MSNBC had an excellent program on last night, consisting of a remarkable documentary followed by a panel discussion. Probably many of you saw it, and I recommend it to those who did not see it when it was first shown. Senator Obama called for an honest discussion of race a few weeks ago, and this program is a good place to start. A young African-American man from Newark, David Wilson, learns that his ancestors were slaves in rural North Carolina. He also learns that he has family still living in that same community, and that a descendant of his ancestors' owners is also named David Wilson and lives in that area. I will not rehash the details here, but the initial meeting and the process of the two David Wilsons getting to know each other is very interesting. It is also emotionally satisfying, because in their very different ways, both David Wilsons are very likeable.
On a personal level, the documentary had meaning for me, because I am a descendant of slave owners. Back around 1990, I visited the Virginia State Library in Richmond and came across a privately published collective biography of my mother's family. When I got back home to Chicago, I tried to locate the author of the book. [The book, by the way, claimed that my ancestors treated their slaves with kindness and dignity, although I doubt that anybody solicited the opinions of the slaves on this matter.] The family lived for generations in Caroline County, Virginia. The directory assistance operator (no sophisticated internet in those days) did not have a listing for the author's name, but she had a listing for a man in town with the same surname. OK, I said, I try that. She gave me the phone number, and I called the man up. When he answered, I gave him my name, told him I was calling from Chicago, that I was doing some genealogical research, and that my mother's family (same surname as his) lived for several generations in that same community. Then, he said something I had not expected. "These relatives you are looking for... they are probably Caucasians, right?" Well, I had not consciously thought about it, but yes, that would certainly be my guess. "I'm black," he told me. Then, he added, "Come to think of it, I did know Margaret (the author of the family history), and her brother, Richard. Both of them are now deceased." I thanked him for the information, apologized for my weird phone call, and said good-by.
In retrospect, I may have kicked away a good educational opportunity. I am seldom in that part of the country, but having now seen the David Wilson documentary, I have got to at least look into the possibility of a visit. My own opinion regarding long ago ancestors is that I take no personal credit, nor personal blame, for whatever they did. Having said that, the legacy of our past generations continues to have its effects, good and bad, on the present. Gaining further understanding of that legacy is, as Martha Stewart might say, a good thing.
