Connecting to African roots

History is a strange thing that is personal and shared, family researchers were told Saturday.

In celebration of Black History Month, the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society sponsored a research day at the Family History Library in downtown Salt Lake City to help black Americans connect to their roots. To begin the day, Wilfred Samuels, an associate professor of English and ethnic studies at the University of Utah, shared insights into the life of one man, Olaudah Equiano.

Samuels drew from the story of Equiano as a way to inspire a positive retrospective into African history for those setting out to discover the legacy of their own family tree.

Equiano was brought to the American Colonies toward the close of the 16th century to work as a slave in Virginia. After years of servitude and being bought and sold by multiple masters, Equiano was eventually able purchase his freedom when he was in his 20s. He made every effort to educate himself and became an active writer and businessman over the years, and in England his autobiography served as a catalyst for the abolition of slavery, though he did not live long enough to see it become law.

"Equiano allows us to understand his culture was rich," Samuels said. "And there is no reason to not look back on the past with joy and pleasure, how deep is the river, it's endless."

In his writings Equiano described Africa as a nation of dancers, musicians and poets. Samuels encouraged those beginning their research to envision those ancestors who were forced into slavery as Equiano did, because history and many writers had depicted them as mere items.

For some of those in attendance at the Family History Library, the decision to delve deeper into their past was simple. Sybil Ellis, a resident of Santaquin and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, became involved in genealogy research because her faith encourages members to know as much as they can about their family. Yet, after hearing stories from her parents, she said she was hooked.

"It's very exciting when you find the name of family," Ellis said. "The stories get more personal because you can put a face to a name."

By searching for her family's past, Ellis said, she has reconnected with distant relatives and discovered a rich personal history from their stories. However, after years of work, Ellis reached a point where she couldn't find any more names, but she still had questions she wanted answered. Ellis attended research classes at the Family History Library on Saturday so she could learn new techniques to discover how her ancestors arrived in Barbados. She is unsure if they arrived as slaves or as free people of color, but she is confident she can find the answers.