WEBVTT - 112523 Way Black History Fact - Family Reunions are a Slavery-Based Tradition

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<v Speaker 1>Right now though, it's time for the Way Black History Fact.

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<v Speaker 1>In today's Way Black History Fact, we're going to talk

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<v Speaker 1>about the Black origins, the family union. There's always The

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<v Speaker 1>Way Black History Fact is sponsored by Underground Beach Club.

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<v Speaker 1>From the Streets to the Beach. For the latest in beachwhere,

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<v Speaker 1>visit Underground Beach Club dot com. All right, So just

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<v Speaker 1>in time for well, I guess it might be a

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<v Speaker 1>little past Thanksgiving now, but you know, families are getting

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<v Speaker 1>together in time for Thanksgiving, holidays, the holiday seas and

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<v Speaker 1>then of course Christmas. You know, Thanksgiving, families getting together.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to share a bit from the National Museum

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<v Speaker 1>of African American History and Culture slash Smithsonian. All right.

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<v Speaker 1>As waves of emancipation swept through the country, coinciding with

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<v Speaker 1>the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, guaranteeing enslaved individuals their freedom,

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<v Speaker 1>many African Americans sought to reunite with lost family members

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<v Speaker 1>and to define family roles and responsibilities in ways they

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<v Speaker 1>belie best suited their new circumstances. Their efforts highlighted the

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<v Speaker 1>importance of family as a as foundational to their status

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<v Speaker 1>as free people. With the end of slavery, Searching for

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<v Speaker 1>family members who had been separated or sold away became

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<v Speaker 1>the focus of many formerly enslaved individuals. The number of

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<v Speaker 1>years of separation did not deter people from hoping to

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<v Speaker 1>reunite with lost loved ones. Wow newspaper advertisements, letters, and

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<v Speaker 1>word of mouth were all employed as part of the search.

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<v Speaker 1>The hope was that a positive response might lead to

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<v Speaker 1>a reunion with family members. However, the transition to a

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<v Speaker 1>freedman was not an easy one. Enslaved individuals had been

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<v Speaker 1>stripped of their names, rights, and identity. This created numerous

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<v Speaker 1>challenges as families, married, couples, parents, and children attempted to

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<v Speaker 1>locate one another. Enslaved individuals often have names selected for

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<v Speaker 1>them by their enslaver. Freedom provided the opportunity to make

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<v Speaker 1>a choice, pick a new name or retain the previous one.

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<v Speaker 1>Many individuals chose to adopt a new name that represented

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<v Speaker 1>their new status and desire to control how others addressed them.

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<v Speaker 1>Formal marriage ceremonies were not encouraged by slaveholders and were

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<v Speaker 1>a rarity for the enslaved. With freedom, many formerly enslaved

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<v Speaker 1>men and women participated in official ceremonies to reinforce their

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<v Speaker 1>commitment to one another or for legal purposes. As husbands

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<v Speaker 1>and wives, they also renegotiated their roles together. As free people,

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<v Speaker 1>African American women faced a struggle to gain respect for

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<v Speaker 1>their rights as wives, mothers, and women both within and

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<v Speaker 1>outside their communities. Their quest for equal status was questioned.

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<v Speaker 1>Among other things, they were denied the right to vote,

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<v Speaker 1>scrutinized if they chose not to work, and subjected to

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<v Speaker 1>harassment and physical abuse. Defining and defending their place within

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<v Speaker 1>American society remained a challenge throughout the years after the

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<v Speaker 1>end of slavery. Enslaved parents had no legal rights to

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<v Speaker 1>that their children their offspring could be taken away and

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<v Speaker 1>expected to obey the orders of others despite the preferences

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<v Speaker 1>of their parents. As free people, African Americans resisted outside

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<v Speaker 1>efforts to undermine their parental authority or to take children

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<v Speaker 1>away through court order to apprenticeships to a white person.

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<v Speaker 1>They wanted to ensure their influence and love were the

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<v Speaker 1>most important factors in their children's lives, while newly freed

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<v Speaker 1>endeavored to reunite with their loved ones. Despite these challenges,

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<v Speaker 1>in many cases, newspapers and letters weren't enough to prompt

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<v Speaker 1>a reunion. Ultimately, the separation of family proved to be

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<v Speaker 1>so affected effective a tool of oppression to disempower African

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<v Speaker 1>Americans that its legacy persisted long after the abolishment of slavery.

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<v Speaker 1>The drive to discover and reinforce family connections has continued

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<v Speaker 1>to guide the African American community through the tradition of

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<v Speaker 1>family reunions. At these celebratory events, family histories recounted, traditions

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<v Speaker 1>are taught, and bonds are strengthened through shared memories. Reunions

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<v Speaker 1>often held in significant places where a family has historical

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<v Speaker 1>roots or where a new generations have moved and thrived.

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<v Speaker 1>So now you know the slave based African American roots

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<v Speaker 1>to family reunions, it was a necessity, and now all

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<v Speaker 1>people enjoyed food for thought. There