Have you ever wanted to journey across cultures? Explore taboo conversations? Visit places that carry the mystique of adventure? Capture priceless memories? Contemplate the reconciliation of past wrongs and hurts? This book is a follow-up to The Marshall Legacy in Black and White about my paternal Marshall ancestors from the Deep South. DNA testing opened the secrets to my tangled historical past. Scores of genetic relatives uncovered family trees back 1,000 years in Europe.
Normally, I travel by myself to research the locations where my ancestors lived. Then I write a twenty-page photo book about the genealogy trip. But my May 2021 trek to Georgia and Alabama was unlike any other. DNA Cousin Amy wanted to travel with me! What resulted were two Welcome Family to the Table events with White and Black relatives who share the Marshall surname.
Imagine feeling free to ask family members whose skin tone and thinking differs from yours questions about their lives, loves, and dreams. Breaking bread together at a meal and finding common ground can lead to a productive experience.
Oh? Your people lived in Georgia and Alabama too? Are you also interested in taking a genealogy trip to your ancestral homelands? Well, this book presents snapshots of our journey. It also includes a plethora of Lessons Learned. Sixteen steps can help you structure a similar event for your family.
Part I invites you to tour Georgia, as we trace the migration of our common Marshall ancestors. Part II explores Alabama, to illuminate the lives of my ancestors in Tuskegee after slavery expired. Part III contains several tools people can use to plan their own genealogy trip, family reunion, or Welcome to the Table affair.
Don't you think it's time to broaden our understanding of each other and write our communal stories? The ancestors are smiling!
Kathy Lynne Marshall was a researcher, analyst, and technical writer for 36 years for the California Highway Patrol. Her passion is writing family heritage books, having published several award-winners on Amazon, and her website: www.KanikaMarshall.com. Each of her books contains a "Solving Your Mystery" chapter or appendix full of hints and tips on how to research and write YOUR family story. Her motto is "Say their names and write their memories. The ancestors are smiling!"
