Genealogy and Family History of Enslavement | Jacquelyn Wright Palmer, PhD | TEDxDayton

How far is the distance between being proud of one’s black ancestry and being proud of one’s ancestors who were enslaved? For Jackie, the journey to bridging the divide was one of genealogical discovery, taking her to the courthouse, the historical society, and the public library of a small Kentucky town. There, she and her family members discovered the documents that told the story of her great-great-grandfather, Franklin Dale. Hear Jackie’s story and see the old documents whereby Franklin, born enslaved in 1810, first obtained his own freedom and then later purchased the freedom of his wife and children. His story is a quintessential story of America’s complicated heritage of liberty. Jacquelyn Wright Palmer, an educator who retired from teaching at Wright State University and a former administrator at Dayton Public Schools, embraces what it means for her to lean on her genealogy to connect to her ancestors in a way that would keep her family’s history alive and well. Her passion for this came from her own mentor and uncle, Walter L. Wright Sr., who instilled in her what the stories behind the documents really mean. Jacquelyn received her master’s degree in teaching from Andrews University and her PhD in business administration from University of Cincinnati. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@michellemounts6677]

THIS was absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

[@jeanneraines2662]

This stirred my (incipient) tears and full heart for you.

[@cairylester]

Jackie slayed that!!!!