendance at this first of several reunion events.

2011 Reunion - Part of the Lucas family with copies
of If These Waters Could Talk and Volume V
of the family history.

Family members grubbed on red beans and rice and enjoyed homemade mini pecan and sweet potato pies and Amish bread made by one of the reunion hosts.

Additionally, family members shared awesome feedback with the research team about the newest volume of family history, which is the first to include photos of family members next to their genealogical entry. One family member remarked that it was like a yearbook for our family.

Tomorrow features a tour of Baton Rouge as it's main activity. Sites include the campuses for Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, the capital for the state of Louisiana, and Southern University, which is the alma mater of a large number of family members.

2011 Reunion - The yummy mini pecan pies.

Get Social! and The CoOp Debut at 2011 Reunion

2011-07-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

I have often been told how progressive AtlasFamily.Org and the Atlas family are. I tend to agree. *Smile* We are definitely a family that thrives on being first and is brave enough to assume the task, even if it's doesn't end up successful. There are many within our ranks who have displayed this character, so it seems to be genetic. With this said, there are a couple of new ventures that I am excited to report to you.

Group photo.
2009 Atlas Family Reunion BBQ, Chicago, IL

The 2011 Reunion will signal the start of two unique programs geared towards getting more family involvement in the website, research project, and reunions and to tap into the talent base within the family. Additionally, we hope these unique programs will create a movement where the value of family and family history is discovered and utilized to edify all generations within it.

AtlasFamily.Org Cooperative

Our oldest traceable ancestor, King Atlas, Sr., was born over 200 years ago. The world at that time was quite a turbulent place for African Americans. In order to survive, King, Sr. had a network of people (family and friends) who supported him in his daily life until freedom from slavery became a reality.

Today, Atlas family members reside in over 21 US states and a few countries outside of North America. Each of these places holds a family member that has a unique set of gifts, talents, education, or even a hobby. The amount of knowledge and expertise within each one of those family members is immense and if shared, could change an entire generation of people.

The CoOp will leverage our expertise, talents, and experience to teach and support all generations in the family. It is the vehicle by which we share what we know with who we're related to. The way we will do this is by taking advantage of technology given our multitude of locations.

The 2011 reunion will be the first to feature workshops by family members who have volunteered their services to educate relatives. The first two workshops are taxes and on increasing mobility and flexibility. Future workshops can be held at reunions or online through webinars or through podcasts.

Hanging the reunion banner.
2009 Reunion Banquet, Chicago, IL

Family members in attendance will also be asked to fill out inventories to add to the skills database which was created in 2010. The intention is that when a family member has a question about a specific subject area (perhaps for education or general purposes), they can reach out to The CoOp to see if a family member is experienced in that area. The CoOp will then connect the two family members.

Get Social! Initiative

The top three reasons why family members cannot attend reunions are:

They cannot afford it
They cannot take time off of work
They have family commitments that prohibit them from going

Left: Nora (Scott) McMillan, Center: Marvaleen Atlas,
Right: Joseph Scott, Jr.
2009 Atlas Family Reunion Banquet, Chicago, IL

These are all valid reasons for not attending a reunion. On the other hand, technology currently provides a way for family members to "be" at the reunion virtually.

Family members in attendance at the 2011 Reunion are encouraged for the first time utilize social networking (Facebook, Twitter), YouTube, Skype, and this blog to capture their reunion experiences to share with family members who cannot attend. What's so cool about this is that there isn't generational divide in the use of these technologies in the family, so the experiences of both young and old can be shared.

There will be three guest bloggers this coming week as well. I'm really excited about this. They've all been charged to capture the experience from their perspective so that it can be shared with the family and the world.

So, what do you think of all this? I'd love to hear your feedback!

Our First Radio Interview | GeneaBloggers Talk Radio

2011-07-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

This year has been a year of many firsts for the research team and this blog. In keeping with that theme, I was recently interviewed by GeneaBloggers Blog Talk Radio on July 15, 2011 regarding my work with the Ancestral Project. This was my first national interview and I had a wonderful time. Thomas MacEntee normally hosts the show, but due to his other commitments, DearMYRTLE took the host reins this episode. Both of them have blogs that I follow.

The theme for the show as "Cool Ideas for Involving Youth in Genealogy." My interview starts at the 31 minute mark in the show. Additional people featured were: Drusilla Pair of Find Your Folks, Jari Honora of Bayou Roots, and Elyse Doerflinger of Elyse's Genealogy Blog.

For show notes, including bios and photos of all those interviewed, please visit this link. A special thank you to Drusilla Pair, Thomas MacEntee and DearMYRTLE. Looking forward to collaborating with them in the near future :)

Follow the 2011 Reunion in Baton Rouge

2011-07-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

There are less than 3 weeks until the upcoming Atlas Family Reunion which will be held in Baton Rouge, LA. I am so excited to see our family members from near and far as we gather in our family's home state!

This will be the 19th gathering of the family. Reunions have taken place every two years since 1972 and are planned by family members that reside in the same geographical location as the reunion.

My absence blogging is entirely due to me preparing for the reunion. During that time, I've been able to produce two of the following things:

Atlas Family History, Volume V (2011)

The latest volume of the family history includes the genealogical information for 9 generations and more than 2,100 family members. This volume is the first where photos of family members are placed next to their genealogical entries and where bios for all research team members are featured. Also included is the history of the family research project and AtlasFamily.Org.

If These Waters Could Talk: a Genealogy Documentary (2011)

After more than a year of working on it, our first documentary piece is finally done! If These Waters Could Talk is an hour long documentary that follows the research team as we experience the highs and lows of researching our family's southern roots. Additionally, the piece documents the team as we journeyed back to the African country of origin of our earliest traceable ancestor. For a trailer of the documentary, please see the video below or click this link.

During the reunion, family members and friends can follow the research team and participating family members on Twitter (#2011AtlasReunion), Facebook, this blog, and YouTube.

Ancestral Project With Youth Ends, For Now

2011-06-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Youth from the project, along with reps from organizations that were involved.

Last weekend signaled the end of the Ancestral Project for this year. While I'm sad to see it end for this cycle, I'm excited about all the opportunities that it's providing me as well as the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California. For a detailed synopsis of the event, including nearly 50 pictures, please visit the AAGSNC blog.

Additionally, two news organizations covered the event.

“Alameda County Students Learn About Genealogy in Berkeley” by Thomas Peele (Oakland Tribune, June 4)
“Students Learn About Past, Themselves” by Robert Mills (Berkeleyside, June 6, 2011)

Dr. Wade Nobles, the keynote speaker

Scrapbooks made by the youth in the project.

Me, speaking, during the event. Photo credit: Reginald James

Who Am I Event on June 4; Tribune and Mercury News Coverage

2011-05-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to report that the Ancestral Project has now been featured as a story in the Oakland Tribune and the San Jose Mercury News! This is a big deal considering that the Tribune is the hometown newspaper for most of the youth involved in the program. These two articles make a total of three newspaper articles (including the San Francisco Chronicle) and one television segment (KGO 7) published by local media about the project. That is a remarkable accomplishment considering that genealogy is not usually a subject covered in such depth by the media let alone one that is addressed from the context of which it is being presented. The Chronicle story was on the front page! I am glad that some positive news about our youth is out there for the masses to see. It's too often that we see something negative about them.

Additionally, it's great to see these stories published during the same week that the youth will be unveiling the results of their research at a public event. The event will take place on June 4, 2011 at Malcolm X Elementary School at 1731 Prince Street in Berkeley, CA from 10am to 1pm. There will be displays featuring the scrapbooks, videos, and research of the youth, a panel discussion featuring youth from each site, and presentations by Dr. Wade Nobles and myself.

East Carroll Parish Charitable Association | June 27, 1896

2011-05-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

In previous posts, I have mentioned the wealth of information within the Chronicling America: Historical American Newspapers collection held online by the Library of Congress. It was not until today that I realized that a number of back issues (1892-1909) of the East Carroll Parish Banner Democrat were on the site and were fully searchable.

Source: Charter of the East Carroll Charitable
Association, printed in the Banner Democrat
(Lake Providence, East Carroll, LA),
August 13, 1898, Page 2, supplement.

I was able to uncover a number of mentions of Atlas family members, but one of the things that I found that stood out the most were the articles of incorporation for the East Carroll Parish Charitable Association, which was founded on June 27, 1896.

What was the East Carroll Parish Charitable Association?

The Charter and articles of incorporation first appear in this collection on August 13, 1898 and mention the following:

"Article II: The domicile of this corporation shall be at the Mount Lebanon Church on Holly Plantation in East Carroll parish, Louisiana..."

"Article III: The purpose...of [this] Charitable Union [is] for mutual aid and assistance among the members and especially for the purposes, 1st: Of nursing sick members and procuring medicine and medical service for them, and such other things as they may require, 2nd: Of burying deceased members and defraying their funeral expenses, 3rd: Of assisting the minor children and aged and decrepit parents of deceased members, if in necessitous circumstances; and 4th: Of doing such other charitable work as may be authorized by a two-thirds vote of all the active members of the corporation or as much thereof as hereinafter provided."

Source: Charter of the East Carroll Charitable Association, printed in the Banner Democrat (Lake Providence, East Carroll, LA), August 13, 1898, Page 2, supplement.

The articles further detail the organization's intention to establish branches across the state of Louisiana, with an annual convention to be held with representatives from each branch. To be qualified for membership, one would need to be over 12 years of age, be recommended by two members, and voted in by ballot. Membership was classified into two categories: active and honorary. A interesting note is the fact that while honorary members were not required to attend meetings and "all active work," they were required to pay double the dues of the active members. That's an interesting concept when you consider how membership in organizations is handled now. I've often seen how honorary members have a decreased amount of dues, usually because of age or number of years in the organization.

US Senator Joseph Eugene Ransdell
October 7, 1858 – July 27, 1954
Source: Wikipedia

The notary who drafted the document was WH Montgomery and witnesses were Joseph E. Ransdell, Casear Roberts, Richard Collins, Charles Williams, Jr., JW Goodwin, James Gwynne, Willie Collins, Tom Atlas, Oscar Powell, Abney Hernes (probably Abner Hearns).

Later, in the August 27, 1898 issue of the paper, officers are named as follows:

"Article VII: Until the first election under this charter on the 1st Monday of July, 1897, as above provided, the following named persons shall serve as directors and officers, to-wit: Richard Collins as President, John Jenkins as Vice President, Charles Williams, Jr. as Treasurer, JW Goodwin as Secretary, and Jas Gwynne, WA Collins, Louis Atlas, Matte Doyais and Julius Burks."

Source: Charter of the East Carroll Charitable Association, printed in the Banner Democrat (Lake Providence, East Carroll, LA), August 27, 1898, Page 2.

More About Those Mentioned in the Charter

Tom Atlas and Louis Atlas were brothers and were the children of King Atlas, Jr. Both were members of Mt. Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church before family members left that church and founded of Progressive Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in October 1921. Louis' obituary mentions this. He is also named on the church cornerstone with his son, Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr.

Joseph E. Ransdell had a number of dealings with members of the Atlas family through his career as a lawyer and as a US senator. He was well known throughout the parish for buying and selling land and for various business dealings with African Americans. One of those such transactions is the December 30, 1899 transaction between Sen. Ransdell and King Atlas, Jr. for 80 acres of land that King, Jr. had purchased from Ransdell in December 1891. I imagine if Ransdell hadn't taken the stance he took, there were a number of African American families in the area who would not be land owners today or have the resources that they do.

Further Thoughts

East Carroll Parish Baptist Association, 2008

I am sure that this organization no longer exists, but I am unsure as to when it ceased to be. I imagine it may have been a pre-cursor to the one that was established to send an African American in the parish to school to become an undertaker. Or, it's possible that this organization was a predecessor to the East Carroll Parish Baptist Association, which is still in operation and was bombed during the historic voting rights campaign in the parish for African Americans.

Regardless, it's quite interesting to see such ingenuity among those involved with the organization, considering the political and racial climate in the parish at the time. Some would argue that they had to establish such a thing for their livelihood, and I definitely agree. Additionally, it causes me to wonder what would have happened if the organization was still around.

Ancestral Project Covered by KGO, San Francisco Chronicle

2011-05-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

For the last few months, I've had the honor and privilege to work with some amazing young people in Oakland and Berkeley through the Ancestral Project, which was the brainchild of Alameda County (CA) Supervisor Keith Carson. This project was established to help youth in the area realize the benefit of learning about their ancestry and those who paved the way for them to be where they are now.

An FHC staff member helps Elliot Spillard, from Berkeley
Technological Academy on his research.

I have learned so much through this process, but one of my key takeaways is to always meet people, especially youth, where they are. Learning how to put your own agenda to the side so that you can be eye level with someone will allow you to do more than just teach them something. It will allow you the ability to share tools and knowledge that they can take with them and use in their lives forever. Our youth are yearning for this information; we just have to know how to present it to them in a way that they can value and digest. Use technology, what they already know, and expand upon that. They will eat it up!

AAGSNC President M. Howard Edwards assists one of
the youth from Beyond Emancipation with locating
relatives.

I've been able to forge some awesome relationships with nearly 50 youth over my time with them. I remember how resistant they were when we first started; how they thought it would be boring, that they wouldn't get information from family members or find anything. Now I see a complete difference; how they show those "boring" census schedules with pride and vow to hang them on their wall as a reminder; how they can go back 3, 4, 5, 6, or even 7 generations in their own family. Despite hardship, relational challenges, and the day to day, they persevered through and made this project more than I could have EVER imagined. I owe them so much.

"My sessions with Beyond Emancipation was one of the most fulfilling programs I've participated in. It was amazing to see how despite the challenges these young adults have experienced, there is still hope and need for kinship in their eyes, be it current or from the past. This hit me especially because I've had much loss in my family and that was actually my reason to stop "thinking" about researching my family and actually doing it, which has turned my life around in ways I cannot put into words; and to see these young adults have that same wonderment in their eyes lets me know that it is worth my time, worth the effort because in the end they (and we) will build new relationships. It is a wonderful thing, I cannot stress that enough." - Felicia Addison, AAGSNC Member


Carolyn Tyler, right, interviewing Aisha Brown from Sup. Carson's Office

Jill Tucker from the San Francisco Chronicle covered our program and her article is printed in the May 13 issue of the paper.

Additionally, Carolyn Tyler of KGO 7 News also covered the program. The segment was aired at 5pm on May 12 and can be viewed here along with a text transcript.

The program will culminate in an event on June 4 at Malcolm X Elementary School in Berkeley, CA.

AAGSNC member Bill Melson
helps one of the youth get back to
the 1930 US Census.

A special thanks to the following people for their help and support which lead to the success of this project:

Sup. Keith Carson’s Office

Aisha Brown , Sup. Keith Carson, Hannah Greene, and Reginald James

African American Genealogical Society of Northern California Volunteers
Felicia Addison, Judith Collins, M. Howard Edwards, Annette Madden, Bill Melson,

Vernester Sheeler, and Alvis Ward

Site Representatives
Dream Braggs (Alternatives in Action, McClymonds High School), Stephanie McLemore and Charlie Eddy (Beyond Emancipation), Berkeley Technological Academy

FHC Staff


Stephanie McLemore, left, looks on as Carolann Perales looks up more information.

Mrs. Hurts helps a student make it back to the 1930 census.


Reginald James, right, shares the highlights of the day with students from Berkeley Technological Academy.


An FHC volunteer assists members of the Berkeley Tech site with research.

One of the Berkeley Tech students who was proud to show
off his ancestors on the 1930 census.

AAGSNC Member Upperton Hurts, right, assists a FHC patron with his
research.

Reginald and Howard share some thoughts on genealogy.

Group picture of the youth from Berkeley Tech with Reginald and their
leader.

One of the students from Berkeley Tech who was excited to have
a copy of his ancestors on the 1930 census.

Hannah Green, from Sup. Carson's office with staff from the FHC.
Photo credit: Reginald James

Thompson Sisters Featured in Times Picayune, Daily Hampshire Gazette

2011-05-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

*Post updated May 24, 2011

Since our last posting, additional news articles and video clips have been published and located that feature Jean Denton Thompson and Alice Thompson.

Mississippi Freedom Riders 50th Anniversary - May 22-26, 2011

Tougaloo Ceremony Honors Freedom Riders, May 23, 2011 (Includes video clip)
WLOX (Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagoula, MS)

To board Freedom Rides to New Orleans required both belief and bravery
May 22, 2011
by Jarvis DeBerry
New Orleans Times Picayune

Oprah Winfrey Show
Air Date: May 4, 2011
Freedom Rides 50th Anniversary Show Synopsis
Jean Denton Thompson Featured in "Riders Reflect"

Alice Thompson
Courtesy of the New Orleans Times Picayune

Additional Coverage
FreedomCoverage of WYES Freedom Riders Documentary Screening (Photos of Jean Denton Thompson and Alice Thompson)
May 17, 2011
by Lisa O'Neill

First Freedom Riders Were Beaten Bloody, By The Inspired a Movement
May 3, 2011
by Katy Reckdahl
New Orleans Times Picayune

Freedom Rider Jean Denton-Thompson of Amherst recalls sting of her arrest
April 29, 2011
by Ben Barrow, Staff Writer
Amherst Bulletin

MLK Students Interview Civil Rights Activists (Photos)
March 18, 2011
by Susan Poag
New Orleans Times Picayune

Bio of Jean Denton Thompson (includes mug shot and video clip of arrest)
Civil Rights Digital Library, Digital Library of Georgia

Coverage During 1961
Video Footage of Trailways Bus Arriving in Jackson, MS
May 24, 1961
WSB-TV (Atlanta, GA)

Freedom Rides 50th Anniversary TV and Events

2011-04-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

This year is a year with two significant commemorations. As 09/11 turns 10, the Freedom Rides of 1961 turns 50. Three members of the Atlas family were integral parts of the Freedom Rides, and two of them have lived to see this momentous anniversary. In lieu of the anniversary, a number of programs and events are being aired and held.

Jean Denton Thompson's mugshot.
Arrested May 24, 1961 in Jackson, MS
Source: MSDAH

Shirley Thompson's mugshot.
Arrested June 6, 1961 in Jackson, MS
Source: MSDAH

Upcoming Events With Family Members
Oprah Winfrey Show - Freedom Rides 50th Anniversary
Taping: Thursday, April 28, 2011
Air Date: Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Note: Family members, including Jean Denton Thompson and Alice Thompson, will be in attendance for the taping.
Website: http://www.oprah.com/oprah_show.html

Freedom Riders 50th Anniversary Conference and Reunion
Dates: April 28 - May 2, 2011
Location: Chicago, IL
Note: Family members will be in attendance for this event. Jean Denton Thompson will be a panelist during the Faith and Family session moderated by Rev. CT Vivian.
Website: http://freedomriders50th.com/

Freedom Riders (Documentary)Air Date: May 16, 2011
Channel: PBS
Website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/

Jet Magazine, December 14, 1961

Recent News Coverage With Family Members
Two Freedom Riders from New Orleans Honored
April 16, 2011
Times Picayune Staff, New Orleans Times Picayune

Screenings of PBS Freedom Riders Documentary
April 7-8, 2011
Western Massachusetts
Press Release

Conversations with Isaac BenEzra
March 22, 2011
Amherst (MA) Media
Interview with Jean Denton Thompson
Click the link above or view the video below

Radio Chronicles - The Story of a Freedom Rider - Jean Denton Thompson
March 6, 2011
KPFA, Berkeley, CA

We Were Mentioned on TV? Wow!

2011-04-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

Tony Burroughs is one of the most sought after professional genealogists when it comes to African American genealogy. Serving as an expert for BBC, PBS, and the Discovery Channel, his imprint on African American genealogy is not only legendary but remarkable. In addition to being a certified genealogist, he "has traced three family lines seven generations." Many in the field look up to Tony and our research team is definitely in that group.

So, it came as a total surprise that our Genealogy Research Team was mentioned during an interview he did on You and Me This Morning on Chicago's WCIU today. How did this happen? One of the hosts of the show is family member, Jeanne Sparrow. We also learned that Tony later viewed our website and called our work awesome. To say that we're flattered is an understatement!

To see the interview, please view it below or click this link.

The Fruit of Salt Lake: New Docs Added to AtlasFamily.Org

2011-04-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

The following has been added to AtlasFamily.Org following the recent mini research trip to Salt Lake City:

Marriage Certificates
(1) Marriage Certificate of King Atlas, Jr. to Alice Smith

(2) Marriage Certificate of King Atlas, Jr. to Josephine Brown

(3) Marriage Certificate of King Atlas, Jr. to Clora Williams (Clora Evans)

Marriage Certificate of Eliza Atlas and Will Rosby

Marriage Certificate of Rachel Atlas and John Wells

Marriage Certificate of Louis Balfour Atlas, Sr. and Susie Lee

Marriage Certificate of Rachel Atlas and William Abner Hearns

(1) Marriage Certificate of Thomas Atlas and Mary Wright

(2) Marriage Certificate of Thomas Atlas and Angeline Patrick

Marriage Certificate of Nancy Ruth Marshall to Charles Edward Russell, Sr.

Marriage Certificate of Mary Atlas to Willie Wilson

Death Certificates

Jesse Atlas

Fannie May (Atlas) Goodrich

Lana Carroll Myles

Burl Singleton

Everlena (Atlas) Wilson

Deed Records

Conveyance Record - King Atlas, Jr. to Alice Moore

The research team is grateful to be able to obtain digital copies of these documents as they are not available for copying at the courthouse level.

Additionally, a new entry in Google Maps has been created to document historical locations of family members. As more are discovered, they will be added.

Chicago Defender Obts. Former Residents of Lake Providence

2011-04-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

Noted below are abstracts for obituaries printed in the Chicago Defender of residents or former residents of Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, LA.

July 5, 1930, page A4
"Rev. McCain Dies"
Deceased: Rev. James Donaldson McCain
Family mentioned: Wife - Mrs. Ursala McCain, Daughter - Lillian
Burial: Mt. Olivet (most likely Mt. Olive) Cemetery, Lake Providence, La
Other: Pastor of St. Peter's M.E. Church in Lake Providence.

May 13, 1933, page 4
"Hold Funeral for Mrs. Sina Jackson."
Deceased: Mrs. Sina Jackson
Date of Death: May 3, 1933
Funeral: May 8, 1933 at Arnett Chapel AME

Burial: Lincoln Cemetery, Alsip, Cook, IL
Family mentioned: Husband - Alexander Jackson, Sisters - Mrs. JD Brown (Jonestown, MS) and Mrs. Millie Bates (Lake Providence, LA), Son - James.
Other: Noted as moving to Chicago more than 14 years ago (about 1919)

September 8, 1934, page 13
"Sgt. Jesse Casey, 8th Regt. Is Dead"
Deceased: Sergeant Jessie Casey
Date and Place of Death: August 29, 1934 at St. Anthony Hospital in Rockford, IL (Pneumonia)
Funeral: September 2, 1934 at the 8th Amory in Illinois
Other: Fought in World War 1, in Company F, 803rd Engineer Regiment; Enlisted 1921 as private in Company F, 8th Infantry of the Illinois National Guard. Born in Lake Providence, LA in 1892, moved to Chicago about 1914. Married (no wife's name mentioned), lived at 740 East 11th Street, Chicago, IL

February 14, 1942, page 4
Metropolitan Funeral Home Notices
Deceased: Mrs. Nettie G. Fulgrum
Date of and Place of Death: February 2, 1942 at Cook County Hospital
Funeral: February 7, 1942 at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, Chicago, IL
Burial: Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Chicago, IL
Family mentioned: Son - Van D. Martin (of 206 East 44th Street, Chicago, IL)
Other: Born in Lake Providence, LA

April 25, 1942, page 6
Metropolitan Funeral Home Notices
Deceased: Lonnie H. Williams
Date of Death: April 10, 1942
Funeral: April 15, 1942 at Metropolitan Funeral Home
Burial: Burr Oak Cemetery, Chicago, IL
Family mentioned: Wife - Inez Williams (of 4457 Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL)
Other: Born in Lake Providence, LA

October 2, 1948, page 2
Metropolitan Funeral Home Notices
Deceased: Sophia Duffy
Date of Death: September 16, 1948

Other: Body shipped on September 18, 1948 to Lake Providence, LA for burial. Address - 4001 Vincennes, Chicago, IL.

October 23, 1948, page 2
Metropolitan Funeral Home Notices
Deceased: Merrill Lee Dunn
Date of Death: October 10, 1948

Other: Born in Lake Providence, LA, body shipped October 13, 1948 to Lake Providence, LA for funeral services and burial. Address - 1374 West Washburn Avenue, Chicago, IL.

October 30, 1948, page 2
Metropolitan Funeral Home Notices
Deceased: Jonah Patterson
Date of Death: October 19, 1948

Other: Born in Lake Providence, LA, body shipped October 23, 1948 to Eudora, AR for burial. Address - 3716 Lake Park Avenue, Chicago, IL

October 22, 1949, page 4
Metropolitan Funeral Home Notices
Deceased: Woodrow F. Slaughter
Date of Death: October 4, 1949
Funeral: Held Between October 8-14, 1949 at Metropolitan Funeral Home
Burial: Burr Oak Cemetery, Chicago, IL

Other: Born in Lake Providence, LA. Address - 429 E. 45th Street, Chicago, IL

November 11, 1950, page 4
Metropolitan Funeral Home Notices
Deceased: Nannie M. Johns
Date of Death: October 30, 1950
Funeral: November 3, 1950 at Progressive Missionary Baptist Church (Lake Providence, LA)
Burial: Burr Oak Cemetery

Other: Born in Lake Providence, LA. Address - 1609 S. St. Louis Street, Chicago, IL

March 4, 1963, page 17
Deaths
Deceased: Abraham Powell

Cause and Location of Death: Pneumonia, Elgin State Hospital
Funeral: ?, Bethel AME Church (44th and Michigan Avenue, Chicago)
Funeral Home: Griffin Funeral Home (3215 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL)
Burial: ?, Lincoln Cemetery

Family mentioned: Son - Abraham Powell, Daughter - Gertrude Powell, Sisters - Mrs. Minerva Green (Lake Providence, LA), Mrs. Fleunoid Ellis (Detroit, MI), Brother - Ben Powell (Lake Providence, LA), three grandchildren
Other: Born in Lake Providence, LA, age 81 (born about 1882), retired from corn products, Address - 209 E. 56th Street, Chicago, IL, resident of Chicago for over 30 years (since 1933)

September 24, 1963, page A17
Deaths
Deceased: Theodore R. Robinson - Bob

Funeral: September 24, 1963 at Apostolic Faith Church (3813 S. Indiana Avenue, Chicago, IL)

Family mentioned: Wife - Cecile G. Robinson, Parents - Mr. and Mrs. James Williams, Sister - Mrs. Sophia Washington (all from White Cloud, Michigan)
Other: A native of Lake Providence, LA. Address - 7732 S. Peoria Street, Chicago, IL, former address - 51st and S. Parkway, resident of Dearmont, AR, occupation: maintainable and custodial work (done in Hyde Park area for 45 years (since 1918).

March 2, 1965, page 21
Deaths
Deceased: William Bennett

Date and Place of Death: ?, Lake Providence, LA
Funeral: ? at Wesley Memorial Chapel
Burial: Lincoln Cemetery

Family mentioned: Wife - Luella Bennett, Brother in Law - Jessie Nelson, Sister in Law - Mrs. Odessa Terry, Cousins - Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Gwin, Nelson Samuel, Dorothy Phillips (all of Chicago)

Other: Died in his birthplace, resident of Chicago, IL for 50 years (about 1915)

July 6, 1965, page 21
Deaths
Deceased: Rufus H. Lewis

Date of Death: ?
Funeral: ? AR Leak Funeral Home
Burial: Restvale Cemetery

Family mentioned: Wife -Fannie LEwis
Other: Born in Lake Providence, LA, address: 3726 S. Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL

PDFs available for purchase through the Chicago Defender website (Archives Section).

African-Americans And The Reverse Migration - WBUR

2011-03-31T11:08:00.000-07:00

A great newscast about the reverse migration that has taken place with African Americans. There is now the same percentage of African Americans in the south as there was in the 1960s. Features Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns.

East Carroll Parish, LA/Lake Providence, LA Cemeteries

2011-03-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to account for all the cemeteries in the parish, we have assembled a working list from a number of sources online. Names, approximate addresses, latitude and longitude, tax assessment information, and location information were retrieved from the following:

Louisiana State Cemetery Board website (Database search)
Louisiana Tax Commission, East Carroll Parish Tax Rolls, 2009 (Legal land descriptions searched for cemeteries)
United States Geological Survey, Geographical Names Information System
(All entries were made June 4, 1980)
FindAGrave.Com
Transcriptions from Sandy Guthrie Moore (Personal Website), Carolyn Avery (USGenWeb Archive)
East Carroll Parish, LA Cemetery Transcriptions from the East Carroll Parish, LA Clerk of Court - 1800s to July 1998

This is a lengthy document that will take some time to post online or in book format. For lookups, please email

Initially posted on September 16, 2010. Information updated as of March 15, 2011.

King Solomon Cemetery #2, in the present day location of Shelburn and
Bellemead Plantations; East Carroll Parish, LA.
Courtesy of AtlasFamily.Org Genealogy Research

Clicking on the latitude and longitude for a cemetery will display the result in Google Maps.

Named Cemeteries:

Alsatia Cemetery
Sources: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Latitude and Longitude, Location: Undetermined

Buckmeadow Cemetery
Sources: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Location: State Highway 2, Westbound near the intersection of Highway 65

Benjamin Cemetery
Sources: USGS GNIS, FindAGrave
Latitude and Longitude: 32.7023552, -91.1309415
FindAGraveRecords

Cain Ridge #1 Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery 
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board, East Carroll Parish Clerk
4209 Hwy. 596,  Lake Providence, LA  71254,  318-559-9074  
Google Maps

China Grove Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery 
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board, East Carroll Parish Clerk
810 White Road,  Lake Providence, LA  71254 , 318-559-8871
Google Maps

Cold Tar/Homestead Cemetery 
Source: USGS GNIS, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Latitude and Longitude: 32.7001331, -91.1659423  

Evergreen Baptist Church Cemetery 
Sources: Louisiana Cemetery Board, FindAGrave, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Highway 65,  Lake Providence, LA  71254 , 318-559-0128
**Note: Has some of the oldest African American burials in the area. Records for burials before the 1990s without headstones are impossible to trace via the cemetery as record keeping was not done in an appropriate fashion. Records for burials with headstones available by contacting the cemetery. Additional records up to July 1998 available by lookup. See note for East Carroll Parish, LA Clerk Transcriptions for contact info.*
FindAGrave Records

Forrest Cemetery 
Source: FindAGrave
Unknown Location, Monticello
FindAGrave Records

Gailliard Cemetery
Source: USGS GNIS, Louisiana Cemetery Board, East Carroll Parish Clerk, FindAGrave
Latitude and Longitude: 32.8051298, -91.2106656   
FindAGrave Records

Gaither Memorial Cemetery  (East Carroll Baptist Association)
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board, East Carroll Parish Clerk, FindAGrave
Gould Street,  Lake Providence, LA  71254 , 318-559-5517
FindAGrave Records   

Gaither Memorial (East Carroll Baptist Association) Cemetery

Courtesy of AtlasFamily.Org Genealogy Research

Good Samaritan Cemetery
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board, Louisiana Tax Commission, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Arlington Street , Lake Providence, LA  71254 , 318-559-2901
2009 Parish Tax Assessment: Assessment # 4310012200, land noted as being Arlington Street, Fauxburg-Arlington, "5 acres: a tract of land beg[inning] at SW [southwest] corner of lot 1 of blk [block] 1, Arlington ADD [addition]. Used for colored cemetery."

Gus Sammons Memorial Cemetery
Source: Louisiana Tax Commission
Township 19 North, Range 11 East, Section 28   
3410 Highway 877, Lake Providence, LA 71254

Heavenly Rest Memorial Park 
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board, FindAGrave, East Carroll Parish Clerk
South Gould Boulevard , Lake Providence, LA  71254, 318-559-6571
FindAGrave Record

Henderson Community Cemetery/Union Baptist Church #2
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board, Louisiana Tax Commission, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Henderson Road,  Henderson, LA  70517,  318-552-7751
2009 Parish Tax Assessment: Assessment # 4100002700. "CEMETERY SITE: 3.191 ACRES IN NW1/4 OF SEC. 42, T18N R13E. [Section 42, Township 18 North, Range 13 East]"
Google Maps
**Note: As of September 2, 2010 East Carroll Banner Democrat, bottom of page 6, possible name of the church is Union Baptist Church #2. Google Maps result states Union Baptist Church.**

Herringville Cemetery
Source: FindAGrave, East Carroll Parish Clerk
944 Highway 577, Lake Providence, LA 71254, (318) 552-6530
FindAGrave Record    

Jerusalem Cemetery
Source: USGS GNIS
Latitude and Longitude: 32.8887385 -91.1764982

Kerr Family Burial Ground
Source: FindAGrave
Unknown Location
FindAGrave Record

King Solomon Baptist Church Cemetery #1
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board, East Carroll Parish Clerk
4932 Hwy. 65 South , Lake Providence, LA  71254, 318-559-9038

King Solomon Baptist Church Cemetery #2
Source: USGS GNIS, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Parish Road 5588, Lake Providence, LA 71254
Latitude and Longitude: 32.8834608, -91.2273328
FindAGrave Records

Lake Providence Cemetery
Source: FindAGrave, East Carroll Parish Clerk
1354 Lake Street, Lake Providence, LA 71254
FindAGrave Records  
Transcription from Sandy Guthrie Moore

Live Oak Cemetery 
Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Unknown Exact Location

Lone Star Cemetery 
Source: USGS GNIS, FindAGrave, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Latitude and Longitude: 32.7804084, -91.2623335   
FindAGrave Records

Melbourne Cemetery 
Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Latitude and Longitude, Location: Undetermined
Memorial Park of Lake Providence
Sources: Louisiana Cemetery Board, USGS GNIS
Hwy. 597 , Lake Providence, LA  71254, 318-574-0302   
Google Maps

Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery 
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Bear Wallow Road , Lake Providence, LA  71254 , 318-559-0114

Mound Cemetery
Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Near Highway 581, Lake Providence, LA (Transylvania)

Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Unknown Exact Location , in the Milliken area

Mount Wade Baptist Church Cemetery
Source: FindAGrave, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Unknown Location , Monticello
FindAGrave Records

New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery
Source: FindAGrave, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Unknown Location, Monticello
FindAGrave Records

New Light Cemetery
Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Unknown Exact Location, Highway 134, 10 miles southwest of Lake Providence

New Saint Paul Baptist Church Cemetery
Source: FindAGrave, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Highway 596, Lake Providence, LA
FindAGrave Records (Incorrectly labeled as Old Saint Paul)

New Vines Missionary Baptist Church 
Source: USGenWeb, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Highway 65 South, Sondheimer, LA
Transcription from Carolyn Avery

New Zion Missionary Baptist Church  
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board
Hwy. 65 , Sondheimer, LA  71276 , 318-574-2857 
FindAGrave Records

Oakland Plantation 
Source: FindAGrave
Unknown Location
FindAGrave Records

Old Saint Paul Cemetery
Source: USGS GNIS 
Latitude and Longitude: 32.9017938, -91.1456641

Old Sweet Canaan Cemetery
Source: USGS GNIS 
Latitude and Longitude: 32.7684642, -91.1928873
FindAGrave Record

Omega Cemetery
Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Unknown Exact Location

Panola Cemetery  (Brown's Farm Cemetery)
Source: USGS GNIS , FindAGrave, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Google Maps
FindAGrave Records
Additional Research by AtlasFamily.Org Blog

Rose Hill Cemetery
Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Unknown Exact Location

St. John Baptist Cemetery 
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board, Louisiana Tax Commission, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Hollybrook Road,  Lake Providence, LA  71254, 318-559-4002  
2009 Parish Tax Assessment: Assessment # 4200004400. 2 ACRES: A PARCEL OF LAND 3.80 X 5.00 X 3.91 X 6.00 CHNS SITUATED IN NE CORNER OF NW1/4 OF SEC. 11, T20N R12E BEING CEMETERY LOT. [Northwest 1/4 of Section 11, Township 20 North, Range 12 East]
**Note: As per September 2, 2010 issue of the East Carroll Banner Democrat, bottom of page 6, St. John Baptist Church is located on Bear Wallow Road. Only the cemetery may be located at the Hollybrook address**

Saint Mary’s Baptist Church Cemetery
Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Google Maps

Stamboul Cemetery
Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Unknown Exact Location, Transylvania

Sweet Canaan Cemetery
 Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board
Highway 65 South , Lake Providence, LA  71254 , 318-559-1656  

Transylvania Baptist Cemetery
Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Unknown Exact Location, Transylvania

Travis Family Cemetery
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board
242 Travis Road,  Lake Providence, LA  71254 , 318-559-5605
Google Maps

Tyrone Cemetery
Source: USGS GNIS, FindAGrave
Latitude and Longitude: 32.8520729, -91.1762204  
FindAGraveRecords

Waddell Cemetery Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Unknown Exact Location, Highway 134, 8 miles from Lake Providence

Way-a-Way Cemetery 
Source: Louisiana Cemetery Board, USGS GNIS, FindAGrave, East Carroll Parish Clerk
Way-a-Way Plantation Road,  Lake Providence, LA  71254 , 318-559-2587
FindAGrave Records

Wilton Cemetery
Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk
Unknown Exact Location

Other Cemeteries/Names Not Identified:

2009 Parish Tax Assessment # 4600001400
Description: 2 ACRES: A PARCEL OF LAND 210 x 420 FT ON THE NASH PLTN. [Nash Plantation] IN LOT 5 OF SEC. 25, T20N R11E [Section 25, Township 20 North, Range 11 East] (CEMETERY).

2009 Parish Tax Assessment # 4300008000
Description: A PARCEL OF LAND 159.14 X 245.7 FT IN E1/2 OF EDGEWOOD PLTN [Edgewood Plantation], SEC. 32, T21N R12E [Section 32, Township 21 North, Range 12 East) CONTAIN 0.898 ACRES FOR CEMETERY.

Timothy Phillips, Sr. Honored by Milwaukee Times Weekly

2011-02-26T00:19:00.000-08:00

Timothy Phillips, Sr., left, with John Wesley Atlas, right
at the 2009 Atlas Family Reunion in Chicago, IL

Timothy Phillips, Sr. was honored on February 25, 2011, by the Milwaukee Times Weekly at the 26th Annual Black Excellence Awards as a special honoree, a history making black educator. He retired after 33 years of service with the Milwaukee Public School System and is among 30 of the most outstanding educators, businessmen/women, politicians, students or other pioneers in the city of Milwaukee that are honored every year. This award is WELL deserved and we congratulate him on the honor!

Timothy was the second person in the Atlas family to assume the reigns of tracing our family history. The work he did was pivotal and was a large contributor to the success that the Genealogy Research Team has had in tracing the family's genealogy. He is considered one of our mentors, along with John Wesley Atlas, who began the family history project in 1985.

Click here for a video by WISN 12 News in Milwaukee that features Timothy.

Sharing Genealogy With the Next Generation

2011-02-25T20:48:00.000-08:00

On February 15, 2011, I began working with a new program facilitated by Alameda County, CA Supervisor Keith Carson called the Ancestral Project. This new program merges personal storytelling and genealogy so that participants are given the opportunity to learn about themselves and are given the skills to communicate what they’ve learned to their communities. I learned about this project through the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC), of which I am a member.

The first session was held with youth involved in the Culture Keepers program at McClymonds High School in Oakland, CA. At first, the students seemed sort of indifferent about the whole project. I am thinking that this is because they weren’t exactly sure how genealogy related to their current reality. Let's be honest, this high school is in a urban community where finances definitely outweigh family history research in terms of concern and importance. Every one of these youth has a story or a set of circumstances that are unique. The key was to get them to understand that their current reality and circumstances are not based entirely on current history, but that they are based on who preceded them and the foundation that they laid for them. Another key was helping the students understand that they are also laying a foundation for those who will come after them.

My husband and Dream
helping me set up

First, I gave a short presentation on the basics of genealogy, such as starting with yourself and going backwards from you to your parents, grandparents, etc. We also broke up into groups to get the students juices flowing about their experiences growing up. I initiated the topic of “The first place I ever lived…” which I hoped would lead them to think about information regarding their family and to understand that they have a history themselves. These discussions went fairly well and included typical genealogical road blocks such as the burning of a childhood home and being the first generation born in the United States.

From there, the youth were given the opportunity to fill in pedigree charts and family group sheets using the information they already knew about their families. Although I would by no means call myself old, I definitely felt a generational divide between me and the students. Some of their parents had never been married, so when they saw the words husband and wife on the forms, there was confusion on whether or not to list their parents in those spots. Another example of the divide was the fact that the youth are anywhere from 3 to 5 generations removed from the 1930 US Census, which is the last census that we have available for genealogical use. It was definitely a new dynamic added which will provide some interesting challenges for conducting research. Following this, we reviewed this helpful checklist which will give the students clues on how to find information in their own homes.

Next, I used performer Michael Jackson's maternal genealogy as a test case. It’s obvious that this part of the presentation made an impact on the students. In this portion of the presentation, the youth were taught how to use the pedigree chart, family group sheet, Ancestry.Com, and Google to search for information. Packets were given out that included his grandfather’s obituary, his great grandfather’s draft card, and his great great grandfather’s 1870 census record. The students were shocked as I went, column by column, through the census record. Many of them couldn’t believe that most of the people on the page couldn’t read or write and I had to explain why this was the case. The students also were offended by the fact that African Americans were referred to as Negro or Colored. This lead me to explain to them the history of racial designations for African Americans.

After we conducted the Google search, we were lead to Jackson’s great grandfather’s death certificate. As I went line by line reading the handwriting, I asked the students for their thoughts on how the lives of the two family members were similar and different. One student noted that Jackson was nearly the same age as his great grandfather at death and that his great grandfather had to work harder and differently than he did. These were great observations. The students also noted the fact that they would have to read actual handwriting rather than typeface when they read documents. I told them that it was an acquired skill. *Smile*

Death certificate of Prince Scruse, maternal great grandfather of Michael Jackson. Courtesy of FindAGrave.Com

Once I finished going through Jackson's maternal genealogy, I asked the students for their thoughts about the project. Most of them were really excited about it, which was a marked difference from where things were when I first started. Many of the couldn't wait to get started. One student had apprehension about speaking with a grandparent that never shares information or documents. I, and others in attendance, gave the student some pointers on how to work with the grandparent. I later learned that the student's grandparent opened up and gave them a huge stack of obituaries, with death certificates and social security cards, stapled to them, for members of their family. That was a HUGE break!

In addition to tracing their genealogy, the students will have to put together a project that will show what they've learned which will be presented in May 2011. I will be meeting with the students on a continual basis until then and can't wait to see what they will share. There are four other volunteers from the society who will also be assisting with the class. The program will also expand to include youth from Beyond Emancipation, an Oakland based organization that supports former foster youth, as well as students from Berkeley High School.

African American News from East Carroll Parish

2011-02-24T15:21:00.000-08:00

From the Library of Congress' Chronicling America Newspaper Database:

Louisiana Capitolian, Baton Rouge, LA, April 24, 1880

Black East Carroll – Hon. Cain Sartain has been commissioned by Gov. Wiltz as Sheriff of the parish of East Carroll; thus giving us a black Sheriff, black Clerk of Court, black Representative in the Legislature, all of our Justices of the Peace black, except one, and all the Constables black. Yet ‘Watchman’ [The Carroll Watchman newspaper] says, the black people are not satisfied, in this parish, with the condition of their political rights, and are on the eve of a revolution. In addition to this, had it not been for the people of Madison [Parish], our State Senator would have been black also.

Note: The rest of this article is fairly patronizing (to say the least), but is indicative of the political climate of the parish during Reconstruction. It must be said that the next time an African American was elected to the Clerk of Court position was not until 2008, when Hon. Beatrice Carter, was elected.

The Rice Belt Journal, Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, LA, January 18, 1907

Lake Providence, LA: Four Negroes are under arrest as suspicious persons in the investigation of the murder of Thomas H. Deloney Thursday and the brutal assault upon his sister, Mrs. Alston. The latter is recovering, but has not yet been able to give an accurate account of the tragedy.

Note: Thomas Deloney can be found on this 1870 US Census extract as being born in 1866 in Louisiana and the son of an A. Deloney. His sister may be Anne Deloney, who is listed with a date of birth of 1862 in Louisiana.

Reverse Freedom Riders – Finding Ancestors and Relatives Who Participated

2011-02-17T17:14:00.000-08:00

The "Reverse" Freedom Rides were Jim Crow's way of attempting to turn the tide of northerners trying to integrate the South by sending black southerners to integrate predominately white northern cities during the American Civil Rights Movement. One branch of the Atlas family, the family of Pierce Calvin Thompson, Sr., participated in a reverse ride from New Orleans, LA to Nashua, NH. This was due to the fact that Pierce could not obtain work in New Orleans, LA because of his sisters involvement in the NAACP, CORE, and various voter registration and integration activities.

As mentioned in a previous post, many of these "reverse" freedom rides ended up unsuccessful. Those who participated were give one way tickets to their destinations, and most times, that was it. People on the receiving end would have to help out with jobs, housing, etc., but this did not always take place.

In honor of Black History Month, this blog will give details about some of those who participated in this “second” great migration in hopes that someone in their family, who may be looking for information on their reverse ride, may be able to now find it. All articles were accessed via Ancestry.Com's Newspaper Collection, which is fed into the site, in part, by NewspaperArchive.Com. As found, more information will be added.

Information compiled as of February 17, 2011

Alabama

Mrs. Mamie Lee Underwood

Origin of Ride: Centreville, Bibb County, AL
Destination: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH
Date: Saturday, June 30, 1962
Ride Sponsored by: Bibb County Citizens Council
Details: Given $5 per person and $190 Greyhound bus tickets
Notes: A family of 12 (including Mamie and a grandchild): Yvetta Brown (age 15, mother of an infant child), Johnnie Underwood, age 14; Peggy Lee, age 12; Mary Alice, age 11; Bobby, age 10; Gary, age 9; Clar Gean, age 7; Nora Lee, age 5; John D., age 4; Helen Carolyn, age 2. Article on July 2, 1962 states that Mamie Underwood has a brother (John D. Heard) that lives in Cleveland, OH, lists her age as 36 (born about 1926), and said the Travelers Aid Society took them in. Also notes that her husband left her 4 years prior (about 1958). Article on September 27, 1962 states that she requests to be sent back home as she doesn't qualify for relief aid because she hasn't been a resident of Cuyahoga County for a year
Sources: The Chronicle Telegram (Elyria, OH), Saturday, June 30, 1962, page 18, “12 Negro Riders Sent to Cleveland;” The Chronicle Telegram (Elyria, OH), Tuesday, July 3, 1962, page 2, “World in a Spin;" The Newark Advocate (Newark, OH), Monday, July 2, 1962, page 2, "Deserted Mother, 10 Children Seek New Life in Ohio;" The Chronicle Telegram (Elyria, OH), Thursday, September 27, 1962, page 33, “Unable to Find work, Wants to Take Family Back South."

Chester “Big Nit” Graham

Origin of Ride: Luverne, Crenshaw County, AL
Destination: Hyannis Port, Barnstable County, MA and New York, New York County, NY
Date: Saturday, June 30, 1962
Ride Sponsored by: Luverne, AL Residents (unspecified)
Details: Given funds and a round trip ticket to both destinations
Source: The Chronicle Telegram (Elyria, OH), Saturday, June 30, 1962, page 18, “12 Negro Riders Sent to Cleveland”

Willie Nester Graham

Origin of Ride: Alabama
Destination: Hyannis Port, Barnstable County, MA
Date: Tuesday, July 3, 1962
Ride Sponsored by: Unknown
Details: Age 34 (born about 1928), 468 pounds, stayed for 3 days; may be related to Chester Graham (above)
Source: Newport Daily News (Newport, RI), Friday, July 6, 1962, page 11 “Rev. Luther King Cites Vote Use."

Arkansas

Victoria Bell

Origin of Ride: Little Rock, Pulaski County, AR
Destination: Hyannis Port, Barnstable County, MA
Date: Sunday, May 20, 1962
Ride Sponsored by: Capital Citizens Council of Little Rock, Pulaski, AR
Details: Age 36 (born about 1926), 11 children with her (five boys, six girls), purchased one way tickets, given $60 spending money, was separated from husband for 3 years (about 1959).
Source: Troy Record (Troy, NY), Monday, May 21, 1962, Page 18, "12 Freedom Riders Stage Reverse Ride"

Fred D. Calvin

Origin of Ride: Little Rock, Pulaski County, AR
Destination: Hyannis Port, Barnstable County, MA
Date: Unknown
Ride Sponsored by: Unspecified
Details: Age 37 (born about 1925), a construction worker
Source: The Post Standard (Syracuse, NY), Tuesday, May 22, 1962, Page 3 "Cape Codders Claim South 'Duping Negroes"

Dennis Harris or David E. Harris

Origin of Ride: Little Rock, Pulaski County, AR
Destination: Hyannis Port, Barnstable County, MA
Date: Saturday, June 30, 1962
Ride Sponsored by: Capital Citizens Council of Little Rock, Pulaski, AR
Details: Age 43 (born about 1919) at time of the ride, unemployed cook and veteran of World War II and the Korean War, given one way bus ticket and $10 for spending money. May 22, 1962 article states that Harris will start work on May 23, 1962.
Source: Press-Telegram (Long Beach, CA), Friday, May 11, 1962, page 5, “Negro on 'Reverse' Ride to JFK's Town;" The Post Standard (Syracuse, NY), Tuesday, May 22, 1962, Page 3 "Cape Codders Claim South 'Duping Negroes"

Mrs. Estella Mae Pitts

Hometown: Lewisville, Lafayette County, AR
Origin of Ride: Little Rock, Pulaski County, AR
Destination: Hammond, Lake County, IN
Date: Monday, June 4, 1962
Ride Sponsored by: Capital Citizens Council of Little Rock, Pulaski, AR
Details: Age 37 (born about 1925), said to be 34th rider to leave Little Rock, given one-way bus ticket, broke both legs after falling from a pick up truck in May 1962; sister said to live in Hammond, IN.
Source: Press-Telegram (Long Beach, CA), Tuesday, June 5, 1962, page 2, “Crippled Negro Take Reverse Freedom Ride."

Theophilus Pruitt

Origin of Ride: Little Rock, Pulaski County, AR
Destination: Hyannis Port, Barnstable County, MA
Date: Unknown
Ride Sponsored by: Unspecified
Details: Age 45 (born about 1917), a cook
Source: The Post Standard (Syracuse, NY), Tuesday, May 22, 1962, Page 3 "Cape Codders Claim South 'Duping Negroes"

Georgia

George Hooks

Hometown: Macon, Bibb County, GA
Origin of Ride: Little Rock, Pulaski County, AR
Destination: Hyannis Port, Barnstable County, MA
Date: Thursday, May 24, 1962
Ride Sponsored by: Capital Citizens Council of Little Rock, Pulaski, AR
Details: Age 40 (born about 1922), wanted to go Philadelphia where he had two sisters, 35th arrival in Hyannis Port.
Source: Newport Daily News (Newport, RI), Friday, May 25, 1962, page 6, “Reverse Freedom Ride Fines by US Eyed by Bay State."

Louisiana

Alan Gilmore

Origin of Ride: Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA
Destination: Trenton, Mercer County, NJ
Date: Sunday, February 10, 1963
Ride Sponsored by: Louisiana Citizens Council
Details: Family of 10, agreed to pay back aid money
Source: Delta Democrat Times (Greenville, MS), Tuesday, February 12, 1963, page 2, “Reverse Freedom Ride Family Aided."

Mack Johnson, Jr.

Origin of Ride: Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA
Destination: Hyannis Port, Barnstable County, MA
Date: Unknown
Ride Sponsored by: Unspecified
Details: Age 28 (born about 1934), a construction worker
Source: The Post Standard (Syracuse, NY), Tuesday, May 22, 1962, Page 3 "Cape Codders Claim South 'Duping Negroes"

Joseph Parker

Origin of Ride: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA
Destination: Dayton, Montgomery County, OH
Date: Saturday, March 23, 1963
Ride Sponsored by: Unspecified
Details: Notes that Joseph Parker has a wife and seven children; one teenage son was left back in New Orleans but will join them, wife is expecting the 8th child; NAACP, Urban League, and other groups rented a house for the family and will help Joseph find a job
Source: The Newark Advocate (Newark, OH), Wednesday, March 27, 1963, page 9, “Negro Family to Move Into Home in Dayton Today."

Johnnis Watson

Origin of Ride: Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA
Destination: Hyannis Port, Barnstable County, MA
Date: Unknown
Ride Sponsored by: Unspecified
Details: Age 27 (born about 1935), a truck driver
Source: The Post Standard (Syracuse, NY), Tuesday, May 22, 1962, Page 3 "Cape Codders Claim South 'Duping Negroes"

January 2011 - East Carroll Banner Democrat Index

2011-02-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

The following names were mentioned in the January 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2011 issues of the East Carroll Banner Democrat which is published weekly in Lake Providence, LA. This is not an all inclusive names index and only represents stories that are of genealogical interest such as graduation, marriage, and birth announcements, citizen profiles, and some parish government notes. For more information, please leave a comment.

January 6, 2011
Page 3: Obituaries

Isabel Custer, Funeral: Friday, December 31, 2010 at Cox Funeral Home, Lake Providence, LA; Interment: Providence Memorial Cemetery, Lake Providence, LA
Names mentioned: Rev. Bill Bearden, A. B. "Brown" Custer, James E. McNemar, Laura Elizabeth Rollinson McNemar, James R. "Bub" Custer, Aurora Custer, Allen Custer, Judy Custer, Glenn Custer, Teresa Custer, Clyde Custer, Lisa Custer, Johnnie Faye Varner, Jerry Varner, Janet Newton, Gary Newton

Juan "JJ" Lebrija, Jr., Funeral: Friday, December 31, 2010 at Young's Funeral Home, Ferriday, LA
Names mentioned: Brother Wayne Gray, Thara Jean Lebrija, Kaleb Forest Lebrija, Juan Lebrija, Sr., Jennie Evans, Dorothy Lebrija, Michael Lebrija, Antonia Lebrija.

Patricia King Gaston, Funeral: Saturday, January 1, 2011 at Zion Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Eudora, AR; Interment: Hill Cemetery, unknown location (Arrangements by Brannum Funeral Home)

Evis Jordan Funeral: Thursday, December 23, 2010, King Solomon Missionary Baptist Church, Lake Providence, LA; Interment: King Solomon Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Lake Providence, La.

Kedric Q. Wilson, Funeral: Sunday, January 2, 2011, Lake Providence Senior High School, Lake Providence, LA; Interment: Gaither Memorial/East Carroll Baptist Association Cemetery, Lake Providence, LA

Page 4: Personality of the Week
Renee Jones

January 13, 2011
Page 3: Obituaries

Walter Henry "Cotton" Smith, Funeral: January 8, 2011, Memorial Gardens of Victory Cemetery, Victory, TX; Arrangements by Cox Funeral Home, Lake Providence, LA
Names mentioned: Mary Ann Orr Smith, Edith Ann Hager, Walter Henry Schmdit, Norma Emaline Franke Schmidt, Franke. R. Schmidt, Majorie Orr, Joy Evelyn Green, Sammy Smith, Lanell Smith, Mark Hager, Chris Hager, Michal Ann Fortenberry, Rob Fortenberry, Jeremy Smith, Romona Smith, Betty Patton, Robert Orr, Maura Schmidt, Dr. Don Bailey, Amy Hale, NP

Mrs. Reat Mays, Funeral: Monday, January 10, 2011, Progressive Chapel Baptist Church, Lake Providence, LA; Interment: Gaither Memorial/East Carroll Baptist Association Cemetery, Lake Providence, LA

Page 4: Personality of the Week
Bobby Amacker

Page 5: Wedding: Foster-Stubbs Exchanged Vows
Bobbie R. Foster and Patrick Fearance-Stubbs (See wedding announcement in December 23, 2010 issue)
Names mentioned: Bobby Foster, Sharon Foster, ChaKeitha Caldwell, Ethelyn Robertson, Gameeria Foster, Latrial Foster-Thompson, Andrieka Epting, Mo'Neetria Foster, U'Karie Hampton, Ge'Neetriana Foster-Smith, Jo Ann Ferance-Franklin, Eddie Edwards, LeRoy Threats, Tyson Thompson, Narada Foster, Clinton Reed, John Martin, McKinley Wright, Deris Foster, Frankie Dugano, Brianna Keys, Dr. Reverend Mark Sledge, Rev. Tommy E. McKeel, Sr., Kevin Thompson, Evangelist Pearly Grimes, Mrs. Dorothy Lewis, Markelean Bell, Que'Mari'Yun Smith

Page 6: Thank You Note
On behalf of the family of Lloyd W. Chapman, Jr. (Appears to be a bereavement thank you)

January 20, 2011
Page 3: Obituaries

Jack Jerry "Jeter" Gunter, Funeral: Friday, January 14, 2011, Trinity Baptist Church, Oak Grove, LA; Interment: Oak Grove Cemetery, Oak Grove, LA
Names mentioned: Rev. Roy Pepmiller, Cynthia Gunter, Everett Calvert Gunter, Donzie Melton Robertson, Carrie Gunter Robertson, Isaac Barley "Sooney" Gunter, Joe Gunter, Huey P. "Doug" Gunter, Mamie "Monk" Allred, Willie Mae "Dill" Black, Dorothy Lee Hollingsworth, Jessie Veatrice Curry, Edythe Gunter, Jack Randal gunter, Adrienne Elkins Gunter, Donna Michelle Higginbotham, Tamra Deniece Gunter, Jordan Tyler Higginbotham, Clark Gunter Higginbotham, Jackson Elkind Gunter, Jacob Henry Gunter, Jimmy Rigal, William Henry "Doll " Gunter, Johnny Gunter, David Melton Robertson, Jo Ann "Joby" Carr, Shelton "Red" Ruffin, Ricky Gunter, Jimmy Gunter, Brady Carr, Gary Crnkovic, Scott Crnkovic, Dennis Burchfield, Ben Robertson, Ernie Gunter

Mr. Buford Perry, Funeral: Thursday, January 13, 2011, Elmwood Baptist Church (Elmwood Community near Lake Providence, LA), Interment: Providence Memorial Park, Lake Providence, LA
Names mentioned: Rev. Ken evnas, Rev. Don Boyett, E. Alvin Perry, Hazel Jackson Perry, Rita Sikes, Alice Sikes Perry, Melanie Synder, Charles Snyder, Olivia Payne, Freddy Payne, Marie Snyder, Chase Snyder, Leah Snyder, Jacklyn Perry, Jami-Lynn Perry, Jake Perry, Mallory Payne Smith, Matthew Smith, Joshua Payne, Zachary Payne, Claire Payne, Abigail Payne, Noah Payne, Ella Claire Payne, Stella Fitts, JL Fitts, Shelby Perry, Dorothy Perry, Ruth Benefield, Timothy Frey, William Culverson, Marvin Hicks, Donnie Hendrix, Jessie Williamson, Gene Vernon, Lamar Perry,

Claudia Mae Evans, Funeral: Saturday, January 15, 2011, First Missionary Baptist Church, Lake Providence, LA; Interment: Gaither Memorial/East Carroll Baptist Association Cemetery, Lake Providence, LA

Page 4:
Personality of the Week
George Jackson

Hanford Earns 4.0
Names mentioned: Janice Hanford, Genester Jennings, Johnny Jennings, Otis Bolden

January 27, 2011
Page 4: Personality of the Week
Georjean Jackson

Page 6:
Memorial - Sharon (no last name mentioned)

Happy BirthdayFrederick Jackson
Names mentioned: Clarissa, Flarissa, Shatrice, Delores, Kenneth

A.C. Carlton
Names mentioned: Judy, Jimmy, and Billy

Upcoming Ancestry Reconnection Program Presentations

2011-02-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

Airport sign, Douala Airport, Douala, Cameroon, December 26, 2010
(c) 2010, ns2 photography

Looking for an in depth presentation on the recent Cameroon Ancestry Reconnection Program? Look no further! Here are some presentations that are taking place in the Bay Area.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 7pm to 9pm

Presenter: Regina Jackson

Genealogy and Heritage: Personal Experience of Exploring Genealogy

San Francisco State University, Richard Oakes Multicultural Center

Regina Jackson on the road to the Bimbia Slave Port, near Limbe, Cameroon, December 27, 2010

Saturday, March 19, 2011, 1:30pm to 2:30pm

Presenter: Nicka Smith

Cameroon Ancestry Reconnection Program

Monthly meeting of the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California,Oakland Public Library's Dimond Branch, at 3565 Fruitvale Avenue, Oakland, CA. The meeting is held upstairs.

Nicka Smith at Chutes du Lobe near Kribi, Cameroon, January 4, 2011, courtesy of Regina Jackson.

KPFA Interview: Jean Denton Thompson

2011-02-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

On Monday, February 7, 2011, research team member Jean Denton Thompson was interviewed on Women's Magazine which is a show broadcast on KPFA in Berkeley, CA. Jean was interviewed in lieu of the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides of 1961 which she participated in. For a link to the broadcast, please visit this link or press play in the embedded player. Jean's interview begins at 14:00.

Women's Magazine - February 7, 2011 at 1:00pm

Click to listen (or download)

Mugshot of Jean Denton Thompson on May 24, 1961 in Jackson, MS. Photo from Mississippi State Department of Archives and History's Sovereignty Commission Online

VIDEO: Kids Dancing at Cite de L'Enfance - ARP Program

2011-01-17T15:24:00.000-08:00

These kids were AWESOME!!! Thanks and kudos to fellow photog, Ralston Smith, for posting this video from our recent trip to our ancestral homeland of Cameroon.

dancing boy at school - kribi, cameroon from ralston smith on Vimeo.

For more pictures from this day, please visit the AfricanAncestry.Com Flickr photostream or the Time is Elastic Facebook Page.

Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr. Testimony - US Civil Rights Commission

2011-01-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

Just received from a cousin is the testimony of Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr. on September 27, 1960 in front of the US Commission on Civil Rights in New Orleans, LA. This testimony was part of a voting rights case in the area. For context, please see this link.

Vice Chairman Storey: Will you please give your full name, where you live, your age, and occupation?

Mr. Atlas: I am Francis Joseph Atlas. I live in East Carroll Parish, Lake Providence, LA., and I am a farmer.

Vice Chairman Storey. How long have you been farming?

Mr. Atlas. Well, about 15 or 20 years.

Vice Chairman Storey. Have you live in the parish all of your life, or not?

Mr. Atlas. With the exception of some few years I spent in school.

Vice Chairman Storey. Some 3 or 4 years?

Mr. Atlas. That’s right.

Vice Chairman Storey. Other than that, you have lived there all of your life?

Mr. Atlas. All of my life.

Vice Chairman Storey. What education do you have?

Mr. Atlas. Well, I finished the school at the time known as the East Carroll Baptist School, and I went to Tuskegee. There I finished a trade in brick mason plaster.

Vice Chairman Storey. That is Tuskegee Institute at Tuskegee, Ala.?

Mr. Atlas. That’s right.

Vice Chairman Storey. You completed the course?

Mr. Atlas. That’s right.

Vice Chairman Storey. How long did you spend in Tuskegee Institute?

Mr. Atlas. Three years. That was the three years I was absent from Lake Providence.

Vice Chairman Storey. Do you belong to any fraternal organization, Churches? If so, what are they?

Mr. Atlas. I am a Mason; I belong to Progressive Missionary Baptist Church. I am the superintendent of that Sunday School.

Vice Chairman Storey. Do you own your own farm?

Mr. Atlas. I do.

Vice Chairman Storey. How big is it?

Mr. Atlas. Well, my own farm is 65 acres, and I am heir to 113 acres.

Vice Chairman Storey. You own automobile or truck?

Mr. Atlas. I do. Automobile.

Vice Chairman Storey. Have you ever been arrested in your life?

Mr. Atlas. No

Vice Chairman Storey. Did you ever have any military service?

Mr. Atlas. No more than just registering to go to World War II.

Vice Chairman Storey. And were not called?

Mr. Atlas. I was not.

Vice Chairman Storey. Have you ever made any attempt to register?

Mr. Atlas. I have.

Vice Chairman Storey. When was the first time, and tell us the circumstances.

Mr. Atlas. Well as near as I can recall , the first time we made and effort to register was the primary case was broken in Texas and we went before officials - what gave Negroes the right to participate in white primaries- we went to the officials of the town and questioned them about that, and they refused us.

Vice Chairman Storey. Do you remember about what year that was?

Mr. Atlas. Well, as near as I can recall, it was in 1948.

Vice Chairman Storey. Well, did they give you any reason for not letting you register?

Mr. Atlas. Well, I would consider them random.

Vice Chairman Storey. You mean not satisfactory?

Mr. Atlas. That’s right.

Vice Chairman Storey. Did you ever make any further attempt to register?

Mr. Atlas. I did.

Vice Chairman Storey. When?

Mr. Atlas. As I recall, I believe in 1950, we went to the registration office, and I applied for a registration card, and the lady gave it to me , and I filled it out as best I knew how, and she looked at it and said it was incorrect. So as I recall-

Vice Chairman Storey. In what respect; did she say?

Mr. Atlas. She did not tell me what.

Vice Chairman Storey. All right.

Mr. Atlas. So I had to leave; so I came back on another occasion; what distance that was apart, I don’t recall.

Vice Chairman Storey. Well, about how long; a year or two?

Mr. Atlas. No; it wasn’t a year; it was right around a month or maybe 2 months.

Vice Chairman Storey. What happened then?

Mr. Atlas. I filled out the card correctly, and she told me to get three electors to identify me.

Vice Chairman Storey. Did you make an effort?

Mr. Atlas. So, I made an effort. I contacted some I thought was my friends, one man I had been doing business with-

Vice Chairman Storey. White or colored?

Mr. Atlas. No colored is registered there, so I had no ground-

Vice Chairman Storey. Did they require that you get a registered voter to identify you?

Mr. Atlas. That’s right. So they told me, one told me, politics, and he didn’t want have anything to do with it. And the other on would say “ Well, the position I hold, I couldn’t have anything to do with it.

Vice Chairman Storey. Did the registrar know you personally?

Mr. Atlas. Well, now, I really don’t feel safe in saying that she know me personally.

Vice Chairman Storey. But you back to see her two or three times, did you?

Mr. Atlas. I did. Two times.

Vice Chairman Storey. Did you have any trouble identifying yourself to the bank or stores or anybody else in your parish?

Mr. Atlas. Not that I can recall.

Vice Chairman Storey. Then when is the next time you went back?

Mr. Atlas. Well, I didn’t go back anymore.

Vice Chairman Storey. Didn’t go back anymore. Have you ever file a suit or made any further efforts with any other group?

Mr. Atlas. Well, I was with group that did file a suit in 19- I don’t remember the exact or what year it was.

Vice Chairman Storey. Was that the one Reverend Scott testified about?

Mr. Atlas. That’s right.

Vice Chairman Storey. You were a party to that suit?

Mr. Atlas. I was apart of that suit.

Vice Chairman Storey. Have you been back this year?

Mr. Atlas. Well, I was with the group, but I didn’t go before the registrar of voters because I had met so many of them, and they told me the results and I didn’t see where it was necessary.

Vice Chairman Storey. You say you were with the group. When was that? A group when?

Mr. Atlas. That was this last July; July 25th.

Vice Chairman Storey. July this year?

Mr. Atlas. That’s right.

Vice Chairman Storey. About how many went?

Mr. Atlas. About 21, as I recall.

Vice Chairman Storey. You found out that some of them couldn’t register?

Mr. Atlas. That’s right.

Vice Chairman Storey. Did any of them register?

Mr. Atlas. No, not a one.

Vice Chairman Storey. And when it came to your turn, you just gave up, did you?

Mr. Atlas. I didn’t feel it was necessary.

Vice Chairman Storey. Any questions from the commission? Father Hesburgh?

Commissioner Hesburgh. Mr. Atlas did you have difficulty registering for the Army?

Mr. Atlas. No; I did not.

Vice Chairman Storey. Any other question? Why do you want to vote, Mr. Atlas?

Mr. Atlas. I am a taxpayer. I want a voice in the government in which I live. I feel that is my constitutional right, and I just feel like it is my responsibility as a citizen to take whatever- if I can share it as a taxpayer and other reasons. I think I should vote.

Vice Chairman Storey. Well, thank you. Any other questions? If not, you may be excused.

Profile, Henry Hewlett

2011-01-15T16:41:00.000-08:00

More from the Library of Congress' Chronicling America database...

Bayou Sarah, LA, The True Democrat, November 28, 1914

Elder Henry Hewlett, the well-known colored pastor, has raised some of the largest and finest peanuts we ever saw. He did not plant a large crop however.

VIDEO: Ancestry Reconnection Program

2011-01-15T15:51:00.001-08:00

Sheriff's Sales - Children of Robert Hewlett

2011-01-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

A search of the Library of Congress' Chronicling America Newspaper Database showed the following sheriff's sale of land belonging to Henry Hewlett and Rosalie (Hewlett) Ogden, who were children of Robert Hewlett and siblings of Sarah (Hewlett) Atlas:

Bayou Sara, LA - True Democrat, January 18, 1913

State of Louisiana, Parish of West Feliciana, 24^th Jud. Dist. Court – Oran D. Brooks vs. Henry Hewlett and Rosalie Ogden. By virtue of a Writ of Seizure and sale to the Sheriff directed by the Honorable Court aforesaid, in the above entitled suit, I have seized and will offer for sale to the highest bidder at the front door of the Court House in the town of St. Francisville, LA at the hour of 11 o’clock a.m. on Saturday, January 18, 1913, the following property to wit: “The undivided ½ interest of Henry Hewlett in and to Lot No. 4 in Square No. 11 and the undivided ¼ interest each of Henry Hewlett and Rosalie Ogden in and to Lots Nos. 6, 7, and 8 and the north ½ of Lots Nos. 9 and 3 in Square No. 11, with all buildings and improvements there on.” Terms of sale – Cash with benefit of appraisement. JH Clack, Sheriff.

Bayou Sarah, LA - True Democrat, June 14, 1913

Constable’s Sale, State of Louisiana, Parish of West Feliciana, Frist. Dist. Court – Oran Dr. O.D. Brooks vs. Henry Hewlett. In obedience to a Write of Fieri Facias to me directed by the Honorable the First Justice Court in and for the Parish and State aforesaid, and in the above styled suit, I have seized and will offer for sale to the highest bidder at the front door of the Court House in the town of St. Francisville, Louisiana at the hour of 11 o’clock a.m. on Saturday, June 21, 1913, the following property to wit: “The undivided 1/8 interest of Henry Hewlett in and to Lot No. 4 in Square No. 11 in the town of St. Francisville, Louisiana” Terms of sale – Cash with benefit of appraisement. W.H. Wicker, Constable.

Other mentions of sherriff's sales:

Bayou Sara, LA - True Democrat, December 14, 1912

Bayou Sara, LA - True Democrat, December 21, 1912

Bayou Sara, LA - True Democrat, December 28, 1912

Bayou Sara, LA - True Democrat, January 11, 1913

Bayou Sara, LA - True Democrat, February 1, 1913

Bayou Sara, LA - True Democrat, February 8, 1913

Bayou Sara, LA - True Democrat, February 15, 1913

Mentions of a sale continued all the way through until June 1913. It's unclear as to whether or not the land was actually sold or if it was land that was inherited from Robert Hewlett.

Mrs. Clarice Nelson Booth, A Beautiful Murderer

2011-01-14T14:38:00.000-08:00

Finding off census year documents is an exhilarating experience, especially if you have an ancestor the died during the 9 years between a census. On the same note, one rarely expects to find a potentially sordid account of things that their ancestor did. A search of the Library of Congress' Chronicling America Newspaper Database yielded a colorful account of a trial in Lake Providence, LA that was printed in The Daily Book, a newspaper published in Chicago, IL.

The February 8, 1913 issue contains the story Mrs. Clarice Nelson Booth who was alleged to have "nearly blown the head off of" her husband, Dr. James Fleet Booth on January 23, 1913. Judge Francis Xavier Ransdell (listed as FI; brother of US Senator Joseph Eugene Ransdell), presided over the trial. Mr. Booth was alleged to be an abuser who "forced" Mrs. Nelson to marry him only weeks after his first wife had passed away. The jury ended up convicting the second Mrs. Nelson of manslaughter although Judge Ransdell requested a first degree murder conviction.

For a glimpse into the whole affair, please visit this link.

A previous printing of the story, from January 30, 1913, can be found here.

December 29, 2010 - Genealogy Index, Banner Democrat

2011-01-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

The following names were mentioned in the December 29, 2010 issue of the East Carroll Banner Democrat which is published weekly in Lake Providence, LA. This is not an all inclusive names index and only represents stories that are of genealogical interest such as graduation, marriage, and birth announcements, citizen profiles, and some parish government notes. For more information, please leave a comment.

Page 3: Obituaries
Mrs. Annie Pearl Madden Carter, Funeral: December 28, 2010 at Cox Funeral Chapel, Lake Providence, LA, Interment: Providence Memorial Park Cemetery, Lake Providence, LA
Names mentioned: Andy Carter, Jr., William Wesley Madden, Lillie Pearl Hickman Madden, Michael Ray Carter, Bobbi Joe Carter, Tommy Joe Carter, Lana Lee, Debra Hicks, Charles Hicks, Paula Lemke, Tommy Lemke, John Wyly Madden, Tom Wesley Madden, James Sullivan, Paulette Madden Pace, Loreen Hickman, Miriam Chain, Michael Lynn Brankston, Wess Carter, Koby Lee, Gabe Lemke

Page 3: Obituaries
Gwendolyn Flowers Davis, Funeral: December 29, 2010 at Brown-Holley Funeral Chapel in Oak Grove, LA
Names mentioned: Rev. Neal Rayburn

Page 4: Personality of the Week
Sherren Campbell

December 23, 2010 - Genealogy Index, Banner Democrat

2011-01-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

The following names were mentioned in the December 23, 2010 issue of the East Carroll Banner Democrat which is published weekly in Lake Providence, LA. This is not an all inclusive names index and only represents stories that are of genealogical interest such as graduation, marriage, and birth announcements, citizen profiles, and some parish government notes. For more information, please leave a comment.

Front Page: Banner-Democrat's A.C.Carlton Passes Away at 85

Page 3: Obituaries
Lloyd Waldon Chapman, Jr., Funeral: December 23, 2010 at First Baptist Church of Lake Providence, LA, Interment: Providence Memorial Cemetery, Lake Providence, LA
Names mentioned: Rev. Mitch Minson, Lloyd Waldo Champman, Sr., Hazel Leggette Chapman, Betty Chapman, Mike Chapman, Mary Francis Bush, Vincent Bush, Brian Chapman, Michael Smith, Beverly Smith, Jacob Bush, Aaron Bush, Benjamin Bush, Eddie Chapman, Diane Yocom, Joe Yocom, Joy Anne Barriett, Cecile Marzula, Eric Schroder, Tim Braswell, Michael Petowsky, Roy Ramsey, David Watson, Bodie McDonald, James Bass, Jr., James Bass, Sr.

Page 3: Obituaries
Mahala Mosby, Funeral: December 18, 2010 at Harris Funeral Home, Lake Providence, LA, Interment: King Solomon Cemetery, Lake Providence, LA
Names mentioned: Pastor Ferguson Johnson.

Page 4: Personality of the Week
Lloyd Chapman (See obituary above)

Page 5: Wedding Annoucement
Patrick L. Fearance-Stubbs and Bobbie Renee Foster
Names mentioned: Bobby Foster, Sharon Foster, Jo Ann ferance-Franklin, Eddie Edwards, Dr. Reverend Mark Sledge, Albert Campbell, Louise Campbell, Floyd Foster, Ethel Foster, Nathaniel Stubbs, Isabella Stubbs

Page 5: Graduation Announcement
Amy Amacker
Names mentioned: Major Amacker, Francis Amacker

Page 5: Local Student Named on President's List
Talisha Franklin

Page 6: Memorial
Charles Allen
Names mentioned: Angela A., Josh, Johnnie Al, Mildred A., Tina B., Delores A.

Page 6: Birthday Annoucement
Tretavious Lamar Hill
Names mentioned: Richlyn Hill, Trey James, Richard Buchanan, Willie B. Hill, Kenneth Wilson, Gloria J. Jean

Page 7: Special Christmas Section
Antonio Binder, Jr. - Other names mentioned: Antonio Binder, Sr., Kytanly Binder, Erma Clark, Eugene Clark, Larry Binder, Sr., Lakie Binder, Calvin Barnes, Sr.

Antwan A. Facen Starks - Other names mentioned: Stephanie M. Chase, Antwan A. Facen Starks, Sr., Mr. Roger Williams, Mrs. Roger Williams, William Arnold Starks, Mrs. Luana Facen Starks.

Bobby Adams, Jr. - Other names mentioned: Bridgette Taylor, Bobby Adams, Sr., Richard Butler, Essie M. Wallas, Doris Adams, Robert "Bob" Harden, Marie H. Finley, Edna Wallace

Nikaya JaNae Richardson - Other names mentioned: DeAndrea Richardson, Jamika Siggers, Myrdice Richardson, Ronnie Anderson, Grace Anderson

Ciara Chante' Johnson - Other names mentioned: Reva Siggers, Celus Johnson, III, Willie McDaniel, Judy McDaniel, Irene Johnson

Mi'Cheala Teane' Meadows - Other names mentioned: Shamonica Stewart Meadows, Michael T. Meadows, Jacqueline Virgil, Samuel Virgil, Jr., Mary Meadows, Milo Meadows

Demarcus James, Jr - Other names mentioned: Krishanda Wilson, Demarcus James, Jr., Tammy Wilson, Lionel Collins, Betty James, Arthur James, Sr.

Cadence Rae'Lynn Hopes - Other names mentioned: Aspin Stevenson, Calvin Roswell Hopes, Betty Lee, Dorothy Pitts, George Jophnikin

Sharyrea Danai Campbell - Other names mentioned: Shontae Young, Dwayne Campbell, Jr., Linda Young, Purvise Thompson, Edna Wilmore, Dwayne Campbell, Sr., Helen Brown, Essie Thompson, Curtistine Young

Traniya Ja'Nae Mays - Other names mentioned: Latoria Stanberry, Travis Mays, Jeannie Stanberry, David Alston, Linda Burks, Columbus Franklin

Ch'nya Mo'Nae Martin - Other names mentioned: tonya Martin, Cornelius Wingate, Lynette Martin, Vester Wingate, Bernice Martin, Charlie Gibson, O.D. Baker

Zi'Yunna Nascha Burks - Other names mentioned: Kimberly Burks, Andrew Hedgeman, Diana Brown, Stephon Harris, Yvette Hedgeman

December 16, 2010 - Genealogy Index, Banner Democrat

2011-01-12T12:34:00.000-08:00

The following names were mentioned in the December 16, 2010 issue of the East Carroll Banner Democrat which is published weekly in Lake Providence, LA. This is not an all inclusive names index and only represents stories that are of genealogical interest such as graduation, marriage, and birth announcements, citizen profiles, and some parish government notes. For more information, please leave a comment.

Front Page: Aldermen Alfred Young and Ray Frazier (Photo)

Page 3: Obituaries
Adele Jupe Williams, Funeral: December 11, 2010 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Lake Providence, LA; Interment: Providence Memorial Cemetery, Lake Providence, LA
Names mentioned; Father Zacarias Prakushy, rev. Bill Bearden, John Jupe, Gertrude Holecek Jupe, Dandridge Williams, Richard Ellis, Donald Glenn Clement, Ralph Jupe, Willie Mae Weissinger, Clara Jo Jupe. Pat Harvey, Pam Clement, Tracy Raymond, Brad Raymond, Amy Raymond, Pete Raymond, Shannon McCurdy, Shane McCurdy, Shay Clement, Mandy Clement, John Jupe, Jr., Gene Jupe, Reba Joy Jupe, Leona Swatzel, Diane Moore, Betty Jensen, Sarah Mardel, Harvey Mardel, Ermy Lee Jupe, Juddie Mills, James Oscar Thornton, III, David Harvey, Jim Buskirk, Bill Brady Oswalt, William Ramsey, Jr.

Page 4: Personality of the Week
Vincent Sprivy

Page 6: Birth Announcement
Names mentioned: Mit'Lasia Jermonei Martin, Shaddameia Monay Stewart, Mitchell Jerwayne Martin, Jr., Stacy R. Stewart, Walter Daniels, Nina McKinley, Mitchell Martin, Sr.

December 9, 2010 - Genealogy Index, Banner Democrat

2011-01-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

The following names were mentioned in the December 9, 2010 issue of the East Carroll Banner Democrat which is published weekly in Lake Providence, LA. This is not an all inclusive names index and only represents stories that are of genealogical interest such as graduation, marriage, and birth announcements, citizen profiles, and some parish government notes. For more information, please leave a comment

Page 3: Obituaries
Wanda Lee Hutchinson, Funeral: December 7, 2010 at New Hope Baptist Church, Monticello, LA, Interment: New Hope Cemetery, Monticello, LA
Names mentioned: Bro. Kelly Coleman, Floyd Hutchinson, Michael Uptigrove, Arnold Lee Munn, Sarah Marie Bowers Munn, Jimmy Munn, Louise Smith, Arnold Uptigrove, Charlotte Uptigrove, Floyd Hutchinson, Jr., Tina Hutchinson, Jeannette Manning, Dwayne Manning, Mark Hutchinson, Kay Hutchinson, Heath Hutchinson, Dana Hutchinson, R.L. Munn, Judy McNickel, Pam Coleman, Keith Lawerance, Paul Kirby, Paul Philley, Stacey Philley, Mark Kirkland, Timmy Philley, Dax Ballard, Lancy Berryhill.

Page 3: Obituaries
Carolyn Gibson Montgomery, Memorial Service: February 27, 2010 in Mountain Home, AR
Names mentioned: Claude F. Gibson, Sr., Elois Pippen Gibson, Gordon Montgomery, Claude F. Gibson, Jr., Brenda Gibson, Kevin F. Gibson, Rhonda Gibson, Shirley Montgomery Williams, Jim Williams, Johnnie Lou Pippen Grossman, Wesley Pippen

Page 3: Deaths
Lena Jones, Funeral: December 4, 2010 at Central Baptist Church #2, Lake Providence, LA, Interment: Lonestar Cemetery, Lake Providence, LA
Names mentioned: Pastor Knight

Page 4: Personality of the Week
Nakeia Madere

Page 5: Graduation Announcement
Tiffani Shernell Holmes, Grambling State University
Names mentioned: Sam Frazier, Queen Frazier, Sherrie Frazier Holmes Sutton, Clinton Sutton, Gregory Holmes.

Page 5: Memorial
Steve Hattaway and Rouie Hattaway, Jr.
Names mentioned: Patsy Hattaway, Jimmie Hattaway, Tammy Hattaway Madden, Nancy Hattaway Wells

Page 6: Birth Announcement
Names mentioned: Mit'Lasia Jermonei Martin, Shaddameia Monay Stewart, Mitchell Jerwayne Martin, Jr., Stacy R. Stewart, Walter Daniels, Nina McKinley, Mitchell Martin, Sr.

Page 6: Birth Announcement
Names mentioned: Cadence Rae'Lynn Hopes, Aspin Stevenson, Calvin Hopes, Betty Lee, Dorothy Pitts, George Johnikin

Page 6: Birthday Announcement
Names mentioned: Kason Rashad Campbell, Jayadra Campbell, Andrew Hedgeman, Johnnie Atkins, Jo Campbell, Yvette Hedgeman

Page 6: Terral on Deans List at LA TechNames mentioned; Hallie B. Terral

Page 7: Lake Providence Natives Recognized by Southern University's Honor's College
Names mentioned: Wilson Matthews, II, De'Junae Shaw, Larimi Williams

December 2, 2010 - Genealogy Index, Banner Democrat

2011-01-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

The following names were mentioned in the December 2, 2010 issue of the East Carroll Banner Democrat which is published weekly in Lake Providence, LA. This is not an all inclusive names index and only represents stories that are of genealogical interest such as graduation, marriage, and birth announcements, citizen profiles, and some parish government notes. For more information, please leave a comment.

Page 3: Obituaries
Mrs. Elizabeth Anne Dinger Beckett, Funeral: December 1, 2010 St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Lake Providence, LA, Interment: Lake Providence City Cemetery
Names mentioned: Father Zacharias Prakuzhy, Father Sebasian Kallarackal, Edward D. Dinger, Sr., Marie Dinger, Heather Dianne Beckett, Linda Hernandez, Christopher L. Hendrix, Shane Walker, Jr., Christopher Walker, Jason Beckett, Susanne Hendrix, Rickey Hendrix, Sr., Edward D. Dinger, Jr., Cathy Dinger, David Dinger, Kayse Dinger, Rickey Hendrix, Jr., Jeannie Hendrix, Michael Hendrix, Rachael Walker, Shane Walker, Victoria Lee, Jason Lee, Josh Hernandez, Stacy Hernandez, Courtney Blakeney, Terry Blakeney, Scott Dinger, Corey Dinger, Aimee Dinger, Michaela Moore, Karly Moore, Cissy Hendrix, Breanna Hendrix, Megen Hendrix, Rickey "Bud" Hendrix, III, Jacob Hendrix, Zach Lee, Jacob Lee, Elizabeth Hicks, Danny Barmore, Michael Barmore.

Page 3: Obituaries
Andrew Jefferson, Funeral: November 20, 2010 at Harris Funeral Home, Lake Providence, LA, Interment: Brown Cemetery, Lake Providence, LA
Names mentioned: Pastor Fudge

Page 3: Obituaries
Nazrea Leslie, Funeral: November 27, 2010 at Harris Funeral Home, Lake Providence, LA, Interment: Gaither Memorial Cemetery, Lake Providence, LA
Names mentioned: Pastor Carl L. Payne

Page 4: Personality of the Week
James Bell

Page 4: Son of Lake Providence Native Wins Race
Names mentioned: Cedric Richmond, Maple Jackson Richmond Gaines, Sidney L. Richmond, III, Daisy "Sweet" Russell, Frank Nervis, Nancy Nervis, Nancy Baker, Jerry Baker, Robert Russell, Mary Ann Russell, Charles Russell. For context on this family, please see this link, and this link.

Page 6: Happy Birthday
Names mentioned: Willington "Chance" Everfield, Clarissa Jackson, Will Everfield, Jr.

James J. Chewning, Slave Owner in Carroll Parish, LA

2011-01-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

From “Reports of Cases Argued and Adjudged in the Supreme Court of the United States Volume 10”

Page 103 - December Term 1850, Alfred C. Downs (in error) vs. Joseph Kissam. Writ of fieri facias (writ of execution after judgement obtained in a legal action for debt or damages) issued against James J. Chewning by Joseph Kissam on April 14, 1842 for “$2,336.22 besides costs, on Nancy and her child, Milley and her child, Viney and her child, Tempey and her child, Mary, Louisa, Juliana, and Charlotte, all property of the said Chewning…”

“..all the slaves in the controversy, except Juliana, were on December 21, 1839 in Carroll Parish, Louisiana and so remained until removed by the witness into Mississippi in march, 1842, in consequence of his having sold his lands in Louisiana.”

For context, please see this link.

News Coverage of the Ancestry Reconnection Program (ARP)

2011-01-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of media regarding the trip that we've found online. We'll be updating the list as we continue to find things. Some of these items are in French and can be translated using Google Translate. Information as of January 17, 2011.

African American Roots Seekers Get Triumphant Reception in Cameroon
December 23, 2010

Back To The Roots For Over 40 Cameroonian Americans
December 27, 2010
Christopher Jator, Cameroon Tribune
US-based ARK Jammers Connection –a mission-driven organization dedicated to spreading kindness and promoting intercultural dialogue through the unifying power of music– will be touring some areas of Cameroon.

BBC Podcast - Africa Today - (Free mp3 Download) - 16 minutes
December 27, 2010
Alassane Ouattara's supporters told to go on strike to force incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo to step down in Ivory Coast. A mixed progress report on the role of women in Egypt. And festive celebrations to welcome African Americans who trace their roots all the way back to Cameroon.

Retracing Ancestry After Slave Trade - Over 6,000 Americans of Cameroonian Origin Discovered
December 28, 2010
Christopher Jator, Cameroon Tribune
The Co-Founder of the American DNA Company, who uncovered the Cameroonian Americans, is part of the delegation visiting Cameroon.

African Americans Who Trace Their Roots to Cameroon Finally Arrive 'Home' (Audio Clip)
December 28, 2010
Randy Joe Sa'ah, BBC News Africa

BBC Podcast - Africa Today (Free mp3 Download) - 16 minutes
December 28, 2010
Randy Joe Sa'ah, BBC News Africa
Three West African presidents go to Ivory Coast to persuade President Gbagbo to give up power. As the death toll from Nigeria's Christmas Eve bombings rises, senior religious figures call for calm and tolerance. And the African Americans searching for their ancestral roots in Cameroon.

Americans Tracing Their Genetic Roots in Cameroon Make an Emotional Journey to a Former Slave Port (Audio Clip)
December 30, 2010
Randy Joe Sa'ah, BBC News Africa

BBC Podcast - Africa Today (Free mp3 Download) - 16 minutes
December 30, 2010
Randy Joe Sa'ah, BBC News Africa
The UN mission in Ivory Coast says post-election violence is on the decrease. Uncertainty over Sudan's Darfur peace process as the Doha talks break down. And we follow a group of African Americans as they discover their ancestral roots in Cameroon.

Philemon Yang Received the American Descendants of the Cameroonian Diaspora
(Philemon Yang reçoit des Américains descendants de la diaspora camerounaise)
January 5, 2011
Cameroon Tribune
Discovering their roots, they were met last Friday by Prime Minister Head of Government.

Regina Jackson 27 Years Serving Children
(Regina Jackson, 27 ans au service des enfants)
January 5, 2011
Steven Libam, Cameroon Tribune
Originally from Oakland, California, this woman has dedicated much of her life to educating children.

Cameroon-Americans: A Resource in Kribi...
(Camerouno-Américains : Ressourcement à Kribi…)
Steve Libam, Cameroon Tribune
January 5, 2011
The delegation of Cameroonian-Americans ended their stay in the country by the discovery of natural and historic seaside town.

Cameroonian Americans Say Goodbye
January 6, 2011
Christopher Jator, Cameroon Tribune

African Americans Travel to Cameroon to Discover Their Origins
January 7, 2011

A Historic Reconnection
January 14, 2011
Gina Paige, AfricanAncestry.Com

Photos and Video
Time is Elastic - Cameroon Ancestry Reconnection Program - Facebook Fan Page

AfricanAncestry.Com Fan Page
Photos
Video

Day 10 - Saying Goodbye, For Now

2011-01-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

The day started off slow, thankfully, as we were preparing to leave Kribi and head back to Douala in order to go back to the states. At breakfast, we learned more about the preparation for our visit to Bimbia. Our group leaders spoke about how it took three days and 15 people to clear the road for us to get to there. The bamboo bridges were also built for our group. We were also told about a portion of the site was not visited. There is an island which was where the slaves were shipped off and where boats docked on the back side so they could not be seen from the coast which could prohibit the future capture of more slaves. Our leaders actually wanted us to be able to travel to the island, which has been uninhabited for a number of years, but were told that it would take months to make it safe for visitors.

After the three hour drive back to Douala, we were given the ability to shop again at a local market. I was again grateful for the help that our group leaders provided during the negotiation process and also for the fact that I was able to capture a few pictures and video of what it looked like.

A custom made necklace that features the Bamileke stone.

Britney being helped by a local store owner

One man made an attempt to sell me some plastic gloves he had just bought from a pharmacy nearby. I laughed at him and took his picture. He seemed to think it was pretty funny too.

Next, we headed to the home of the first international top model of Cameroon for lunch. We were all amazed as we entered her home through a custom built chapel that was erected for her family and included the burial site of her father. The entire building was a sight to behold with the beautiful materials that were used as well as the presentation. The seating, the flooring, and the stained glass windows were gorgeous.

Initially, it seemed as though those who were from the Hausa, Massa, and Fulani tribes would not have the ability to meet with some of their tribal leaders during the trip due to the fact that most of these tribes reside in the Extreme North Province. But, to our surprise, our organizers were able to get representatives from these tribes and they were invited to our lunch. Attendees with DNA traced back to these tribes had the opportunity to take take pictures, converse, and exchange information with the chiefs.

The lunch that was provided was spectacular, both in taste and presentation. Many of us felt as though we were at a wedding when we noticed the decor. It was impeccable. My favorite dishes were the garlic shrimp appetizer and the tiramisu that was made by our lunch host.

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel for one last conference. At first, we all thought it was going to be a wrap up where we could speak about our experiences, and that was the case initially. Those in the group extended their heartfelt thanks to ARK Jammers for putting on such a once in a lifetime program and shared their own personal life experiences during the trip.

Then, I noticed that our group leaders were signing documents frantically. I couldn’t figure out why, so I, along with everyone else waited. We were soon introduced to a landowner, Nathan Simb, and his wife, who were from Kribi, and had made the drive out to Douala to meet us. What we heard following this sent the room into a frenzy. Mr. Simb gave every single person in the group, those who were DNA-certified, and those who were not, an INCREDIBLE gift. I am STILL in disbelief about it all, but feel SO blessed to have received this. I cried in Mr. Simb’s arms and told him over and over again, “Thank you!” I could do nothing but cry and thank God for doing something so awesome for us.

As expected, it took us more than a little while to head up to our rooms and repack our bags. Once that happened, we then headed over to a short reception at the Mayor of Douala’s office when we were greeted with “When the Saints Are Marching In.” Once in the office, we were all presented with the key to the city as well as a medallion bearing the city's name. By this time, we were all so overwhelmed with the love we received. Unfortunately, it was time for us to go to the airport.

CR with the Douala city seal.

Willia with the key to the city. This was historic considering that she was the first African American female mayor in the United States.

Our group leaders graciously lead us through the security process, which was definitely different than what we go through in the US. Each person leaving Cameroon has to pay $10,000 cfa tax. From there, you must go through regular security screening with your carry-ons two additional times.

Once we got to Brussels, we all had to go through two additional and separate screening processes. It seemed a little excessive, but of course we were all grateful because it ensured everyone's safety.

The customs process was pretty painless after we arrived at Washington Dulles although a couple people had some baggage that did not make it. To our surprise, the Cameroonian Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Joseph Bienvenue Charles Foe-Atangana, met us at the baggage claim. We were all so excited and posed for pictures with him. Lots of hugs and kisses ensued within the group as some called Dulles a hard stop and others had to continue their journey back to their homes.

For more photos, please visit this link.