Genealogy Corner with Kellie Farrish
Reparation Generation believes that racial healing requires an honest and careful understanding of the past. The exploration of genealogy offers a profound avenue for healing within the African American community, particularly in addressing the deep-seated wounds of historical trauma. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry featured an article titled “Conceptualizing Healing Through the African American Experience of Historical Trauma,” which provides critical insights into how genealogical research can serve as a catalyst for healing. The study, authored by Zulaka Henderson, Tricia Stephens, Anna Ortega-Williams, and Quenette Walton, underscores the importance of understanding historical trauma and its lasting effects on African Americans.
Historical trauma, as first identified by Lakota scholar Brave Heart in 1998, refers to the collective emotional and psychological injury over the lifespan and across generations, resulting from cataclysmic events. This trauma, largely overlooked by Western medicine, has been linked to ongoing health disparities faced by marginalized communities, including African Americans. Sotero later expanded on this, illustrating how the legacy of trauma affects health through physiological, genetic, environmental, psychosocial, and socio-economic channels, among others.
The article emphasizes that traditional healing practices and the wisdom of ancestral strategies play a crucial role in overcoming these challenges. It draws upon the work of historian Sharla M. Fett in “Working Cures: Healing and Power on Southern Slave Plantations,” highlighting how enslaved African Americans developed a collective approach to health and healing, deeply rooted in kinship and community bonds.
In today’s context, the research suggests that reconnecting with these ancestral practices through genealogy can offer a pathway to healing. Genealogical research allows African Americans to uncover their ancestors’ stories, resilience, and survival strategies. Resources like the WPA’s slave narratives and the Freedmen’s Bureau files provide invaluable insights into the lives of those who, despite having no right to self-expression, forged a vibrant society. These historical accounts offer lessons on coping with stress, self-healing in the absence of medical care, and maintaining familial ties despite the brutal realities of enslavement.
Moreover, genealogy can address the contemporary issue of historical erasure, as some states seek to legislate away the African American past. By uncovering and embracing their genealogical roots, African Americans can reclaim their history, honor their ancestors’ struggles and achievements, and harness these insights for physical and emotional healing.
Genealogy not only enriches the African American community’s understanding of their past, but also a testament to resilience and a guide for navigating current challenges. As such, genealogical research is more than a pursuit of heritage; it is an essential component of the community’s holistic healing journey.
Reparation Generation’s board member and professional genealogist Kellie Farrish is an advisory participant concerning reparations eligibility based on race or lineage for California’s AB3121 Reparation Task Force. Kellie spent 15 years helping African-American families trace their ancestry. She also facilitates workshops on transforming race narratives and dismantling systems of racial inequality. Prior to Kellie’s work in training and genealogy, she worked for 20 years in the banking and finance sector for major US institutions.