What would compel an African-American man to spend ten years of his life tracing his family tree from the Pacific Northwest back to slavery times in Mississippi, and ultimately to its African roots? For author Stephen Hanks his quest begins with mere curiosity when he reads the obituary of his uncle, and soon blossoms into a full-blown genealogical investigation. Using standard genealogical tools-interviews, census records, and other sources-he delves into the past, soon finding that he must follow two families, his own and that of those who held his ancestors in bondage. The search takes on...
What would compel an African-American man to spend ten years of his life tracing his family tree from the Pacific Northwest back to slavery times in M...