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.

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