Comments about ‘Three thousand people attend Henry Grow reunion’

A few years ago I helped a family find information on their ancestors. I was very surprised at how emotional they became when I presented them with copies of two letters from a Great Great Grandfather. To me the letters were mildly interesting, but to them they were a vital link to the past and part of who they were. I think I understand my African-American friends and their longing for a link to their West African heritage. Slaveholders made a concerted effort to eradicate any sense of the past so it couldn't be used as a unifying principle for slave rebellions. It never occurred to me before how cruel it is to rob someone of their past.