Charleston, South Carolina
In partnership with R.B. Stall High School, experts on Gullah history and culture, and local genealogist volunteers, students in North Charleston are learning valuable research and analytic writing skills, building their family trees, and placing their ancestors into a larger context of local, national, and international history. Capitalizing on the significance of ancestry, and the rich history and culture among Gullah people in Charleston, SC, the young family history researchers are positioned to experience significant gains related to their academic skills, community engagement, leadership ability, and identity development.
Ancestors unKnown's first U.S. students
The Ancestors unKnown curriculum is incorporated into the R.B. Stall High School Essentials of English class, merging English skills, history knowledge, and ancestry research. The curriculum celebrates the lives of Charleston's Black ancestors, who are better understood through the context of a larger African Diaspora. Students are led to understand local, national, and global histories as these concepts relate to their ancestry.
Genealogy research exposes students to potentially incredible discoveries of their unknown ancestors. To build their family trees, students exercise the valuable skills of archival research, interviewing, critical thinking and analysis.
Classroom sessions are complemented by workshops at historically- significant locations in the Charleston area, including local archives. Students are encouraged to analyze the significance of these locations for their research, and for the lives of their ancestors.
For updates from participants, check out Ancestors Blogging.
Paramaribo, Suriname
In 2013, in partnership with Naks Suriname and the Moravian Church (Evangelische Broeder Gemeente in Suriname, or EBGS), Ancestors reached 13 young people in Paramaribo, Suriname. Participants were familiarized with their Afro-Surinamese ancestors, history and culture through personal family history research, historical knowledge, and cultural workshops. Themed meetings alternated between archival ancestry research and historically-relevant workshops that were creatively-driven and discussion-based.
We relied on a unique partnership between Naks and EBGS to launch the project. Staff and participants from both organizations represented diverse histories of Suriname's ancestors.
Genealogy research sessions were led by the EBGS team, sharing the knowledge and expansive resources of the Moravian Church. Participants also conducted their research with assistance from Het Nationaal Archief Suriname (the National Archives of Suriname).
Cultural and historical workshops were hosted by Naks. Guest experts were invited to lead discussions and hands-on activities to inspire a better and well-rounded understanding of the lives of Afro-Surinamese ancestors.
Topics Included:
Topics Included:
- Migrations: Understanding the African and Surinamese Diasporas
- Religions: Emergence and divergences of Winti and Christianity
- Languages: History of Sranan Tongo and local Maroon languages
- Visual arts: Historical look at Surinamese painting and photography
|