Resistance in Two Routes: Migrations Westward and Profound Family Education

This presentation explores an aspect of resistance not always emphasized: education in the form of compelling family stories and traditions that encouraged individual members to reject dehumanizing narratives as well as physical westward migrations that promoted black survival. Through a personal family history that begins before the civil war, the themes of resistance to concepts about black inferiority in intelligence, education, and culture, the beliefs are revealed. Uncovering lost voices through research and oral narratives sheds light on enduring generations of racial pride and the faith to prepare for the future.