Once you leave, it becomes a matter of life or death to be found out as "passing" during those times. My great grandmother has siblings who left Louisiana and Arkansas in this same way, never to return. Only writing letters. What a strong person that takes. Blessings to you all
Oh my gosh, I got shivers reading this comment. Makes me emotional every time to read similar experiences. SO much pain and fear. So glad you found the channel, thank you for sharing :)
There has to be an overwhelming sense of guilt to abandon and to deny one's own family life long...choices have consequences. Having a family history of enslavement and having great grandparents who are a products of rape. There were family on both sides of my parents who could have passed but choose not to pass. We still live in the area that my family was enslaved and where the enslaved on my mother's side are buried.
My name is Anthony Griffith, I read your posts and was impressed with your honesty and awareness I was born in London, England and my parents are from the Caribbean My father was born in Barbados, his great grandfather was a white,English colonel on his paternal side,the other family descended from slaves. My mother was from Jamaica, her father was a Chinese indentured laborers, her mother descended from slaves My mother changed her name from Yung to Young before she left Jamaica to move to England where she stand married my father. I too never was told anything about my ancestry until I got older and inquisitive, like you😂 May your amazing spirit keep guiding you Blessings 🙏🙏🙏
I just came across this video. So interesting!! DNA tests have revealed many families secrets. Like you I've been interested in family history since my teens. I'm in my 50's now and I did a Ancestry DNA test 4 years ago out of curiosity as to where my ancestors came from. Besides that I also found out that my father is not my biological father. It was shocking and yet my childhood started making sense. It was always puzzling to me why I didn't grow up with my father but my two older sisters did. My mother never talked about it besides giving me vague excuses. I would visit my paternal grandmother in the summer but my father would never come around. It always seemed strange and like a rejection. Now I know why. I later found out that his best friend knew I was not his daughter but assumed I knew otherwise he would have told me. If that wasn't painful enough I found my biological father's identity and that he was a violent alcoholic. I have a brother and a sister that were his children. He left his family when his kids were in their teens. He moved across the country so they could never find him. They, of course, were devastated by his violence and yet also by his abandonment. I have learned through my digging that when he served, at 17, in WWII he was on a ship that picked up dead bodies in the ocean and from land battles in the pacific. His military records show that after the first mission of doing this he became a heavy drinker and was always in trouble. I believe he was traumatized by those experiences and as the years went by became a violent alcoholic. As you said in this interview, as you find out more information it's hard to judge your ancestors. We don't know why they did what they did. As we learn more we actually can have compassion for what they went through and why they kept secrets. It reminds me of Holocaust survivors and the fact they kept what they went through from their children because it was so painful. They didn't want to expose their children to the horrors they experienced. It was an honorable intention but as they pass away some of those stories are lost forever. I truly believe that if everyone in the world knew how we are a DNA mix of each other we would have less prejudices, less hatred, less war and more compassion, understanding and love in the world. Thank you for your video.
Wow thank you so much for commenting! Im glad you found the channel. i agree with you, there is space for a beautiful change to happen now that we can "prove" just how connected we all are. Im grateful to be a part of that.
Your Mom ended this video with an amazing observation. She is watching this epic unfolding on UA-cam and "OMG, that is my family!" This research can become so many wonderful things and I'm thankful that you chose to share it and the YT algorithm put you in my feed. Excellent work, Danielle. ❤
You are the best-- thank you for that comment. My mom is a great sport with all of this-- it's challenging for many who go through life as one thing and find out your heritage is also mainly another! But she has loved hearing everything-- even when it's a 2 am text from me!
I love your docuseris. It is always amazing to me when families or the general public can't see their ethnic mixtures or choose to ignore it. Coming from a multicultural family and having family members that can 'pass' in society, it's easy for me to see the mixtures. For those that chose to pass at that time, it was about survival and not wanted to be discriminated against.
@@nytn I started working on my family tree some time ago and stop. This has really motivated me to start back and document the journey. I'm planning trips to my grandparents birth cities for 2023. I'm not sure if I'm ready for the emotional lows, but the highs will keep me going.
Hi Danielle! I’ve been binge watching your channel today. It’s inspired me to take an Ancestry DNA test because there are things that I feel have been hidden in my family history on both my maternal and paternal sides. Thank you for sharing your family story! By the way, you really favor your great grandmother Lola! Sending you love!
Amirah, that is awesome!! Im so glad you found the channel. Let me know what your results are! I think there are many people with generations of hidden heritage. Also I just posted a follow up interview with my brother you might like: ua-cam.com/video/gmcZ881d-RA/v-deo.html
Just an FYI - data on race is collected in part to identify disparities between people of different backgrounds, and to track whether or not those disparities are increasing or decreasing over time.
I do see that intent of it, i just think that someone like me who can check like...4 boxes off? I dont know if that's helping the way they want it too. I usually just skip that section now...
Love this series. DNA testing gave me a deep family mystery as well. I grew up white but I always knew my fathers family was different somehow. My ancestry results show Nigerian, Congolese and South American indigenous results. Of course I am mostly of Scottish/English ancestry, but these results point to my grandmother being probably one quarter black. The big mystery is the South American indigenous. I think my ancestor was probably from Guyana at some point. Anyway, it was so refreshing to hear y’all talk about your heritage. Talking about all the historical events that have to happen in order to be born is something I think about everyday. Knowing that there is so much pain and tragedy in this history makes me mindful of how I live my life and appreciate the freedom I enjoy. Thank you for sharing ❤
Elizabeth, thank you so much for sharing your story. I absolutely love connecting over these experiences. We are on this journey together and just getting started!
@@nytn yes! It is an emotional journey and very overwhelming sometimes. It often feels very lonely. Watching your videos made me feel like I’m not alone 💕
Omg, as I was reading your comment, before I got down, I looked at your picture and said you look like my uncle's wife. We are Guyanese. After I read indigenous from South America, I said oh probably Guyanese, and then I saw you came to the same conclusion.
I want to watch EVERY video you do on tour family. What a wondrous journey. I think what you have done has “freed” Lola in some sense. Absolutely love your mom’s sense of humor. Please keep the videos coming. ❤
This comment made my day!! I am still shocked and honored that anyone cares about hearing our little family drama. What you said about Lola brought tears to my eyes. I never thought about it like that. Makes me so happy. Im so glad you are here! And my mom is awesome-- we don't take ourselves too seriously LOL
@@nytn so glad you liked my comment. I think you might be surprised at how much people enjoy your family’s journey. I took several DNA tests about 6 years ago just to see if family rumors were correct. I’m 72, African American in SoCal but my maternal roots are in Arkansas back to Alabama in the early 1800’s, and thru Louisiana back to Tennessee and Virginia thru my paternal side, again to the early 1800’s. And of course we were rumored to have “Indian blood” on both sides. Well, long story short, it’s true!! Turns out I’m 74% African, 18% European-ish, and 6% indigenous. And through research I was able to find a cousin with way more indigenous blood than I have who had a picture of our common indigenous ancestor born in Monterrey, Mexico in 1840. He had a daughter and a son. I descend from the daughter and the person who supplied the picture descends from the son. I say this just to show that MANY of us are on the journey you are on. I just wanted to KNOW where I came from before I leave this earth. And taking this journey has given me new cousins all over the world that I never knew I had, in places I’ve visited. I could have walked past a cousin in London or Paris and not known it! Well, keep up the good work and keep giving Lola wings. Continue to be the air beneath Lola’s wings. 🙏🏽
She didn’t want to be oppressed. So she moved and passes as white. This is a story that still happens to this day. It’s easy for you to say “where is my beautiful color”. You have not been oppressed. Life is easier, the lighter skinned you are! You can pass and be treated better. Most Mexicans are a combination of various European , indigenous and African ancestry.
I know what you say is true! I do wish more of our story was shown on the outside--because I am so proud of my roots. But you are right, there is a lot of hardship that comes with being darker- then and now.
@@nytn I would like for you to show the ugly side too. I don't think it's bad to talk about but that's just me. No, we (white people) don't understand what oppression is due to our skin color. Some of us might know oppression because of other things. I'm just ready to know what this is all about. The little I do know is so terrible. Anyway, just a white girl saying I'd like to know the other side. Oh and I understand her saying she wants darker skin! Like I've said, my mom is French Indian heritage and has beautiful dark skin. So does my brother. Both haven't experienced anything outside our own family as far as oppression goes. I've always wanted my brothers beautiful skin and thick dark hair! But I haven't had to experience my dad's hatred because I'm white. My brother was hated because he's dark from our dad. Nobody else.
@@shellakers10 That is a heartbreaking story. There is so much pain around the color of SKIN. Honestly boggles my mind. Have you seen the episode about my enslaved ancestors? I do plan to dig into the ugly side of things more, I agree with everything you said. Im so honored to have people like you here who are thoughtful. Here is that other short video: ua-cam.com/video/uAxyz0q0A4s/v-deo.html
@@shellakers10 I'm African American which is inherently mixed race. I wouldn't trade a single thing in the world for my skin color, my culture, even our struggle. As a matter of fact, I've always wished I was darker. My great grandmother was creole, but even whiter than Lola, and chose to stay with her family and married a dark skinned man, so that her children would have some color. It's all a matter of what you want. I'm glad Ms Lola got what she wanted. And I surely hope she got to relax enough to really enjoy life without fear. ♥️
@@tysteward545 we're all mixed races tho aren't we? That always confused me as a child.... why would people like my dad hate different cultures so much when he, himself had quite a mixed breed heritage running thru his blood. He's Irish ( a small part) and I know the Irish were treated horribly when they came to America during the famine. It's j7st seemed to be a bully mentality. And then being heavily indoctrinated into the Masons meant more hatred toward blacks and Jewish and God only knows who else they hated! All while claiming to be Christian. Anyway, I'm so glad to hear you say you're proud of your skin color and heritage! Very nice! Skin color doesn't measure the man but the man's experiences because of his skin color kind of really do make some people either resilient or proud or even bitter. Thank you for sharing that!
I agree about the boxes because I've been confused my whole life on how to answer the box as i got older i checked Indian however was told i needed an official paper to check that box .... and there's no Irish Cherokee
Great series! I love your comment …as we dig into our heritages, we find that we are more alike than different. So true! Also, from the first episode what struck me was the very striking resemblance you have to your great grandmother! Wow!
Danielle looks more 'black" and "native" for sure, but, if she was raised in the North, probably, people didn't give it much thought. My one sister looks French-Canadian and, maybe, Native. She actually did the DNA test for 23 and me and she is French, but not Native. I guess my mother was wrong. After being married to my father for several years and having 4 kids with him, she met the rest of his family. She decided than that he was native. LOLOL! Mommy is wrong. There was a smidgen of Spanish DNA in evidence though and that surprised my sister and me.
Funny enough I ALWAYS got asked if I was "X", especially in the summer since I get very dark for a "white" person (even in a NY summer LOL). But I somehow never put the pieces together. Im curious what your sister's haplogroup was!
During that time it was a much easier life for African Americans who had a lighter complexion to pass. Your grandmother had a very hard time raising her family after the loss of her husband and she was passing. So just imagine the life of an individual who was a few shades darker than her. The hardship would have been double. The only thing about passing is you must relinquish your entire pass for your new identity for fear of being found out, but it still goes on today. In 1971 and I remember as child of 10 seeing the movie "Imitation of Life" with Lana Turner and the ending made me cry, because the daughter (very light complexion) of the maid (very dark complexion) didn't want to be black. Throughout history black has always been depicted as bad (i.e. the black cat, bad guys wear black, black magic, black night, etc.) I agree with you both about getting rid of the boxes, but racism and white privilege is so real they are not ready to do that!!! Bless you on your journey!
I remember that movie ...... Being a woman at the turn of the century wasn't easy either no matter what women have had to try to be everything and it's still not enough the world is falling apart
I have a story of family members passing as white too. My family on my dad's side was mixed with French Creole, Creek/Cherokee Indians and Irish and alot of family on that side left Alabama/Louisiana and passed for white. One story I remember some of my grandmother's sister's family moved to Florida and passed as white. They never returned to Louisiana, but my grandmother and aunt would go visit them in Florida and due to their lighter complexion while there they passed as white, but returned home to a community in Louisiana where everyone knew they were people of color. The cousin in Florida had her neighbors and friends think her family visiting were white. So it was alot of hidden family history. Everybody in the family knew where those that left and passed for white was knowing they could never return home again. Some thought the grass was greener on the other side with less troubles, but they lost a deeper rich family culture from the ancestors they covered up.
My daddy brother refused to be black he passed and had his 5 children pass and they married Caucasian race and their children looks white. They won’t come around us, what’s so heartbreaking is they lied and deceived their spouses
@@marie3919I see your point of view and it is valid and I also understand your pain, but I feel they had a good reason to do it and were I the deceived spouse, i would have understood and never held it against them.
I've a great uncle who moved from Ohio to Pennsylvania; once he moved he passed for Native American. My great great grandmother left her family for awhile and passed for white. Both of these people were on my mother's side of the family. My father was very fair, he grew up in the forties and fifties. As a youth his friends would ask him "why he didn't pass?" Passing is a painful experience for most people and the pain is hidden because if the truth were known it could lead to many difficult and sometimes dangerous situations. People who pass are denying an important part of themselves. I've a cousin who has researched our family, the maternal side, and has traced it back to 1862. I've had my DNA tested by Ancestry. One of my long lost cousins contacted me; in the course of the conversation he mentioned that our shared relative's portrait was hanging in a museum. I asked if he knew the story of how she escaped from bondage. He had no idea that she was black. We are related through my great uncle that passed for Native American. The family was surprised but very interested to find out more about their history. BTW in 2007 my family received an invitation to a gathering in Scotland for family members. We thought it was a scam, fast forward to present day and I find that I'm 14% Scottish. In fact according to DNA I'm 39% European. Go figure! I identify as African American.
Awesome account, courage and real strength you show. Many are finding out they have African ancestry from. Louisiana. Southern roots also can contain African roots for families that didn't leave the south maybe 30% estimated after the Civil War. Even with slavery, slave owners I've been able to trace my 8 great- parents families and at least 2 into the 1700s abd beyond. The further one goes back the more relatives!
My ethnicity is black, irish and native indian. My family spoke about why we was so mixed. They put white on my granfather, my dad's and his siblings birth certificate to stop the harrasment in alabama then they moved to NY but we welcome being colored❤ You should never be scared of who you are for nobody!
I identify so much with your perspectives. As a Brazilian that lived in USA I had similar questions as you have. I am a mix of Italian, Portuguese, Native and African. Very similar to your mix.
As someone who knew my Louisiana background...I did my ancestry recently and the first thing that came up was you are of the Louisiana Creole Peoples. It was prominent more than we knew. My family never denied it or ran from it...and some used it to their advantage but........never said they were NOT BLACK. It was discussed among my family. I have even found 5-8th family in the UK and France.
Same here. There are many more "white" Americans with Black ancestry than will ever want to know. If you can trace your family back to before the Civil War, most likely you have some mixed roots. Don't forget. EVERY slave woman was raped repeatedly, their entire lives. Lighter skinned Blacks married each other to give their offspring greater advantages. More people have African roots than Native American roots.
I just came across your channel, and I think you are brave for showing the journey of your family. I think your grandmother made her choice based on her experiences and experiences of other black,indigenous, and Hispanic people at the time and now. Every family has secrets, but family is family.
Stumbled onto this today! Thank you. Yes, these stories about ancestry and power relations are not unfamiliar to my family. Southern history in general, and Louisiana history in particular, is more complex than is usually presented. BTW Louisiana has the oldest Filipino(and Filipino-Chinese) communities in what is now the U.S.: 1763.
Servants-slaves on Spanish galleons in the Manila-Acapulco trade, they jumped ship and took refuge in the bayous of Louisiana. That's now 11th and 12th generation.
I’ve enjoyed watching. I was born and raised in Northern Illinois . I am of German decent. I’m very curious to know more now though from watching this. On a side note, at 51, 6 years ago my husband and I decided to move to south Louisiana. Thibodaux to be exact. I have been so appalled at the racism that still exists to this day down here. I did not grow up in a racist community and I do not like seeing all the repression that still exists to this day. It’s awful. 😢
😮Elaborate on what you’ve seen and what you know of the racism there? How do you think it can be ended? Should the racists have their children removed from their homes because they’re brainwashing their children to hate & oppress others?
@@cathy1944 Racism isn’t just about slurs, it’s about having the racial power to oppress others. *We live in a global system of racism white supremacy that privileges whyte people and disadvantages everyone else. … still till this day!* There’s no escape from racism white supremacy on earth. Colour matters, colour is beautiful, it was created to be seen. The racist stereotypes that whyte people have attached to non-white people and the ridiculously positive stereotypes that whyte people attached to being whyte that need eradicating not colour itself.
Danielle...you have a very open and receiving spirit, that is clear to see. Your curiosity is what has opened up the ancestral Pandora's box, and I think not everyone is as comfortable and accepting of its contents as you. We all (especially from the south) have grown up with secrets and mis-truths about our families, the common thread being shame and guilt. If we could only flip that and accept all parts of us that survived through hellish circumstances with pride and empathy for all of our ancestors. Many blessings to you. 🙏🏾
thank you for such a kind comment. I am open, and that can be scary because who knows what that can mean. But I always wanted to know the truth, and now it is finally happening!
In the 1970s the fashion fad for wedding dresses was the Mexican wedding dress. The details on the bottom of Lola's dress reminds me of that recycled fashion. Hope that helps! (I recently went to the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, and took a photo of a painting I wanted to send to you. I'm on FB.) I love your deep dives, because, by learning how you've researched helps me know how to approach my own heritage research. Plus, you have an entertaining persona. You truly are a teacher. ❤ Please keep teaching!
Thank you for your time and effort put into this insightful history of your family heritage. I think you carry the weight of your legacy now. Amazing how so many of your family members didn't know what you discovered. I'm also glad that your family is able to reconnect with the southern part of your family members. I look forward to more of your work in future videos. Peace love happiness
I discovered a split in my family tree too and couldn’t believe it. Literally a set of siblings started passing while the others did not. I didn’t message anyone from those branches but a few weeks later, we were all showing in the “Thrulines” through a set of 3xGreat Grandparents. This happened often and we cannot pass judgement on anyone for how they chose to live their lives. DNA though, doesn’t lie🫶🏽
My mixed-race ancestor William Bass lived in Virginia from 1654-1741. His mother's husband was White and gave him a document stating that he also was White. His mother was Indian. Some of his descendants married Black people and some married White or Native American people. His direct male-line descendants have African Y-DNA. His other descendants and I are very fortunate that his family saved documents and made wills. So even that far back, there were people who "changed" ethnic groups. It's quite fascinating. My children are descended (on their father's side) from another mixed race marriage in the 1600s that has been documented. None of us had a clue until we had our DNA read!
Yes, Danielle, I am following your journey. However, I have started from the beginning of these videos, as I want to timeline consecutively your journey. As, I once posted b4, I'm on a similar journey. Though I don't have native american in me, I did do a 23&me analysis&report. I'm mostly European w/ Southern Italian roots, along with Irish, British roots, and so on. My parents and grandparents neglected and omitted my ancestral history and culture. I am alone in my journey too. We will get to the root and truth of our history! Thank you and God Bless. In the name of Jesus. Amen.@@nytn
This is a great way to document the journey of a passing black woman. But the family explains away Lola’s choice as a simple decision to have a better life. Unfortunately, they didn’t think about the relatives that couldn’t pass. They had to stay and continue to suffer the awful effects of racism. Kudos to the filmmaker for being more open minded.
Thank you for this comment. You are right. I am at the very beginning of this journey, there is SO much more to come. I have met so many of my black cousins, they'll be showing up on here soon!
I wish people will eventually get this straight. It has never been so much about black people "passing" for being white. It has always been more about black people being "accepted" as "being" white. There are many very light skinned blacks, with what's considered as having "black" features who could never "pass" as being white, even if they tried. My dad was a very light skinned black man, with so-called black features. White people were never confused by his race and he was treated accordingly. Funny thing is, his name was "Alfonse"😊
" It has always been more about black people being "accepted" as "being" white." That's literally what passing is. They are actively presenting & passing themselves off as white because they know they can. If they have white skin & European features, they are very much in the position to pass for being white. "There are many very light skinned blacks, with what's considered as having "black" features who could never "pass" as being white, even if they tried." Just being "fair" is not enough to "pass." In all the stories of black people passing, there is always racial ambiguity due to having less so-called black facial features. If you have darker skin but have European features & straight hair, you may be able to "pass" for some other ethnicity which could have still opened more doors.
This is so interesting! I have a similar situation in my family. My 5th great grandmother was born a slave, her first child's father is unknown, but both of them were listed as free women of color in pre-Civil War Mississippi. At 15, my 5 great grandmother ran away from her owner along with a Native American boy. When she was caught, her owner sold her. Her new owner emancipated her and then they went on to have a family together. I come through the oldest daughter. We assume she is the daughter of the previous owner, but could also be from the boy she ran away with. Her last name is the same as her mother's first owner on her marriage certificate. We haven't found any descendants of color. The children kept marrying and having children with Caucasians in my line.
Thanks for sharing this. I think it’s interesting that you identify as white. I would never guess you were. You look indigenous ☺️ Way to represent your ancestors!
I, like yourself, am the curious one in my family who wanted to know more about my ancestry and found some interesting things. Like someone else in the comments mentioned, being African American we know there is some mixture somewhere and sometimes can assume it happened in the worst ways but that is not always the case. And I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that wasn’t the case in my situation at all. (At least on one side of my family tree) People where “love” mixing even when it was illegal (in some places) for a long time and I think it is important for people to research their ancestry to get a better understanding of humans outside of the mindset of the “governing law at that time” and get to know our real ancestors for the humans they were. There are a lot of reasons why some of them moved the way they did based on the law but that doesn’t remove the emotions felt during those times. To a curious person watching I agree, there are a lot of missing answers in your family and that alone would’ve made me want to start digging lol. And then to SEE your great grandmother in her original state before moving? Girl your ancestors called you to not only bring light and truth to your family but to possibly spark curiosity in other people who also identify as white. And it is okay if everyone’s history isn’t as racially diverse, that still makes them beautiful. But there is always a moment where you tap into the human emotions of one of your ancestors that will make someone view the world and everyone else in it a little differently. I say all that to say good on you and good for you and your family to finally get some answers. I am loving every second of this discovery and am excited for whatever else you you find out! ❤
This comment--- wow. I read it at least three times! I can only say thank you so much. It's scary to put your life and journey in the public eye, but I felt like it was what I was supposed to do. Thank you so much for encouraging me!
Also, I’m a history teacher and one small correction, slavery and indentured servitude weren’t the same. Indentured servitude is what I call diet slavery
@@nytn No problem! Indentured servants were often prisoners for things like theft or other petty crime. Others were poor peasants with no prospects and were enticed by the promise of land and possibility of learning a trade and signed contracts. Others were pows or captured rebels. But for the period of the contract(3-8 years usually) they did slave labor and dealt with similar problems slaves did. After Bacons rebellion they slowly phased indentured servitude out for slavery.
Ok... you're a teacher. Have you ever asked an indentured servant what they thought about it ? Depending on the situation but sometimes it was as bad as slavery. 'Course, they're not around in America anymore so good luck with that.
@@leonceboudreauxwolfthat was extremely dumb to think yet even ask…. If they are a history teacher, don’t you think they would know the difference between the two. You’re the unintelligent one here🤷🏽♀️🤣🤣🤣
Interesting journey! I will say that you/some of your family benefited from passing...no Black Codes, no KKK, no CRT (taught only in Law School), no racial profiling...no lynching...no driving while black...no Affirmative Action...and on and on. You benefited...and you're not the only one! As a genealogist/historian of African American and Native American history, I have seen this sort of thing tear many a family apart...to include my own family. In short, the U.S. Census started in 1790 ( the boxes) where whites and slaves were assessed. Slave owners paid taxes on their slaves just like paying taxes on a horse. The slave was property! Also, keep in mind as we move through U.S. history, the more slaves you had, the richer you were, the more taxes paid, the more entitlementyou thought you had. These BOXES continued because money continues to be tied up into it...not to mention, knowing where certain segments of the population was located. Today, you see some of this with the recent election in Florida and Georgia. Republicans know that they cannot win a legitimate, fair election...they must gerrymander to water down the black vote in various section...hence, DeSantis in Florida. Also, don't forget that the SCOTUS aided in destroying the black vote...leaving it to the states. Black folks are, in my opinion, the only group of people who must continue to fight for voting rights. Why is that? Also, you must ask yourself, why do white Republicans feel the need to do this in the 21st century? There is clearly a big racial problem in the United States...there has always been a racial problem... So, no, you don't have to deal with any of that based on this UA-cam segment. Not intended to be a class in United States systemic history. I am not clear on some of the commits made in this UA-cam segment. Looking forward for seeing an episode on your family and slavery (if applicable)...especially dealing with Louisiana.
Darlene, thank you so much for this really thorough comment. We have benefitted so much from being shielded from whatever experiences my family had in Louisiana. I talked about that a lot in Episode 3:ua-cam.com/video/bLxaTBhCu_Y/v-deo.html You might also like to watch this episode on my enslaved great grandfather: ua-cam.com/video/uAxyz0q0A4s/v-deo.html
Darlene, you are so right! It is astonishing that everything you are highlighting is happening in 21st century. Also, it might be just my circles, but in Europe, where I come from, the numbers of white people seeing racial problem with clarity are higher. Perhaps you need distance to understand the injustice…
I love your videos and I would love to one day be able to afford to take the ancestry DNA test. My grandmother was born and raised in South Central Louisiana of Native American and Haitian decent. On my dad's side black, white, and Native American. I seem to think that there will also be Asian as well. Hopefully ONE day I will find out
Lola left most likely because of Jim Crow, which lumped Creoles into the category of black. Before JC, Creoles were just mixed people, with some status. With Jim Crow that status was gone, hence the preferential treatment as Creoles
Ethnicity is so relative. My father was away in Vietnam in 1970, so I was put up for adoption, and raised in a good family. My biological father had black hair and eyes, with an olive complexion. I always felt part of the family, but I stood out in the family.
These remind me of my time as a child, my mother and her father and mother were very light skinned and my father was black. My mother took me to a dentist and when he looked at us, he told her that she could enter through the door in the front but I had to enter through the colored door. I had to because there were no black dentists at that time, now with the way politics is going I see that sentiment returning. There are places in Louisiana that I can't go because of my skin color.
It’s very interesting how far back you were able to search and the documents you were able to find. It was very very common for black people to pass as white, especially in the south. That was seen as an opportunity for escape, a way out of the oppressive conditions that they had to endure and a better life. It was common for some members of the same family to pass and others not. Just depended on the skin color and hair texture. I started researching my ancestry years ago to see how far back I could trace it and anything before 1870 becomes very difficult if you don’t have names, locations and know how to do a bit of detective work. Thanks for sharing your story.
That is amazing! My family thought Alphonse looked exactly like our family, too. Funny since we had never seen a photo of him before but we immediately recognized it!
Beautiful conversation between mom and daughter very interesting story, you got your smart from your mother whao god hands on everything beautiful. Thanks
When my Dad got his DNA done we found out that my great grandfather was Portuguese. We were surprised because we always thought he was French Canadian. We are from an area with a huge Portuguese population. French, Irish, Italians, Polish and of course Portuguese are mostly Catholics so they do intermingle in church. But when I fill out medical forms sometimes they tell me to check of Latina for genetic disease reasons
You hit the nail on the head here Danielle. Jim Crow laws made Lola's and Donnelly's marriage illegal in Louisiana and all over the south. My guess is that is why they left. Lola wasn't ashamed. Maybe her husband wanted her to fib. His family considered her "Indian" probably because he told them that. He told his parents that my guess is because there was less stigma being native American but obviously enough stigma it made little difference to your gg grandfather. It did seem though the neighborhood tolerated their marriage perhaps a little better her being an "Indian." I do feel by that point she had little choice once they came to New York. As you said, by that point she was pretending for her children.
Hello again! I love that the Chinese element came out. My aunt (father’s brother’s wife) was a Grayson and she had the Chinese strand. I overheard this story from my aunt and couldn’t believe it. If my memory serves me correctly, there was a Chinese woman from California doing her ancestry and she found out about her ties to Natchitoches. And ended up having the same picture of her grandfather? Great grandfather? Great great grandfather? That my aunt had grew up staying in her house and I believe someone she knew. It seems like I remember that the young woman actually wrote a book and gave it to my aunt.
Yes, that Chinese element is incredible and I plan on talking about it more. You are exactly right about the lady with roots from Natchitoches, she did write a book on it! My cousin told me about that story(Chris Smith, he is part Chinese and from that line in Louisiana. He's in the other episodes).
Really AMAZING!....also I appreciate your ownership of not knowing what you don't know & welcoming help. So many people could care less. (1 drop rule)...America has a very gruesome past & this was their way of keeping us from liberties. The 'Box'......is now how the government figures out what communities get what as well as who's thriving/ excelling. In a perfect world we would be able to live as HUMAN BEINGS & not be judged by color. We've got a long way to go. You're doing great!!!
What a kind comment- thank you so much!! I always figure it's better to admit you have no idea what's going on than try to pretend you have it figured out and get caught haha :)
My mother died when she was 56 years old. I meet her father (my grandfather) for the first time at the funeral. He was passing for white. I was flabbergasted. My grandmother had verified who he was. He never visited my mother when she was alive.
I'm sorry for the loss of your mom. Her "father's" behavior really bothers me. If he didn't care enough about her to visit her when she was alive, then he had no right to attend her funeral. I swear, I think some people would sell their souls if it meant they could move through this world as a white person.
There is an entire genre of literature on “Passing”. Even some of Faulkner greatest work & Mark Twains work is based around blacks that passed! Many great black authors Charles Chestnut wrote about it. Black people always knew about this! So it’s refreshing the ppl that identify as white, is catching up with the truth of how mixed we really are! Love it, thank you for being open minded enough to bring this to the surface!!
All those things you identify with are because how you were raised. Sometimes we can't just instinctually feel it unless you look so different, that you question it. I am so happy I know where my ancestors are from. There were no secrets.
People assume that we all come in a darker skin tone. It is not uncommon especially in America that we come in variations of colors. Your story proves why we shouldn't go by color in this nation. Instead we should all be American.
I like what your mother said "Why can't we just be human". I think there are a lot of situations/forms where you don't really have to answer the question or just put "other". I like your mom !
We can just be human on paper when America wants to get rid of racism and the privileges that are inherently weaved into the fibers of this country. Now changing the hearts and minds is a whole other story.
My mother was black and my father was white. I'm a 67-year-old woman now. I know why secrets were kept down south. It wasn't always about opportunity sometimes you could lose your life if you're black in the wrong place at the wrong time. My mother came up to New York for a better life and just happened to meet my father and there were no secrets. Her whole family was dark skinned and there was no question they were black. They went on a trip in the 1960s and could have been lynched because they were a married couple and in some states that was illegal.
Jeanette, this story makes my heart so sad. You know to this day I havent seen any official marriage documents for my great grandmother, Lola, and her white husband. They married in 1925 in Louisiana where it was illegal, like you said. And truly dangerous. I dont blame my great gram for moving to NY and changing the facts, she wanted to protect us....and she did.
This motivates me to travel to Upstate New York, Quebec and Labrador to learn about my ancestors. My 12th great grandpa was a French fur trader named Jacques Hertel who migrated from Fécamps,Normandie, France to Quebec and then to New York. My 12th great grandma was Mohawk born in New York but I believe her great grandparents had Innu, Napaski and Inuit ancestry from Quebec and possibly Labrador in Canada because my top population in the America’s on Genomelink was from the Eastern Arctic which includes Northern Quebec. The other French ancestors were mixed with Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Syrian, Serbian, Yemeni, Russia and Ukrainian. My 18th cousins founded the city of Laval in Quebec. I grew up on the West Coast where my grandpa had moved in 1960 and where my mom and her brothers were born and raised so I had no idea about my grandpa’s family history until I did research. My grandpa vaguely mentioned some French ancestors growing up but I didn’t know the exact details of my background. I identify mostly as French, Spanish, Syrian , Serbian and Italian but I also want to travel to Quebec and Labrador to meet my First Nations and Inuit cousins and also my Spanish, Italian and Syrian cousins.
I'm starting to find your videos very interesting 🤔 , because I didn't know what you were talking about at first 😮. But now you're just talking about your family history like many other people throughout the whole world 🌎🌍 and you want to share your experiences with all of us .
Sabrina, this is one of those things Ive been so...reticent to talk about. But there are so many of us who feel the same way. Thank you for taking the time to comment
You are what your father is. Don't confuse skin tones and other physical features with ethnicity. The further back we go, the more admixtures we're likely to find. Your patrilineal line determines your ethnicity regardless of your physical features.
I know this is a religious take, the father carries the seed, but I find it ridiculous. The mother is just as integral and her ethnic past doesn’t get removed. I don’t know how to say that so it doesn’t sound disrespectful, I absolutely don’t mean it that way.
Nick La Rocca, a Sicilian from Salaparuta, of New Orleans had a hand in the birth of jazz. Lots of Italians from New Orleans , like Louis Prima and Sam Butera, became jazz giants. You might want to do a video on this.
My Maternal Grandfather was from Baton Rouge. His parents came thru New Orleans with the Italian diaspora of the early 1900's. Although he moved to Los Angeles at a relatively young age he retained a Cajun accent...
Hi! I'm still enjoying your story and your journey. If I didn't know your heritage (through the vids), I'd think that you were white + Latino (Mexican, Colombian, etc). You could easily be cast as someone in a Mexican or Argentinian telenovela (pls don't be offended, it's a compliment). I hope to see more of your story. Btw, your journey reminded me of a Mexican UA-camr, La Karencita. She went to Vietnam & was always asked if she was Thai, Vietnamese or Filipino. She took a DNA test & you can look her up. Btw, your mom looks so young - you look like sisters! Greets from PH 🇵🇭.
I love that you see that in me! I think because that's what MOST people see in me. I am planning to dig into that heritage at some point, I know zero about it. Except that when I took the old school 23 and me test 10 years ago it only had 3 main groups and one was Mexican. That was surprising! My mom looks great for her age-- she won't go in the sun without insane sunscreen---now I know where that came from LOL
@@nytn My Grandmother was Norwegian-American from Iowa. She was born in 1898. She wouldn't go out in the sun either. I bought her a sunbonnet more as a joke than anything else at a Mennonite farmer's market. It was very inexpensive and very colourful. The market was about 150 miles away from where we lived. She wanted me to get her another one! She'd never go out in the sun either. She was very fair as was my mother and my sister. My Grandfather was German-Canadian by the way. People from that generation never got tanned. They wanted to keep their skin light even if they were 100% northern Europeans. By the way, tanning does damage the skin.
@@nytn I do think that the American obsession with race is weird. With so much mixing of race, what box do you tick or can you tick several? On our census, we can tick several for ethnic origin. Race is not asked, but some people in large cities want to ape the Americans. I'm Canadian by the way although my Grandmother's people were from the U.S.
@@dinkster1729 you are so right!! Also, I am ALL about the sunscreen now. I never go outside without spf 50-- I love getting dark but the wrinkles are not worth it!
@@dinkster1729 the US just has so many problems in this area. You can check multiple boxes but...the whole thing feels silly on some level to me. Race AND ethnicity.
I think if your birth certificate said "Black," you WOULD care. There is still a considerable amount of discrimination against Black people, that White people sometimes are not aware of. Not caring is another piece of white privilege. Remember the Native American man telling that Indian, Black and children of color weren't allowed to go to school with the White children. I had a friend in college (1966-1970) who was Creole. It mattered to her.
This was GREAT. Similar experience to mine. We had "family sharing day" in grade school (about 60 years ago). There were "secret" things. Never got any straight answers. So what would I share? There was always some kind of trauma/drama/etcetera happening.
Maybe surprising or not but I'm 100% European. Not surprisingly because I'm super white, but also surprising because my family has been in America for so long that I have no idea how long we've been here. I think it's pretty cool that you guys have such a diverse background.
People with long-standing American history are fascinating to me. There is SO much to unpack there. I plan on doing a video about the Civil war next---I bet you have records from that !
As someone born in South America living in the U.S., I can say welcome to our world with respects to not knowing what race to check in a form 🤣 also always feel weird picking the Hispanic / Latino box as that’s not a race.
The US census doesn’t have Hispanic as a race. It’s separated out. Otherwise it depends on the form. Most will say white non Hispanic or black non Hispanic and so on. But I have seen others that separate the question out. I don’t know what country you are from but Brazil does have some racial quotas in regards to higher education.
Loved your video's, I was born in New Orleans. I'm 66 years old I had Colored on my original birth cert. I had a couple of Uncles and an Aunt that passed for white but I could have done the same thing but I played my true Creole for all my life and use AA on all my resume's, I moved to Seattle in 1988. I'm proud to be a Creole, I will until I die. Stay a Creole be who you are it does matter.
I am fascinated by the other half of this equation: your “black” cousins who are now also faced with their European heritage, knowing that it likely results from non-consensual pairing. I have watched Dr Gates explain these realities to people of color and their reactions are very real. In some situations he has asked if the guest wants to withdraw from the broadcast and Im sure some have, but how brave are the ones who continue?
My grandmother was Swiss-Italian and darker than Lola with curly hair. Her mother, also dark, was the second of only 2 children. Her aunt, however, was an adult when her mother was born, and in show business. I can't help but wonder if her aunt was actually her grandmother and her real father unknown.
I agree with you ladies... I never have liked the "check the race" boxes even as a child I would never want to check them. And now you know there are some things where they make you answer that question to proceed on (which is totally wrong to force people to do) I always check other and if it asks for an explanation I say human being!
I think Danielle really looks like her great grandmother Lola even down to her skin tone. Interestingly as Danielle's mom pointed out she has very pale skin and appears very Caucasian. I'm sure a geneticist could explain all of this. It would be lovely to get that input as it seems the generations in-between were Caucasian looking.
I love hearing that about looking like Lola, feels special! My mom has always been really really careful with sunscreen and the sun-----I know now that was a learned behavior! But also, it's funny how DNA works--you get what you get and it doesn't always match what people think you SHOULD look like. I think it's an interesting topic to discuss. I have three kids and one is fair with light brown hair and the other two are tan with dark hair. All are mine :)
Love the series. My son has blonde hair blue eyes and great grandmother is from Mexico. He moved close to border for work. No one would ever know he has ancestors right across the border.
I never understood why people especially people like my parents didn't share their roots! The fact that my great great grandmother's roots were hiden and wasn't spoke of throughout the family really blows my mind! I understand why her roots weren't spoken about while she was alive but after she passed away i don't understand why it wasn't spoken about afterwards! I mean she met my great great grandfather in the early 1800s like 1802 or something and all of this has been buried for many years! I guess back then people were afraid of having a darker skin than the average white person and they were called out for it! I didn't know about the law you spoke about which does make a lot of sense! Louisiana has some terrible history and hopefully it all comes to light! I'm enjoying your documentary! Peace ✌️
At that time, passing for white meant easier life. Point black, period. Being forced to drink out of nasty rotten water fountains, forced to sit in the back, go around back, or the fear of being hung for being black/colored or jailed is scary, anxiety-driven life to live. When opportunities were presented to live as a white person, many people took the chance. It's easier to say TODAY, I would choose to be me, with terms like Black is Beautiful or Say It Loud, I'm Black, and I'm Proud. But think, why did those terms have to be created in the first place. Also, Lola most likely wouldn't have known her exact age because most colored people didn't have correct birth certificates at that time because of race.
The vote was not to keep slavery on the books. The author of the constitutional amendment to end slavery urged everyone to vote against it because it was in artfully phrased and would not have solved the problem. It will be re-written and placed on the ballot next year.
My great grandmother was very light skinned and married a light skinned black man. My mother and one of her sisters came out fair skinned, the other sister came out brown skinned. U can't deny ur African dna because it's genetic - skin, hair, and eye color.
It’s interesting watching since our family was from Louisiana. Black, Irish and French. Letters were sent back to Louisiana. We also have family that we don’t know. Our great grandmother did not pass.
I have two direct ancestors who were hung for being witches at the Salem witch trials. I found this out about 8 years ago by doing research online. No one in my family had an inkling at all that this was the case. Why? I can only imagine the shame felt by the family and a desire to bury this information, even though of course they were the victims of a horrible miscarriage of justice. Just an example of how, like you, you can have never been told important things about your own family. Amazing!
WOW. I would watch a video on your family story, that is incredible. You are so right...most of the time we don't learn about our story because of shame or perceived shame. I think this is the generation to open all of that up, dust it off, and own it.
My great grandmother could have passed for white but she embraced but she identified herself as being a black woman and she was born in 1850 and her husband was a black man what is crazy how some families died with this secrets in them❤
“I am glad it happened the way it did” your mothers response to your question in reference to finding out her roots are brown and how deeply rooted her family is in the art of “Passing”. It was almost like she was happy they chose the better option, I don’t know why that hurt me to my soul. I love your journey but hate how much the preference still continues to be preferred. From one NY girl to another😔💯🙌🏾🙏🏽
Im glad you commented this so I can clarify! I edited this pretty heavily. It was really long. She meant that in reference to being happy our family history happened the way it did--she is glad Lola went to NY because otherwise none of us would be here. My mom is so proud of our heritage:) If that wasn't conveyed it's on me. Im a new editor :)
@@nytn I comment often because we have a very similar story. I love that you took the time to clarify and appreciate your willingness to share. My grandmother much like yours flocked to NYC from Ahoskie NC. My mother was her only biracial child, she was given the last name of my grandmothers husband and moved North. I knew nothing about my white grandfather until the name Tyner kept coming up in family conversations. But when it did it was almost in silence, I found out at around ten that my mother was biracial and knew almost nothing about her father L. Tyner. She just mentioned his sister that she remembered seeing before they left to come north. Either way it’s something I’ve always sought to rectify for my mother, I lost her in 2019 before I got to do so. Because of that I stick to your story with my heart, filtering the details so that I can come to understand my own. Thank you❤️
@@BronxRisen This is one of the most beautiful responses to the videos I have seen. Thank you. I am so sorry for the loss of your mother, it feels like a continual loss on many levels I am sure. It's up to us now to bring wholeness where our family couldn't. We are in this together!💞💞
Wow.These two ladies are incredible. They could easily take the place of my relatives on my maternal grandfather's side. The ones who recently took an Ancestry DNA test for the first time.All of these relatives are the descendants of those relatives who left the state of Louisiana and married and had children with White people. They all look drop dead White. IN this day and age,most have accepted their partial African Ancestry. But several are devastated that they are not "pure" White. And I know that in Louisiana where my maternal grandfather was from had one of the strictest race and one drop rule laws in the country. I know that his ancestors came from Haiti as free people of color just around the time as the Louisiana purchase in 1803.Those people were nearly equal in status to White people, courtesy of being under the French. But once the United States had control,the definition of race gradually changed.It just goes to show in America culture race seems to be defined more towards purity than from appearance. My maternal grandfather looked drop dead White. His mother(born in 1869) was of 1/8 African ancestry. His father(born in 1870) was of 1/16 African ancestry. Once the state of Louisiana began implementing its Jim Crow laws and strictly enforcing the one drop rule, quite a few of my grandfather's Aunts and Uncles on both his mother's side and his father's side decided to leave the state of Louisiana. Especially after the Plessy vs Ferguson Supreme Court ruling in upholding separate but equal. It could be really dangerous at this point for even a White passing person to knowingly attempt to pass as White.I had the blessing of knowing both my maternal grandfather's parents. And they often talked about how hard it was for the authorities to enforce the race laws in public spaces in New Orleans because there were so many people who you just couldn't tell whether they were Black or White. They were lighter than most of the Cajuns and even the Sicilian immigrants who had settled in Louisiana at that time. They joked that full page ads were taken out to encourage White civilians to expose those White looking Blacks who dared to use public facilities designated for White people. It seems like everybody knew everybody anyway.My grandfather married my beautiful and much darker skinned grandmother. Much to the dismay of his parents. But over time they grew to love her and treated her with the upmost respect. My maternal grandfather was the youngest of 5 children.All four of his oldest siblings, however, sought the blessings from their parents and married spouses who were as close to White looking in appearance as possible. My Great grandparents were honest about why they behaved this way.They wanted their children and grandchildren to have the best of both worlds. That as very very light skinned Blacks they could embrace the humanity and humility of Blackness but not have to deal with the daily harassment and humiliation of easily identifiable Blacks in public spaces.
The best of both worlds....that really struck me. What a terrible thing that it was almost impossible to accomplish without giving up so much. Thank you for sharing
@@nytn Thank you for sharing your story. And your journey of self discovery. What I find ironic is that my maternal grandfather's side of the family as well as darker skinned Blacks often said they could recognize "their own " from a mile away. No matter how light the skin,the straighter the hair. It's like they could look at the face,the lips, the forehead and the nose and could tell.But the same people who tried to uphold White Supremacy often could not tell at first glance. That African gene is so strong. No matter how far removed. Thank you and your extended family once again for sharing your experiences. As for myself I am very fair skinned myself. But not enough to pass.But I have been mistaken for four or five ethnicities. And I must admit, I have been spared the indignities of darker skinned Black people. What is amazing to me is that when I look at my old high school photo with the Afro,I clearly look Black. With very light skin.But at 67 years old with very close cropped hair and a receding hairline and prominent forehead with a Keith Hernandez type mustache, I am mistaken for hispanic,Arabic and Turkish all the time.Lol someone once asked me if I was related to Haile Selassie.
It's amazing that your mom 'doesn't know what would have been different' if Lola were open about her racial status like people would shed all family connections to pass for white for no reason. If people were willing to do all that to pass then the benefits must have greatly outweighed the sacrifice.
Once you leave, it becomes a matter of life or death to be found out as "passing" during those times. My great grandmother has siblings who left Louisiana and Arkansas in this same way, never to return. Only writing letters. What a strong person that takes. Blessings to you all
Oh my gosh, I got shivers reading this comment. Makes me emotional every time to read similar experiences. SO much pain and fear. So glad you found the channel, thank you for sharing :)
There has to be an overwhelming sense of guilt to abandon and to deny one's own family life long...choices have consequences. Having a family history of enslavement and having great grandparents who are a products of rape. There were family on both sides of my parents who could have passed but choose not to pass. We still live in the area that my family was enslaved and where the enslaved on my mother's side are buried.
Exactly. Passing as a form of agency could be a matter of life or death. Thank goodness for letter writing.
Those choices had and have consequences.
I don't really think it need to be life or death in NY....lol. I think people really want to GET OVER
My name is Anthony Griffith, I read your posts and was impressed with your honesty and awareness
I was born in London, England and my parents are from the Caribbean
My father was born in Barbados, his great grandfather was a white,English colonel on his paternal side,the other family descended from slaves.
My mother was from Jamaica, her father was a Chinese indentured laborers, her mother descended from slaves
My mother changed her name from Yung to Young before she left Jamaica to move to England where she stand married my father. I too never was told anything about my ancestry until I got older and inquisitive, like you😂
May your amazing spirit keep guiding you
Blessings 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for sharing! I love the carribbean- wish I can retire and live the rest of my life there.
From New Orleans. Welcome Home Our Beautiful Sisters! Our family is so much better with you having found your way back home. Allen
Allen, thank you! What a nice thing to say. It feels good to know my grammy's roots
I just came across this video. So interesting!! DNA tests have revealed many families secrets. Like you I've been interested in family history since my teens. I'm in my 50's now and I did a Ancestry DNA test 4 years ago out of curiosity as to where my ancestors came from. Besides that I also found out that my father is not my biological father. It was shocking and yet my childhood started making sense. It was always puzzling to me why I didn't grow up with my father but my two older sisters did. My mother never talked about it besides giving me vague excuses. I would visit my paternal grandmother in the summer but my father would never come around. It always seemed strange and like a rejection. Now I know why. I later found out that his best friend knew I was not his daughter but assumed I knew otherwise he would have told me. If that wasn't painful enough I found my biological father's identity and that he was a violent alcoholic. I have a brother and a sister that were his children. He left his family when his kids were in their teens. He moved across the country so they could never find him. They, of course, were devastated by his violence and yet also by his abandonment. I have learned through my digging that when he served, at 17, in WWII he was on a ship that picked up dead bodies in the ocean and from land battles in the pacific. His military records show that after the first mission of doing this he became a heavy drinker and was always in trouble. I believe he was traumatized by those experiences and as the years went by became a violent alcoholic. As you said in this interview, as you find out more information it's hard to judge your ancestors. We don't know why they did what they did. As we learn more we actually can have compassion for what they went through and why they kept secrets. It reminds me of Holocaust survivors and the fact they kept what they went through from their children because it was so painful. They didn't want to expose their children to the horrors they experienced. It was an honorable intention but as they pass away some of those stories are lost forever.
I truly believe that if everyone in the world knew how we are a DNA mix of each other we would have less prejudices, less hatred, less war and more compassion, understanding and love in the world.
Thank you for your video.
Wow thank you so much for commenting! Im glad you found the channel. i agree with you, there is space for a beautiful change to happen now that we can "prove" just how connected we all are. Im grateful to be a part of that.
@oldmarriedcouple1, beautifully said.
Thank you so much for sharing your candid, as well as painful experience in your family history. I can imagine that it took a lot just to relay this.
That is a sad story. I wonder if your brother and sister's father left his family because he couldn't stop drinking and knew he wasn't good for them.
Your Mom ended this video with an amazing observation. She is watching this epic unfolding on UA-cam and "OMG, that is my family!"
This research can become so many wonderful things and I'm thankful that you chose to share it and the YT algorithm put you in my feed. Excellent work, Danielle. ❤
You are the best-- thank you for that comment. My mom is a great sport with all of this-- it's challenging for many who go through life as one thing and find out your heritage is also mainly another! But she has loved hearing everything-- even when it's a 2 am text from me!
I love your docuseris. It is always amazing to me when families or the general public can't see their ethnic mixtures or choose to ignore it. Coming from a multicultural family and having family members that can 'pass' in society, it's easy for me to see the mixtures. For those that chose to pass at that time, it was about survival and not wanted to be discriminated against.
Im so grateful you are here! This journey is definitely not over....I have so much to learn with you all.
@@nytn I started working on my family tree some time ago and stop. This has really motivated me to start back and document the journey. I'm planning trips to my grandparents birth cities for 2023. I'm not sure if I'm ready for the emotional lows, but the highs will keep me going.
@@Jetsetwithb There will be highs and lows. I am so happy you are going to start this adventure though. Keep me posted, Id love to help if I can!
Hi Danielle! I’ve been binge watching your channel today. It’s inspired me to take an Ancestry DNA test because there are things that I feel have been hidden in my family history on both my maternal and paternal sides. Thank you for sharing your family story! By the way, you really favor your great grandmother Lola! Sending you love!
Amirah, that is awesome!! Im so glad you found the channel. Let me know what your results are! I think there are many people with generations of hidden heritage. Also I just posted a follow up interview with my brother you might like: ua-cam.com/video/gmcZ881d-RA/v-deo.html
Just an FYI - data on race is collected in part to identify disparities between people of different backgrounds, and to track whether or not those disparities are increasing or decreasing over time.
I do see that intent of it, i just think that someone like me who can check like...4 boxes off? I dont know if that's helping the way they want it too. I usually just skip that section now...
Love this series. DNA testing gave me a deep family mystery as well. I grew up white but I always knew my fathers family was different somehow. My ancestry results show Nigerian, Congolese and South American indigenous results. Of course I am mostly of Scottish/English ancestry, but these results point to my grandmother being probably one quarter black. The big mystery is the South American indigenous. I think my ancestor was probably from Guyana at some point. Anyway, it was so refreshing to hear y’all talk about your heritage. Talking about all the historical events that have to happen in order to be born is something I think about everyday. Knowing that there is so much pain and tragedy in this history makes me mindful of how I live my life and appreciate the freedom I enjoy. Thank you for sharing ❤
Elizabeth, thank you so much for sharing your story. I absolutely love connecting over these experiences. We are on this journey together and just getting started!
@@nytn yes! It is an emotional journey and very overwhelming sometimes. It often feels very lonely. Watching your videos made me feel like I’m not alone 💕
That makes you black? With the one drop rule probably
A social construct, the WM concocted. Don’t listen to the WM his thing was yo devide. Don’t let anything devide the family.
Omg, as I was reading your comment, before I got down, I looked at your picture and said you look like my uncle's wife. We are Guyanese. After I read indigenous from South America, I said oh probably Guyanese, and then I saw you came to the same conclusion.
I want to watch EVERY video you do on tour family. What a wondrous journey. I think what you have done has “freed” Lola in some sense.
Absolutely love your mom’s sense of humor.
Please keep the videos coming. ❤
This comment made my day!! I am still shocked and honored that anyone cares about hearing our little family drama. What you said about Lola brought tears to my eyes. I never thought about it like that. Makes me so happy. Im so glad you are here! And my mom is awesome-- we don't take ourselves too seriously LOL
@@nytn so glad you liked my comment. I think you might be surprised at how much people enjoy your family’s journey. I took several DNA tests about 6 years ago just to see if family rumors were correct. I’m 72, African American in SoCal but my maternal roots are in Arkansas back to Alabama in the early 1800’s, and thru Louisiana back to Tennessee and Virginia thru my paternal side, again to the early 1800’s. And of course we were rumored to have “Indian blood” on both sides. Well, long story short, it’s true!! Turns out I’m 74% African, 18% European-ish, and 6% indigenous. And through research I was able to find a cousin with way more indigenous blood than I have who had a picture of our common indigenous ancestor born in Monterrey, Mexico in 1840. He had a daughter and a son. I descend from the daughter and the person who supplied the picture descends from the son.
I say this just to show that MANY of us are on the journey you are on. I just wanted to KNOW where I came from before I leave this earth. And taking this journey has given me new cousins all over the world that I never knew I had, in places I’ve visited. I could have walked past a cousin in London or Paris and not known it!
Well, keep up the good work and keep giving Lola wings. Continue to be the air beneath Lola’s wings. 🙏🏽
A beautiful comment 💖💕💕
She didn’t want to be oppressed. So she moved and passes as white. This is a story that still happens to this day. It’s easy for you to say “where is my beautiful color”. You have not been oppressed. Life is easier, the lighter skinned you are! You can pass and be treated better. Most Mexicans are a combination of various European , indigenous and African ancestry.
I know what you say is true! I do wish more of our story was shown on the outside--because I am so proud of my roots. But you are right, there is a lot of hardship that comes with being darker- then and now.
@@nytn I would like for you to show the ugly side too. I don't think it's bad to talk about but that's just me. No, we (white people) don't understand what oppression is due to our skin color. Some of us might know oppression because of other things. I'm just ready to know what this is all about. The little I do know is so terrible. Anyway, just a white girl saying I'd like to know the other side. Oh and I understand her saying she wants darker skin! Like I've said, my mom is French Indian heritage and has beautiful dark skin. So does my brother. Both haven't experienced anything outside our own family as far as oppression goes. I've always wanted my brothers beautiful skin and thick dark hair! But I haven't had to experience my dad's hatred because I'm white. My brother was hated because he's dark from our dad. Nobody else.
@@shellakers10 That is a heartbreaking story. There is so much pain around the color of SKIN. Honestly boggles my mind. Have you seen the episode about my enslaved ancestors? I do plan to dig into the ugly side of things more, I agree with everything you said. Im so honored to have people like you here who are thoughtful. Here is that other short video: ua-cam.com/video/uAxyz0q0A4s/v-deo.html
@@shellakers10 I'm African American which is inherently mixed race. I wouldn't trade a single thing in the world for my skin color, my culture, even our struggle. As a matter of fact, I've always wished I was darker. My great grandmother was creole, but even whiter than Lola, and chose to stay with her family and married a dark skinned man, so that her children would have some color.
It's all a matter of what you want. I'm glad Ms Lola got what she wanted. And I surely hope she got to relax enough to really enjoy life without fear. ♥️
@@tysteward545 we're all mixed races tho aren't we? That always confused me as a child.... why would people like my dad hate different cultures so much when he, himself had quite a mixed breed heritage running thru his blood. He's Irish ( a small part) and I know the Irish were treated horribly when they came to America during the famine. It's j7st seemed to be a bully mentality. And then being heavily indoctrinated into the Masons meant more hatred toward blacks and Jewish and God only knows who else they hated! All while claiming to be Christian. Anyway, I'm so glad to hear you say you're proud of your skin color and heritage! Very nice! Skin color doesn't measure the man but the man's experiences because of his skin color kind of really do make some people either resilient or proud or even bitter. Thank you for sharing that!
I agree about the boxes because I've been confused my whole life on how to answer the box as i got older i checked Indian however was told i needed an official paper to check that box .... and there's no Irish Cherokee
Great series! I love your comment …as we dig into our heritages, we find that we are more alike than different. So true! Also, from the first episode what struck me was the very striking resemblance you have to your great grandmother! Wow!
Danielle looks more 'black" and "native" for sure, but, if she was raised in the North, probably, people didn't give it much thought. My one sister looks French-Canadian and, maybe, Native. She actually did the DNA test for 23 and me and she is French, but not Native. I guess my mother was wrong. After being married to my father for several years and having 4 kids with him, she met the rest of his family. She decided than that he was native. LOLOL! Mommy is wrong. There was a smidgen of Spanish DNA in evidence though and that surprised my sister and me.
That makes my day-- I look up to Lola so much and feel a very strong connection to her. Im so glad you are here on this journey with me!
Funny enough I ALWAYS got asked if I was "X", especially in the summer since I get very dark for a "white" person (even in a NY summer LOL). But I somehow never put the pieces together. Im curious what your sister's haplogroup was!
During that time it was a much easier life for African Americans who had a lighter complexion to pass. Your grandmother had a very hard time raising her family after the loss of her husband and she was passing. So just imagine the life of an individual who was a few shades darker than her. The hardship would have been double. The only thing about passing is you must relinquish your entire pass for your new identity for fear of being found out, but it still goes on today. In 1971 and I remember as child of 10 seeing the movie "Imitation of Life" with Lana Turner and the ending made me cry, because the daughter (very light complexion) of the maid (very dark complexion) didn't want to be black. Throughout history black has always been depicted as bad (i.e. the black cat, bad guys wear black, black magic, black night, etc.) I agree with you both about getting rid of the boxes, but racism and white privilege is so real they are not ready to do that!!! Bless you on your journey!
It has not been easy finding the family that was left behind, but it is happening, slowly!! Thank you for being here:)
I remember that movie ...... Being a woman at the turn of the century wasn't easy either no matter what women have had to try to be everything and it's still not enough the world is falling apart
I have a story of family members passing as white too. My family on my dad's side was mixed with French Creole, Creek/Cherokee Indians and Irish and alot of family on that side left Alabama/Louisiana and passed for white. One story I remember some of my grandmother's sister's family moved to Florida and passed as white. They never returned to Louisiana, but my grandmother and aunt would go visit them in Florida and due to their lighter complexion while there they passed as white, but returned home to a community in Louisiana where everyone knew they were people of color. The cousin in Florida had her neighbors and friends think her family visiting were white. So it was alot of hidden family history. Everybody in the family knew where those that left and passed for white was knowing they could never return home again. Some thought the grass was greener on the other side with less troubles, but they lost a deeper rich family culture from the ancestors they covered up.
Wow---I agree with you SO much. I feel that loss of family culture acutely.
My daddy brother refused to be black he passed and had his 5 children pass and they married Caucasian race and their children looks white. They won’t come around us, what’s so heartbreaking is they lied and deceived their spouses
@@marie3919I see your point of view and it is valid and I also understand your pain, but I feel they had a good reason to do it and were I the deceived spouse, i would have understood and never held it against them.
@@japspeedgirl6216 Let me say this , you never turn from your race to pass for another no matter what the reason
She didn't pass as white because she wanted a better life she left because she couldn't pass as black.
I've a great uncle who moved from Ohio to Pennsylvania; once he moved he passed for Native American. My great great grandmother left her family for awhile and passed for white. Both of these people were on my mother's side of the family. My father was very fair, he grew up in the forties and fifties. As a youth his friends would ask him "why he didn't pass?" Passing is a painful experience for most people and the pain is hidden because if the truth were known it could lead to many difficult and sometimes dangerous situations. People who pass are denying an important part of themselves. I've a cousin who has researched our family, the maternal side, and has traced it back to 1862. I've had my DNA tested by Ancestry. One of my long lost cousins contacted me; in the course of the conversation he mentioned that our shared relative's portrait was hanging in a museum. I asked if he knew the story of how she escaped from bondage. He had no idea that she was black. We are related through my great uncle that passed for Native American. The family was surprised but very interested to find out more about their history. BTW in 2007 my family received an invitation to a gathering in Scotland for family members. We thought it was a scam, fast forward to present day and I find that I'm 14% Scottish. In fact according to DNA I'm 39% European. Go figure! I identify as African American.
WOW. I need to know more about this portrait!!
Awesome account, courage and real strength you show. Many are finding out they have African ancestry from. Louisiana. Southern roots also can contain African roots for families that didn't leave the south maybe 30% estimated after the Civil War. Even with slavery, slave owners I've been able to trace my 8 great- parents families and at least 2 into the 1700s abd beyond. The further one goes back the more relatives!
My ethnicity is black, irish and native indian. My family spoke about why we was so mixed. They put white on my granfather, my dad's and his siblings birth certificate to stop the harrasment in alabama then they moved to NY but we welcome being colored❤ You should never be scared of who you are for nobody!
Talisha, thank you for sharing such a similar story. Im so proud to learn my heritage finally
Its funny with people that pass when you get around black or spanish people they claim you right away.
@@nytn what tribe?
Same thing here
I identify so much with your perspectives. As a Brazilian that lived in USA I had similar questions as you have. I am a mix of Italian, Portuguese, Native and African. Very similar to your mix.
As someone who knew my Louisiana background...I did my ancestry recently and the first thing that came up was you are of the Louisiana Creole Peoples. It was prominent more than we knew. My family never denied it or ran from it...and some used it to their advantage but........never said they were NOT BLACK. It was discussed among my family. I have even found 5-8th family in the UK and France.
Wait are you related to me? This sounds like my family. Our family name is Pettiford.
Same with my family the ones that pass, they will never say they black
There were a lot of folks passing. And, they still are. Within my family even today.
Wow-- Im really really curious about this.
Same here. There are many more "white" Americans with Black ancestry than will ever want to know. If you can trace your family back to before the Civil War, most likely you have some mixed roots. Don't forget. EVERY slave woman was raped repeatedly, their entire lives. Lighter skinned Blacks married each other to give their offspring greater advantages. More people have African roots than Native American roots.
Let them pass in peace. It’s not really passing, they just don’t want to be labelled as something they don’t want or perhaps even feel.
I just came across your channel, and I think you are brave for showing the journey of your family. I think your grandmother made her choice based on her experiences and experiences of other black,indigenous, and Hispanic people at the time and now. Every family has secrets, but family is family.
Thank you so much! There is so much I am learning and plan to share:) Im thankful to finally know
Stumbled onto this today! Thank you. Yes, these stories about ancestry and power relations are not unfamiliar to my family. Southern history in general, and Louisiana history in particular, is more complex than is usually presented. BTW Louisiana has the oldest Filipino(and Filipino-Chinese) communities in what is now the U.S.: 1763.
Servants-slaves on Spanish galleons in the Manila-Acapulco trade, they jumped ship and took refuge in the bayous of Louisiana. That's now 11th and 12th generation.
The Chinese side is so interesting to me because our cousins literally come from those lines. Amazing history in Louisiana!
I’ve enjoyed watching. I was born and raised in Northern Illinois . I am of German decent. I’m very curious to know more now though from watching this. On a side note, at 51, 6 years ago my husband and I decided to move to south Louisiana. Thibodaux to be exact. I have been so appalled at the racism that still exists to this day down here. I did not grow up in a racist community and I do not like seeing all the repression that still exists to this day. It’s awful. 😢
Cathy--- wow. That pains my heart
😮Elaborate on what you’ve seen and what you know of the racism there? How do you think it can be ended? Should the racists have their children removed from their homes because they’re brainwashing their children to hate & oppress others?
Ipo9999999⁹000
@@melbee5767 I didn’t grow up with racism because I was taught that skin color doesn’t matter. When will it ever end?
@@cathy1944 Racism isn’t just about slurs, it’s about having the racial power to oppress others.
*We live in a global system of racism white supremacy that privileges whyte people and disadvantages everyone else. … still till this day!*
There’s no escape from racism white supremacy on earth. Colour matters, colour is beautiful, it was created to be seen. The racist stereotypes that whyte people have attached to non-white people and the ridiculously positive stereotypes that whyte people attached to being whyte that need eradicating not colour itself.
I have family in Monroe, La. My father's family is mulatto, creole black, Irish, Choctaw, German Jewish, small French.
This was a very nice conversation to share. It's very true.🙂
Danielle...you have a very open and receiving spirit, that is clear to see. Your curiosity is what has opened up the ancestral Pandora's box, and I think not everyone is as comfortable and accepting of its contents as you. We all (especially from the south) have grown up with secrets and mis-truths about our families, the common thread being shame and guilt. If we could only flip that and accept all parts of us that survived through hellish circumstances with pride and empathy for all of our ancestors. Many blessings to you. 🙏🏾
thank you for such a kind comment. I am open, and that can be scary because who knows what that can mean. But I always wanted to know the truth, and now it is finally happening!
You so resemble your Mom! I love that you can share with extended family!
In the 1970s the fashion fad for wedding dresses was the Mexican wedding dress. The details on the bottom of Lola's dress reminds me of that recycled fashion. Hope that helps! (I recently went to the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, and took a photo of a painting I wanted to send to you. I'm on FB.) I love your deep dives, because, by learning how you've researched helps me know how to approach my own heritage research. Plus, you have an entertaining persona. You truly are a teacher. ❤ Please keep teaching!
Thank you for your time and effort put into this insightful history of your family heritage. I think you carry the weight of your legacy now. Amazing how so many of your family members didn't know what you discovered. I'm also glad that your family is able to reconnect with the southern part of your family members. I look forward to more of your work in future videos. Peace love happiness
I very much feel that it is my calling. And my kids are little, but already learning so it is never forgotten .
I discovered a split in my family tree too and couldn’t believe it. Literally a set of siblings started passing while the others did not. I didn’t message anyone from those branches but a few weeks later, we were all showing in the “Thrulines” through a set of 3xGreat Grandparents. This happened often and we cannot pass judgement on anyone for how they chose to live their lives. DNA though, doesn’t lie🫶🏽
Wow this gave me chills to read!
My mixed-race ancestor William Bass lived in Virginia from 1654-1741. His mother's husband was White and gave him a document stating that he also was White. His mother was Indian. Some of his descendants married Black people and some married White or Native American people. His direct male-line descendants have African Y-DNA. His other descendants and I are very fortunate that his family saved documents and made wills. So even that far back, there were people who "changed" ethnic groups. It's quite fascinating. My children are descended (on their father's side) from another mixed race marriage in the 1600s that has been documented. None of us had a clue until we had our DNA read!
Talk about deep and complex. Thank you Danielle, as you follow your heart, and alike I as well. God Bless you, your mom, and your family.
Thank you so much!
Yes, Danielle, I am following your journey. However, I have started from the beginning of these videos, as I want to timeline consecutively your journey. As, I once posted b4, I'm on a similar journey. Though I don't have native american in me, I did do a 23&me analysis&report. I'm mostly European w/ Southern Italian roots, along with Irish, British roots, and so on. My parents and grandparents neglected and omitted my ancestral history and culture. I am alone in my journey too. We will get to the root and truth of our history! Thank you and God Bless. In the name of Jesus. Amen.@@nytn
I’m binge watching your channel and this is great work! It really makes me want to dive into my own family roots more.
What an awesome comment!! Yes dive into it, it's addicting, frustrating and incredible all at once. Keep me posted on what you find:)
This is a great way to document the journey of a passing black woman. But the family explains away Lola’s choice as a simple decision to have a better life. Unfortunately, they didn’t think about the relatives that couldn’t pass. They had to stay and continue to suffer the awful effects of racism. Kudos to the filmmaker for being more open minded.
Thank you for this comment. You are right. I am at the very beginning of this journey, there is SO much more to come. I have met so many of my black cousins, they'll be showing up on here soon!
Two extraordinary women, thank you for sharing your story.
So kind of you! I come from a really wonderful line of women.
I wish people will eventually get this straight. It has never been so much about black people "passing" for being white. It has always been more about black people being "accepted" as "being" white. There are many very light skinned blacks, with what's considered as having "black" features who could never "pass" as being white, even if they tried. My dad was a very light skinned black man, with so-called black features. White people were never confused by his race and he was treated accordingly. Funny thing is, his name was "Alfonse"😊
" It has always been more about black people being "accepted" as "being" white." That's literally what passing is. They are actively presenting & passing themselves off as white because they know they can. If they have white skin & European features, they are very much in the position to pass for being white.
"There are many very light skinned blacks, with what's considered as having "black" features who could never "pass" as being white, even if they tried." Just being "fair" is not enough to "pass." In all the stories of black people passing, there is always racial ambiguity due to having less so-called black facial features. If you have darker skin but have European features & straight hair, you may be able to "pass" for some other ethnicity which could have still opened more doors.
This is so interesting! I have a similar situation in my family. My 5th great grandmother was born a slave, her first child's father is unknown, but both of them were listed as free women of color in pre-Civil War Mississippi. At 15, my 5 great grandmother ran away from her owner along with a Native American boy. When she was caught, her owner sold her. Her new owner emancipated her and then they went on to have a family together. I come through the oldest daughter. We assume she is the daughter of the previous owner, but could also be from the boy she ran away with. Her last name is the same as her mother's first owner on her marriage certificate.
We haven't found any descendants of color. The children kept marrying and having children with Caucasians in my line.
So similar! I am so happy that you have that much of your story.
Thanks for sharing this. I think it’s interesting that you identify as white. I would never guess you were. You look indigenous ☺️ Way to represent your ancestors!
This is beautiful to hear! I am so proud of my African and indigenous roots. I think Im still on this journey :)
Yeah me too. 😃
@@nytn I thought you were black!
I, like yourself, am the curious one in my family who wanted to know more about my ancestry and found some interesting things. Like someone else in the comments mentioned, being African American we know there is some mixture somewhere and sometimes can assume it happened in the worst ways but that is not always the case. And I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that wasn’t the case in my situation at all. (At least on one side of my family tree) People where “love” mixing even when it was illegal (in some places) for a long time and I think it is important for people to research their ancestry to get a better understanding of humans outside of the mindset of the “governing law at that time” and get to know our real ancestors for the humans they were. There are a lot of reasons why some of them moved the way they did based on the law but that doesn’t remove the emotions felt during those times.
To a curious person watching I agree, there are a lot of missing answers in your family and that alone would’ve made me want to start digging lol. And then to SEE your great grandmother in her original state before moving? Girl your ancestors called you to not only bring light and truth to your family but to possibly spark curiosity in other people who also identify as white. And it is okay if everyone’s history isn’t as racially diverse, that still makes them beautiful. But there is always a moment where you tap into the human emotions of one of your ancestors that will make someone view the world and everyone else in it a little differently.
I say all that to say good on you and good for you and your family to finally get some answers. I am loving every second of this discovery and am excited for whatever else you you find out! ❤
This comment--- wow. I read it at least three times! I can only say thank you so much. It's scary to put your life and journey in the public eye, but I felt like it was what I was supposed to do. Thank you so much for encouraging me!
@@nytn you are building a community outside of your family who are rooting for you ❤️🙌🏾 and thank you so much for replying ☺️
@@niecylanae33 oh my gosh, you are SO sweet. Thank you so much
@Niecy Lanae we’ll said!
@@lynntaylorbuccafuri5924 thank you!
Also, I’m a history teacher and one small correction, slavery and indentured servitude weren’t the same. Indentured servitude is what I call diet slavery
thank you for that! Im still learning a lot.
@@nytn
No problem! Indentured servants were often prisoners for things like theft or other petty crime. Others were poor peasants with no prospects and were enticed by the promise of land and possibility of learning a trade and signed contracts. Others were pows or captured rebels. But for the period of the contract(3-8 years usually) they did slave labor and dealt with similar problems slaves did. After Bacons rebellion they slowly phased indentured servitude out for slavery.
Ok... you're a teacher. Have you ever asked an indentured servant what they thought about it ? Depending on the situation but sometimes it was as bad as slavery. 'Course, they're not around in America anymore so good luck with that.
@@leonceboudreauxwolfthat was extremely dumb to think yet even ask…. If they are a history teacher, don’t you think they would know the difference between the two. You’re the unintelligent one here🤷🏽♀️🤣🤣🤣
This was very good... I did not expect a multi part series when I clicked on it but i am glad I went through the 4 parts.
Thank you so much for watching! I think the journey has just begun.
This series on Lola is fantastic! Amazing these are American stories.
I am so glad you are here! I have so much more to share. I just recently connected with many of my black cousins. Cant wait to bring them on :) :) :)
Interesting journey! I will say that you/some of your family benefited from passing...no Black Codes, no KKK, no CRT (taught only in Law School), no racial profiling...no lynching...no driving while black...no Affirmative Action...and on and on. You benefited...and you're not the only one! As a genealogist/historian of African American and Native American history, I have seen this sort of thing tear many a family apart...to include my own family.
In short, the U.S. Census started in 1790 ( the boxes) where whites and slaves were assessed. Slave owners paid taxes on their slaves just like paying taxes on a horse. The slave was property! Also, keep in mind as we move through U.S. history, the more slaves you had, the richer you were, the more taxes paid, the more entitlementyou thought you had. These BOXES continued because money continues to be tied up into it...not to mention, knowing where certain segments of the population was located. Today, you see some of this with the recent election in Florida and Georgia. Republicans know that they cannot win a legitimate, fair election...they must gerrymander to water down the black vote in various section...hence, DeSantis in Florida. Also, don't forget that the SCOTUS aided in destroying the black vote...leaving it to the states. Black folks are, in my opinion, the only group of people who must continue to fight for voting rights. Why is that? Also, you must ask yourself, why do white Republicans feel the need to do this in the 21st century? There is clearly a big racial problem in the United States...there has always been a racial problem... So, no, you don't have to deal with any of that based on this UA-cam segment.
Not intended to be a class in United States systemic history.
I am not clear on some of the commits made in this UA-cam segment.
Looking forward for seeing an episode on your family and slavery (if applicable)...especially dealing with Louisiana.
Darlene, thank you so much for this really thorough comment. We have benefitted so much from being shielded from whatever experiences my family had in Louisiana. I talked about that a lot in Episode 3:ua-cam.com/video/bLxaTBhCu_Y/v-deo.html
You might also like to watch this episode on my enslaved great grandfather: ua-cam.com/video/uAxyz0q0A4s/v-deo.html
Darlene, you are so right! It is astonishing that everything you are highlighting is happening in 21st century. Also, it might be just my circles, but in Europe, where I come from, the numbers of white people seeing racial problem with clarity are higher. Perhaps you need distance to understand the injustice…
News Flash, African Americans are voting in droves and they all have ID.
So, after the one drop rule was overturned in Louisiana, what is the lowest percentage to legally be considered black
I love your videos and I would love to one day be able to afford to take the ancestry DNA test. My grandmother was born and raised in South Central Louisiana of Native American and Haitian decent. On my dad's side black, white, and Native American. I seem to think that there will also be Asian as well. Hopefully ONE day I will find out
Lola left most likely because of Jim Crow, which lumped Creoles into the category of black. Before JC, Creoles were just mixed people, with some status. With Jim Crow that status was gone, hence the preferential treatment as Creoles
Ethnicity is so relative. My father was away in Vietnam in 1970, so I was put up for adoption, and raised in a good family. My biological father had black hair and eyes, with an olive complexion. I always felt part of the family, but I stood out in the family.
These remind me of my time as a child, my mother and her father and mother were very light skinned and my father was black. My mother took me to a dentist and when he looked at us, he told her that she could enter through the door in the front but I had to enter through the colored door. I had to because there were no black dentists at that time, now with the way politics is going I see that sentiment returning. There are places in Louisiana that I can't go because of my skin color.
It’s very interesting how far back you were able to search and the documents you were able to find.
It was very very common for black people to pass as white, especially in the south. That was seen as an opportunity for escape, a way out of the oppressive conditions that they had to endure and a better life. It was common for some members of the same family to pass and others not. Just depended on the skin color and hair texture.
I started researching my ancestry years ago to see how far back I could trace it and anything before 1870 becomes very difficult if you don’t have names, locations and know how to do a bit of detective work. Thanks for sharing your story.
Lolas daughter looks like her brother Alphonsus. The family resemblance is uncanny.
That is amazing! My family thought Alphonse looked exactly like our family, too. Funny since we had never seen a photo of him before but we immediately recognized it!
Yes
Your channel is a blessing.keep doing what your doing.
Lorenzo, so glad to have you here
Beautiful conversation between mom and daughter very interesting story, you got your smart from your mother whao god hands on everything beautiful. Thanks
When my Dad got his DNA done we found out that my great grandfather was Portuguese. We were surprised because we always thought he was French Canadian. We are from an area with a huge Portuguese population. French, Irish, Italians, Polish and of course Portuguese are mostly Catholics so they do intermingle in church. But when I fill out medical forms sometimes they tell me to check of Latina for genetic disease reasons
You hit the nail on the head here Danielle. Jim Crow laws made Lola's and Donnelly's marriage illegal in Louisiana and all over the south. My guess is that is why they left. Lola wasn't ashamed. Maybe her husband wanted her to fib. His family considered her "Indian" probably because he told them that. He told his parents that my guess is because there was less stigma being native American but obviously enough stigma it made little difference to your gg grandfather. It did seem though the neighborhood tolerated their marriage perhaps a little better her being an "Indian." I do feel by that point she had little choice once they came to New York. As you said, by that point she was pretending for her children.
Hello again! I love that the Chinese element came out. My aunt (father’s brother’s wife) was a Grayson and she had the Chinese strand. I overheard this story from my aunt and couldn’t believe it. If my memory serves me correctly, there was a Chinese woman from California doing her ancestry and she found out about her ties to Natchitoches. And ended up having the same picture of her grandfather? Great grandfather? Great great grandfather? That my aunt had grew up staying in her house and I believe someone she knew. It seems like I remember that the young woman actually wrote a book and gave it to my aunt.
Yes, that Chinese element is incredible and I plan on talking about it more. You are exactly right about the lady with roots from Natchitoches, she did write a book on it! My cousin told me about that story(Chris Smith, he is part Chinese and from that line in Louisiana. He's in the other episodes).
@@nytn sorry for the mistakes, I was using my speech to text and I didn’t proofread. 🤦🏾♀️ But I’m glad you were able to understand.
This is great. I've been digging into my ancestry. I am 97.6 % African. 1% Irish 1% Indigenous
Im so glad you are here! :)
Really AMAZING!....also I appreciate your ownership of not knowing what you don't know & welcoming help. So many people could care less.
(1 drop rule)...America has a very gruesome past & this was their way of keeping us from liberties.
The 'Box'......is now how the government figures out what communities get what as well as who's thriving/ excelling.
In a perfect world we would be able to live as HUMAN BEINGS & not be judged by color. We've got a long way to go.
You're doing great!!!
What a kind comment- thank you so much!! I always figure it's better to admit you have no idea what's going on than try to pretend you have it figured out and get caught haha :)
@@nytn 💜
As NOLA girl, I learned early that Louisiana golf are sooo diversely mixed its not easy to trace your family ancestry.
My mother died when she was 56 years old. I meet her father (my grandfather) for the first time at the funeral. He was passing for white. I was flabbergasted. My grandmother had verified who he was. He never visited my mother when she was alive.
I'm sorry for the loss of your mom. Her "father's" behavior really bothers me. If he didn't care enough about her to visit her when she was alive, then he had no right to attend her funeral. I swear, I think some people would sell their souls if it meant they could move through this world as a white person.
Sometimes people leave thier family and never return. Your mom might not even knew her father was still alive at the end of her life.
There is an entire genre of literature on “Passing”. Even some of Faulkner greatest work & Mark Twains work is based around blacks that passed! Many great black authors Charles Chestnut wrote about it. Black people always knew about this! So it’s refreshing the ppl that identify as white, is catching up with the truth of how mixed we really are! Love it, thank you for being open minded enough to bring this to the surface!!
Thank you so much for this comment! Yes my family has a lot of catching up to do.....:) :)
You want to share some of those works?
All those things you identify with are because how you were raised. Sometimes we can't just instinctually feel it unless you look so different, that you question it. I am so happy I know where my ancestors are from. There were no secrets.
People assume that we all come in a darker skin tone. It is not uncommon especially in America that we come in variations of colors. Your story proves why we shouldn't go by color in this nation. Instead we should all be American.
I like what your mother said "Why can't we just be human". I think there are a lot of situations/forms where you don't really have to answer the question or just put "other". I like your mom !
We can just be human on paper when America wants to get rid of racism and the privileges that are inherently weaved into the fibers of this country. Now changing the hearts and minds is a whole other story.
My mother was black and my father was white. I'm a 67-year-old woman now. I know why secrets were kept down south. It wasn't always about opportunity sometimes you could lose your life if you're black in the wrong place at the wrong time. My mother came up to New York for a better life and just happened to meet my father and there were no secrets. Her whole family was dark skinned and there was no question they were black. They went on a trip in the 1960s and could have been lynched because they were a married couple and in some states that was illegal.
Jeanette, this story makes my heart so sad. You know to this day I havent seen any official marriage documents for my great grandmother, Lola, and her white husband. They married in 1925 in Louisiana where it was illegal, like you said. And truly dangerous. I dont blame my great gram for moving to NY and changing the facts, she wanted to protect us....and she did.
This motivates me to travel to Upstate New York, Quebec and Labrador to learn about my ancestors. My 12th great grandpa was a French fur trader named Jacques Hertel who migrated from Fécamps,Normandie, France to Quebec and then to New York. My 12th great grandma was Mohawk born in New York but I believe her great grandparents had Innu, Napaski and Inuit ancestry from Quebec and possibly Labrador in Canada because my top population in the America’s on Genomelink was from the Eastern Arctic which includes Northern Quebec. The other French ancestors were mixed with Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Syrian, Serbian, Yemeni, Russia and Ukrainian. My 18th cousins founded the city of Laval in Quebec. I grew up on the West Coast where my grandpa had moved in 1960 and where my mom and her brothers were born and raised so I had no idea about my grandpa’s family history until I did research. My grandpa vaguely mentioned some French ancestors growing up but I didn’t know the exact details of my background. I identify mostly as French, Spanish, Syrian , Serbian and Italian but I also want to travel to Quebec and Labrador to meet my First Nations and Inuit cousins and also my Spanish, Italian and Syrian cousins.
11:28 !! good point! I always wondered why it is like that in USA. (I am from Europe)
I'm starting to find your videos very interesting 🤔 , because I didn't know what you were talking about at first 😮. But now you're just talking about your family history like many other people throughout the whole world 🌎🌍 and you want to share your experiences with all of us .
I really appreciate your work. I loved this episode. I don't fit in a box either, and even as an adult, I'm so glad to find I'm not alone.
Sabrina, this is one of those things Ive been so...reticent to talk about. But there are so many of us who feel the same way. Thank you for taking the time to comment
Thanks again Danielle for another episode, keep them coming!
You are what your father is. Don't confuse skin tones and other physical features with ethnicity. The further back we go, the more admixtures we're likely to find. Your patrilineal line determines your ethnicity regardless of your physical features.
What!!!😂
I know this is a religious take, the father carries the seed, but I find it ridiculous. The mother is just as integral and her ethnic past doesn’t get removed.
I don’t know how to say that so it doesn’t sound disrespectful, I absolutely don’t mean it that way.
Nick La Rocca, a Sicilian from Salaparuta, of New Orleans had a hand in the birth of jazz. Lots of Italians from New Orleans , like Louis Prima and Sam Butera, became jazz giants. You might want to do a video on this.
My Maternal Grandfather was from Baton Rouge. His parents came thru New Orleans with the Italian diaspora of the early 1900's. Although he moved to Los Angeles at a relatively young age he retained a Cajun accent...
Hi! I'm still enjoying your story and your journey. If I didn't know your heritage (through the vids), I'd think that you were white + Latino (Mexican, Colombian, etc). You could easily be cast as someone in a Mexican or Argentinian telenovela (pls don't be offended, it's a compliment). I hope to see more of your story. Btw, your journey reminded me of a Mexican UA-camr, La Karencita. She went to Vietnam & was always asked if she was Thai, Vietnamese or Filipino. She took a DNA test & you can look her up. Btw, your mom looks so young - you look like sisters! Greets from PH 🇵🇭.
I love that you see that in me! I think because that's what MOST people see in me. I am planning to dig into that heritage at some point, I know zero about it. Except that when I took the old school 23 and me test 10 years ago it only had 3 main groups and one was Mexican. That was surprising! My mom looks great for her age-- she won't go in the sun without insane sunscreen---now I know where that came from LOL
@@nytn My Grandmother was Norwegian-American from Iowa. She was born in 1898. She wouldn't go out in the sun either. I bought her a sunbonnet more as a joke than anything else at a Mennonite farmer's market. It was very inexpensive and very colourful. The market was about 150 miles away from where we lived. She wanted me to get her another one! She'd never go out in the sun either. She was very fair as was my mother and my sister. My Grandfather was German-Canadian by the way. People from that generation never got tanned. They wanted to keep their skin light even if they were 100% northern Europeans. By the way, tanning does damage the skin.
@@nytn I do think that the American obsession with race is weird. With so much mixing of race, what box do you tick or can you tick several? On our census, we can tick several for ethnic origin. Race is not asked, but some people in large cities want to ape the Americans. I'm Canadian by the way although my Grandmother's people were from the U.S.
@@dinkster1729 you are so right!! Also, I am ALL about the sunscreen now. I never go outside without spf 50-- I love getting dark but the wrinkles are not worth it!
@@dinkster1729 the US just has so many problems in this area. You can check multiple boxes but...the whole thing feels silly on some level to me. Race AND ethnicity.
The mom has a such a beautiful spirit.
That was her story , she stuck to it . Beautiful family she made. I would be surprised too , but I want to know
I think if your birth certificate said "Black," you WOULD care. There is still a considerable amount of discrimination against Black people, that White people sometimes are not aware of. Not caring is another piece of white privilege. Remember the Native American man telling that Indian, Black and children of color weren't allowed to go to school with the White children. I had a friend in college (1966-1970) who was Creole. It mattered to her.
This was GREAT. Similar experience to mine. We had "family sharing day" in grade school (about 60 years ago). There were "secret" things. Never got any straight answers. So what would I share? There was always some kind of trauma/drama/etcetera happening.
Im so glad you liked it! This is a journey for sure
Maybe surprising or not but I'm 100% European. Not surprisingly because I'm super white, but also surprising because my family has been in America for so long that I have no idea how long we've been here. I think it's pretty cool that you guys have such a diverse background.
People with long-standing American history are fascinating to me. There is SO much to unpack there. I plan on doing a video about the Civil war next---I bet you have records from that !
I have the ancestry app, I have two relatives that also have it, my guesting is can we transfer from one computer to another?
You should be able to share with each other if you match!
As someone born in South America living in the U.S., I can say welcome to our world with respects to not knowing what race to check in a form 🤣 also always feel weird picking the Hispanic / Latino box as that’s not a race.
The US census doesn’t have Hispanic as a race. It’s separated out. Otherwise it depends on the form. Most will say white non Hispanic or black non Hispanic and so on. But I have seen others that separate the question out.
I don’t know what country you are from but Brazil does have some racial quotas in regards to higher education.
Loved your video's, I was born in New Orleans. I'm 66 years old I had Colored on my original birth cert. I had a couple of Uncles and an Aunt that passed for white but I could have done the same thing but I played my true Creole for all my life and use AA on all my resume's, I moved to Seattle in 1988. I'm proud to be a Creole, I will until I die. Stay a Creole be who you are it does matter.
Thank you for this comment! I love hearing from people in Louisiana.
Thanks, hang in there cuz!
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👍🏽💗🥹
Thanks for sharing, I've enjoyed your series!!
Im so glad you are here! Thank you :)
I am fascinated by the other half of this equation: your “black” cousins who are now also faced with their European heritage, knowing that it likely results from non-consensual pairing. I have watched Dr Gates explain these realities to people of color and their reactions are very real. In some situations he has asked if the guest wants to withdraw from the broadcast and Im sure some have, but how brave are the ones who continue?
Wow so interesting my grandmother had stories like this!!!
You are smart and brave. Please take care of yourself. From one historian to another. LJ Steele,MA
how kind, thank you :)
And you are welcome. You also look like your mom.
My grandmother was Swiss-Italian and darker than Lola with curly hair. Her mother, also dark, was the second of only 2 children. Her aunt, however, was an adult when her mother was born, and in show business. I can't help but wonder if her aunt was actually her grandmother and her real father unknown.
Wow, well you never know. Our DNA test outed some family secrets like that as well!
I agree with you ladies... I never have liked the "check the race" boxes even as a child I would never want to check them. And now you know there are some things where they make you answer that question to proceed on (which is totally wrong to force people to do) I always check other and if it asks for an explanation I say human being!
I think Danielle really looks like her great grandmother Lola even down to her skin tone. Interestingly as Danielle's mom pointed out she has very pale skin and appears very Caucasian. I'm sure a geneticist could explain all of this. It would be lovely to get that input as it seems the generations in-between were Caucasian looking.
I love hearing that about looking like Lola, feels special! My mom has always been really really careful with sunscreen and the sun-----I know now that was a learned behavior! But also, it's funny how DNA works--you get what you get and it doesn't always match what people think you SHOULD look like. I think it's an interesting topic to discuss. I have three kids and one is fair with light brown hair and the other two are tan with dark hair. All are mine :)
Yeah because you are most certainly very dark and very ethnic looking. You certainly took back to the Black side.
Love the series. My son has blonde hair blue eyes and great grandmother is from Mexico. He moved close to border for work. No one would ever know he has ancestors right across the border.
I love this, I have three children and one is darker than me and one is much lighter! Same family, same lineage.
I never understood why people especially people like my parents didn't share their roots! The fact that my great great grandmother's roots were hiden and wasn't spoke of throughout the family really blows my mind! I understand why her roots weren't spoken about while she was alive but after she passed away i don't understand why it wasn't spoken about afterwards! I mean she met my great great grandfather in the early 1800s like 1802 or something and all of this has been buried for many years! I guess back then people were afraid of having a darker skin than the average white person and they were called out for it! I didn't know about the law you spoke about which does make a lot of sense! Louisiana has some terrible history and hopefully it all comes to light! I'm enjoying your documentary! Peace ✌️
What an Amazing story I'll definitely watch the other parts to this series
Im so excited to have you here! Start here: ua-cam.com/play/PLvzaW1c7S5hQcox9CjaJWA7QKTYXw9Zn2.html
At that time, passing for white meant easier life. Point black, period. Being forced to drink out of nasty rotten water fountains, forced to sit in the back, go around back, or the fear of being hung for being black/colored or jailed is scary, anxiety-driven life to live. When opportunities were presented to live as a white person, many people took the chance. It's easier to say TODAY, I would choose to be me, with terms like Black is Beautiful or Say It Loud, I'm Black, and I'm Proud. But think, why did those terms have to be created in the first place. Also, Lola most likely wouldn't have known her exact age because most colored people didn't have correct birth certificates at that time because of race.
The "One Drop" law was overturned in 1983. In 2022,
Louisiana voted to KEEP slavery laws on the books.
The vote was not to keep slavery on the books. The author of the constitutional amendment to end slavery urged everyone to vote against it because it was in artfully phrased and would not have solved the problem. It will be re-written and placed on the ballot next year.
This is freaking awesome Welcome to the family sista ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you!! This is just the beginning for us
My great grandmother was very light skinned and married a light skinned black man. My mother and one of her sisters came out fair skinned, the other sister came out brown skinned. U can't deny ur African dna because it's genetic - skin, hair, and eye color.
It’s interesting watching since our family was from Louisiana. Black, Irish and French. Letters were sent back to Louisiana. We also have family that we don’t know. Our great grandmother did not pass.
WOW. I am just amazed by all the similar stories or stories that are from the OTHER side of the family, you know??
I have two direct ancestors who were hung for being witches at the Salem witch trials. I found this out about 8 years ago by doing research online. No one in my family had an inkling at all that this was the case. Why? I can only imagine the shame felt by the family and a desire to bury this information, even though of course they were the victims of a horrible miscarriage of justice. Just an example of how, like you, you can have never been told important things about your own family. Amazing!
WOW. I would watch a video on your family story, that is incredible. You are so right...most of the time we don't learn about our story because of shame or perceived shame. I think this is the generation to open all of that up, dust it off, and own it.
Your family needs to be apologized to for this most heinous crime. And I am sorry that this was done. You are brave.
My great grandmother could have passed for white but she embraced but she identified herself as being a black woman and she was born in 1850 and her husband was a black man what is crazy how some families died with this secrets in them❤
“I am glad it happened the way it did” your mothers response to your question in reference to finding out her roots are brown and how deeply rooted her family is in the art of “Passing”. It was almost like she was happy they chose the better option, I don’t know why that hurt me to my soul. I love your journey but hate how much the preference still continues to be preferred. From one NY girl to another😔💯🙌🏾🙏🏽
Im glad you commented this so I can clarify! I edited this pretty heavily. It was really long. She meant that in reference to being happy our family history happened the way it did--she is glad Lola went to NY because otherwise none of us would be here. My mom is so proud of our heritage:) If that wasn't conveyed it's on me. Im a new editor :)
@@nytn I comment often because we have a very similar story. I love that you took the time to clarify and appreciate your willingness to share. My grandmother much like yours flocked to NYC from Ahoskie NC. My mother was her only biracial child, she was given the last name of my grandmothers husband and moved North. I knew nothing about my white grandfather until the name Tyner kept coming up in family conversations. But when it did it was almost in silence, I found out at around ten that my mother was biracial and knew almost nothing about her father L. Tyner. She just mentioned his sister that she remembered seeing before they left to come north. Either way it’s something I’ve always sought to rectify for my mother, I lost her in 2019 before I got to do so. Because of that I stick to your story with my heart, filtering the details so that I can come to understand my own. Thank you❤️
@@BronxRisen This is one of the most beautiful responses to the videos I have seen. Thank you. I am so sorry for the loss of your mother, it feels like a continual loss on many levels I am sure. It's up to us now to bring wholeness where our family couldn't. We are in this together!💞💞
@@nytn thank you🙏🏽❤️
But they don’t look black.
I was raised in Creole culture. I was raised to be proud of who I am. Have always ticked the appropriate boxes.
Wow.These two ladies are incredible. They could easily take the place of my relatives on my maternal grandfather's side. The ones who recently took an Ancestry DNA test for the first time.All of these relatives are the descendants of those relatives who left the state of Louisiana and married and had children with White people. They all look drop dead White. IN this day and age,most have accepted their partial African Ancestry. But several are devastated that they are not "pure" White. And I know that in Louisiana where my maternal grandfather was from had one of the strictest race and one drop rule laws in the country. I know that his ancestors came from Haiti as free people of color just around the time as the Louisiana purchase in 1803.Those people were nearly equal in status to White people, courtesy of being under the French. But once the United States had control,the definition of race gradually changed.It just goes to show in America culture race seems to be defined more towards purity than from appearance. My maternal grandfather looked drop dead White. His mother(born in 1869) was of 1/8 African ancestry. His father(born in 1870) was of 1/16 African ancestry. Once the state of Louisiana began implementing its Jim Crow laws and strictly enforcing the one drop rule, quite a few of my grandfather's Aunts and Uncles on both his mother's side and his father's side decided to leave the state of Louisiana. Especially after the Plessy vs Ferguson Supreme Court ruling in upholding separate but equal. It could be really dangerous at this point for even a White passing person to knowingly attempt to pass as White.I had the blessing of knowing both my maternal grandfather's parents. And they often talked about how hard it was for the authorities to enforce the race laws in public spaces in New Orleans because there were so many people who you just couldn't tell whether they were Black or White. They were lighter than most of the Cajuns and even the Sicilian immigrants who had settled in Louisiana at that time. They joked that full page ads were taken out to encourage White civilians to expose those White looking Blacks who dared to use public facilities designated for White people. It seems like everybody knew everybody anyway.My grandfather married my beautiful and much darker skinned grandmother. Much to the dismay of his parents. But over time they grew to love her and treated her with the upmost respect. My maternal grandfather was the youngest of 5 children.All four of his oldest siblings, however, sought the blessings from their parents and married spouses who were as close to White looking in appearance as possible. My Great grandparents were honest about why they behaved this way.They wanted their children and grandchildren to have the best of both worlds. That as very very light skinned Blacks they could embrace the humanity and humility of Blackness but not have to deal with the daily harassment and humiliation of easily identifiable Blacks in public spaces.
The best of both worlds....that really struck me. What a terrible thing that it was almost impossible to accomplish without giving up so much. Thank you for sharing
@@nytn Thank you for sharing your story. And your journey of self discovery. What I find ironic is that my maternal grandfather's side of the family as well as darker skinned Blacks often said they could recognize "their own " from a mile away. No matter how light the skin,the straighter the hair. It's like they could look at the face,the lips, the forehead and the nose and could tell.But the same people who tried to uphold White Supremacy often could not tell at first glance. That African gene is so strong. No matter how far removed. Thank you and your extended family once again for sharing your experiences. As for myself I am very fair skinned myself. But not enough to pass.But I have been mistaken for four or five ethnicities. And I must admit, I have been spared the indignities of darker skinned Black people. What is amazing to me is that when I look at my old high school photo with the Afro,I clearly look Black. With very light skin.But at 67 years old with very close cropped hair and a receding hairline and prominent forehead with a Keith Hernandez type mustache, I am mistaken for hispanic,Arabic and Turkish all the time.Lol someone once asked me if I was related to Haile Selassie.
It's amazing that your mom 'doesn't know what would have been different' if Lola were open about her racial status like people would shed all family connections to pass for white for no reason. If people were willing to do all that to pass then the benefits must have greatly outweighed the sacrifice.
Seamstress is an excellent art, leads to big fashion design.