Marcia talks about how the Clotilda, the last ship that transported slaves after their trade from Africa was abolished, carried the captives who bought land to create Africatown in Alabama, where her father lived; disheartened learning her ancestors did not come from the Clotilda; her pipe smoking maternal great grandmother, Deland, chopping off a white man's foot after being called a name while enslaved; the death certificate of her white maternal grandfather Moses Wilson's enslaved mulatto mother, Lillian James, listing Lillian’s father as "Yank", his black family’s nickname, instead of his real name Frances or Frank, causing three years of being denied for application to the Daughters of the American Revolution; Yank having children with another mulatto woman who lived with him, willed to him by his father with instructions to allow them to live as free and white as possible, but children not liking the way whites were treating people so marrying black, Yank listed as Frank on their death certificates, meeting their descendants; Moses having two children with her black grandmother, but also a white family with six children; Lillian, descendant of Revolutionary War patriot John James, having ten children with European James (Jimmy) Wilson who had a white wife and children who likely wrote him off as dead; connecting with present-day white families of Moses and Jimmy but Yank’s white family disconnecting once they discovered she was black. She shares oral history about growing up in Mobile, Alabama; several years during her childhood, her mother being away at college in Montgomery, unable to attend locally due to segregation; the National Guard at her high school during desegregation, clearing campus early each day after breaking up fights, her brother standing in the corner of the cafeteria eating gumbo amidst fighting; working for Eastern Airlines in Atlanta, Georgia for 17 years, now an operations manager; interested in genealogy in 1976 when pregnant with first child, born on the last day of "Roots"; Deland enslaved by Robert Moffett, sold to Mississippi, daughter Delphine marrying John Beard, descendant of 2nd great grandfather William Beard who was formerly enslaved having 200+ acres of land, a logging company, 22 kids, four wives including a Moffett, starting a church in a community called Moffettville; visiting present-day town; mother's birth certificate not listing Moses as the father, never married grandmother; white descendants of Jimmy's father, Albert Jackson, who owned over 500 acres and slaves, thinking Jimmy died in 1891 as written in their family Bible and "Your Inheritance" book by a cousin which documented family to Charlemagne and Revolutionary War patriot Joshua Wilson, under which she joined DAR, who became a Methodist minister and built a school; their family taking her to cemeteries and churches; finding a 1900 death record for Jimmy, so alive when grandfather born in 1896; white cousins affirming great aunt had stories she wouldn't share; paternal great grandfather Emp Green, U.S. Colored Troop in AL; patriots Mark Harwell and Joel Rivers of Virginia; becoming close to white state officer from AL in GA DAR also descending from patriot Joshua Wilson; reaching out to chapters in Decatur, GA; "I cannot change the past. Without it, I wouldn't be here, I am embracing the good and focused on bettering the future"; connection with black Daughters important since doing similar research; joining DAR to prevent research from being lost; being uncomfortable with some chapter programs about the Confederacy; “some individual women have more learning to do about people of color but the organization stands for all people”; "I am an American".
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Born in Mobile, AL; staying with paternal grandmother during the 1st and 2nd grades and father in 5th and 10th grades during school year while mother attending college in Montgomery, unable to attend locally in Mobile due to segregation
Mother's pursuit of degree hard on her and family; crying at train station; witnessing mother's determination instilling it is possible to achieve anything
Growing up in segregated South, everyone black except paternal grandfather
First year in desegregation as a high school senior; National Guard at school, clearing campus early each day after breaking up fights among boys from racial attacks, asking her to leave, brother in cafeteria eating gumbo amidst fighting
Cheerleading; as a senior, option to return to all black school but father not allowing because brother only able to attend the integrated school and she needed to drive him because he didn't have transportation
Applying to Spelman college to become a home economics teacher but friend convincing her to go to Atlantic Airline Personnel School, for a chance to travel; working for Eastern Airlines in Atlanta for 17 years, now operations manager
Sunday school teacher and director of women's mentoring program at church
Becoming interested in genealogy in 1976 when pregnant with first child, born on last day of "Roots"; father from Africatown, land bought by captives of Clotilda, last ship that transported slaves after their trade from Africa abolished
Paternal great grandfather Emp Green, a U.S. Colored Troop in Alabama
Great grandmother, Deland, chopping off a white man's foot while enslaved by Robert Moffett; her daughter Delphine marrying John Beard, descendant of formerly enslaved William Beard having 200+ acres, logging company, 22 kids, 4 wives including a Moffett
White maternal grandfather Moses Wilson, his mulatto mother Lillian James having 10 children with European James (Jimmy) Wilson, descendant of patriot, who had a white wife and children; connecting with mother's white half siblings
Lilly, enslaved in Alabama, but not by Jimmy, her mother listed as Esther Savage and father Yank Jimmy on death certificate as told by daughter; Jimmy Wilson being justice of the peace
White descendants of Jimmy's father, Albert Jackson, who owned over 500 acres & slaves; thinking James died in 1891 as written in family Bible and "Your Inheritance" book by cousin documenting family to Charlemagne and Rev. War patriot Joshua Wilson
Mother's sister writing off absent father Moses who had two children with black grandmother, daughter of Delphine and John Beard, but also a white family with six children; finding his white wife and meeting descendants of mother's white half siblings
Finding five patriots but instead initially applying to document Lilly's line because she was an ex-slave but DAR not accepting since her death certificate listed white father as "Yank", his black family nickname, instead of real name Frances or Frank
Yank having children with another mulatto woman who lived with him, willed to him by father with instructions to allow them to live as free and white as possible, but children not liking the way whites were treating people so marrying black
Meeting descendants of Yank's children with the other mulatto woman at their family reunion
Initial DAR application through John James, the 3rd great grandfather of Yank but also had patriots Col. Matthew Singleton, and Isham Moore and John Derrington, signers of documents
Disheartened ancestors weren't from the Clotilda and all black ancestors were slaves then proud grandfathers fought for U.S. to become a country, "I can't change past. Without it, I wouldn't be here, embracing the good, focused on bettering future"
Revolutionary War patriot Joshua Wilson from West Moreland, VA, then moved to NC, serving 6 terms, ending with Guilford Courthouse battle, marrying Barbara Roper then moving to AL, becoming a Methodist minister, building a school
John Roper, son of Joshua Wilson who had a few slaves, building a boat, carrying lumber on river, having a large farm with many slaves
Mark Harwell and Joel Rivers of VA, proven supplemental patriots, both giving goods; excited to see them all coming together as a community in Clark County Alabama; looking to buy pieces of jeweler ancestor Jehu Scott
Starting DAR application in 2014 under John James to document family lineage since DAR will keep the information forever and only accept it if found to be correct; preventing the information from many years of her research from being lost
Upset DAR would not accept Yank, stopping attending meetings because becoming too attached to members then, DAR genealogists asking for another patriot, being admitted under Joshua Wilson; finding 5 patriots on Yank's line
Kicking self for trying for three years to provide lineage but was insistent on documenting Lily James first because she was enslaved, still not working out, trying using DNA evidence but Yank's white family disconnecting once discovered she was black
Concerned about joining in GA, been there more than more than 49 years; white members assuming her patriot was black
Aunt, sister, two black GA DAR members Del Jupiter and Nikki Williams Sebastian attending new member welcome ceremony; being fourth known woman of color in GA DAR; connection with black Daughters important since so much in common doing similar research
Chapter inviting her and her guests to lunch after new member welcome ceremony during which aunt was convinced to join but passed before doing so, waiting on her daughter to apply
Not knowing what to expect joining; enjoying except some Daughters also members of United Daughters of the Confederacy, uncomfortable since some chapter programs were about the Confederacy, voiced concern and since corrected
Meeting and becoming very close to white state officer from AL in GA DAR also descending from patriot Joshua Wilson, who accepted the story and shared that other white family members wouldn't, holding her hand through first DAR conferences
Unaware about DAR work with veterans, being impressed; wanting to be sure DAR accepted all that qualify, and not accepting just a few blacks, some individual woman have more learning to do about people of color but organization stands for all people
Serving as Historian, chapter officer
Sister joining DAR; joining Daughters of the Union, Colonial Dames, Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims, Jamestowne Society, and Sons and Daughters of Middle Passage
Sons being in SAR and helping grandchild apply
Being a member of DAR means showing family has been here since start of nation and "I am an American"
