Carnival of AA Genealogy

Although I missed the Carnival of African American Genealogy the past few months..i wanted to write on the one that seemed easiest… Grandma’s Hand: Grandmothers and their influence on the family.

Mine comes from a different perspective. More tragic for those who want to know their family I suppose.

Many of you know that I have been in search for my grandfather, George Washington Bolden. He would be my father’s dad. However, trying to find him has been one of the most difficult searches to date. Maybe because he’s closer to my heart than the more distant ancestors. I don’t know who he is, but I would love to. I see the pain in my father when the subject comes up. He disparately wants to know who this man is. What child doesn’t want to know their father? Just think about all the siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts, etc that he doesn’t know. Who knows..maybe we’ve crossed paths and had no idea.

But, this is how a grandmother, a mother can change the course of your family and it’s research. That traditional relationship of grandmother and child escapes many of us in my generation. Maybe due to distance or cross words between cousins. Maybe it’s due to jealousy of how one grandchild is treated compared to others. Either way, the relationships we have are very different than those I’ve observed.