Georgia
Georgia Tech students help Savannah woman trace her lineage back 6 generations, despite the impacts of slavery
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Georgia Tech students have helped a Savannah woman trace her lineage back six generations, despite the overwhelming impacts of slavery.
It is one thing to know history from a textbook, it is another to know your own: where you came from, what stories have made you who you are, what kind of people have come before you.
“Trace your ancestry. Even if it is not for you or you aren’t interested in it- maybe your kids are, maybe your grandkids will be one day,” said Kenyetta Harris, who is currently living in Savannah.
If you are an African American, tracing your ancestry can be brutal because of the vicious impacts of slavery.
“Everyone has the right to know where they come from, but not everyone has that luxury,” Georgia Tech student Haley Evans said.
Dr. Christopher Lawton is a professor at Georgia Tech. The school doesn’t have a history major, but passionate STEM students sign up to help him dig up history and tell the stories of enslaved peoples in Georgia. He has been doing this work for years.
“It gave me such a newfound appreciation for people who do this kind of work because of how hard it is,” Evans said.
“Some histories of the past that leave some stories out or some people out aren’t good for anyone,” Dr. Lawton said.
Dr. Lawton was connected with Kenyetta Harris, who has been trying to trace her roots.
“You are trying to put together this puzzle but eventually you realize you can’t put together all of the pieces because some of them are always going to be missing,” Evans said.
“It took me a moment. It really brought me to tears. I just couldn’t believe it,” Harris said.
The students in his class, with guidance, were able to dig six generations back into Kenyetta’s family.
“Listening to the students tell the story of Cyrus, Sukey, Emmanuel, Candace and all the other family members that were enslaved. It really brought me to tears,” Harris said.
“To know where you come from is a privilege. Having some names, stories, even an area to tie that to can really make a difference just in the way that you walk, the way that you talk and the way that you carry yourself throughout this world,” said Georgia Tech student Andrea Lewis.
“We are telling the story more fully and more openly and more accurately, I think that is good for everyone,” Dr. Lawton said.
By clicking on the Georgia Tech story, you can hear students reading the histories of several members of Kenyetta’s family.
The findings will be added to Dr. Lawton’s Seen/Unseen website. The website is set up for his book Seen/Unseen: Hidden Lives in a Community of Enslaved Georgians. You can go there now and learn about the histories of dozens of enslaved Georgians.
Copyright 2025 WANF. All rights reserved.
GEORGIA, Ga. (WALB) — A new bill introduced to the Georgia Senate could create a constitutional amendment to restrict voting to legal U.S. citizens.
The bill, Senate Resolution 4EX says, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people.”
If passed, Georgians will vote on the constitutional amendment in the November election.
Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger said “I have been calling on the legislature for years to pass this amendment to the state constitution. I am glad to see the legislature finally act to ensure only American citizens are voting in our elections.”
According to Raffensperger, Georgia was the first state in the nation to conduct citizen verification of voter rolls. Since 2022, Raffensperger’s office conducted two citizenship audits of Georgia’s voter rolls.
SR 4EX Text
“Casting a vote is one of the most important elements of American citizenship. Any illegal vote dilutes the value of a citizen’s lawfully cast ballot. U.S. Citizens should decide Georgia elections. Period. I urge the legislature to pass this important legislation.”
The state uses information from the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) to identify people who are non-citizens. This data is based on documents provided to DDS, through its REAL ID drivers licenses or state identification cards.
That information is also ran through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify an individual’s citizenship status.
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Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.
The Oklahoma Sooners left no doubt in their 11-4 win over the Georgia Bulldogs to advance to the College World Series finals. It is OU’s second trip to the finals since 2022 but this one feels far more improbable.
A bubble team toward the end of the regular season and down 8-2 in an elimination game against Georgia Tech, Oklahoma has defied the odds and powered its way to the finals in Omaha. On Wednesday night, the Sooners hit five home runs against a Bulldogs team that led the nation in home runs per game this season.
Jason Walk got the home run party started, and Dasan Harris hit a pair of two-run bombs to help Oklahoma separate from one of the best teams in college baseball.
From the mound, freshman Nick Wesloski put together a strong performance for the Sooners, allowing just one earned run in 5.2 innings pitched. L.J. Mercurius worked 3.1 and allowed just one earned run against the vaunted Georgia offense.
Everything is clicking for Oklahoma heading into the finals, which begins on Saturday. They’ll face a good North Carolina Tar Heels for all the marbles. But before we get to the championship series, here’s a look at how social media reacted to the Sooners win over Georgia.
Playing for a Natty
Incredible Job by Skip Johnson
Definition of Team
Just Unreal
Got Hot at the Right Time
The Moment from the Dugout
Freshmen Phenoms
Nothing Easy, Everything Earned
Team of Destiny?
Exceeding All Expectations
Dasan Harris is that Dude
Incredible Story
Sooner Magic is alive and well
Playing for a trophy
Time to lay it all on the line
Just doing ridiculous things
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
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