Dinah's Legacy

Proud. Resilient. Resolute

Legacy

Reflections

Grandma Ella

Remembering Connecticut 2024

We visited Uncle Herbert and Aunt Doretha just a few weeks after going through some family challenges. The pain was still very fresh but my daughter and I endeavored to make this trip. I’m glad we did. Uncle Herbert and Aunt Doretha laid out the red carpet and took us to lunch and a tour of the city. We ate a Cheesecake Factory, it’s one of their favorite restaurants. I was so amazed that my 89 year old uncle was driving us around the city, showing us all of his stomping ground, if you will. We also got a chance to visit other family before we made it back to visit out on the back deck.

We sat and chat until sunset. One of my favorite memories during this time was reminiscing about old times and his sharing stories with us. We got to see so many family photos and a picture of Grandma Ella. You would think I would have a picture of Uncle Herbert and Aunt Doretha on this page but instead I have a picture of Grandma Ella. I think deep down inside all of us have a desire to know where we came from and who and how we became the person that we are. I wholeheartedly believe and am grateful for the legacy that those who went before us left behind.

Legacy and Storytelling

Have you ever been so consumed with something that you go to sleep with it on your mind? You wake up with it. You even dream about it. You can’t shake it no matter how hard you try. That’s how much legacy has consumed me over the past several years.

There was always something at the back of my mind that kept gnawing at me. At one point, I was so consumed with learning about who I was in the context of a broader definition of identity. You should have seen me. There were some nights I was so inspired and driven; I stayed up all night reading. Sometimes the discoveries would lead to tears and more reading. And then more revelations. And it went on and on. Finally, one of the desires of my heart was given to me. I found the link from myself to the Continent. An African ancestor!!!

I was humbled! Excited! I was so excited! Did I mention that I was excited?! One of the things that I had learned over time is that “You can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been?” I also believe knowing who you are and where you come from plays a huge role in that path and direction.

While I will be sharing my reflections and thoughts about my ancestors, I will also spend time sharing what my legacy is or hope that it will be. Part of that is steeped in my passion and love of storytelling. What I learned is that storytelling is an inherent and integral part of legacy. We must tell our stories to our children and share our stories with as many people as will listen or show interest.

I remember sitting in on a recent webinar on Zoom and the speaker emphasized that quantitative data are important but stories change hearts and minds. Reclaiming that narrative and sharing stories told from my community’s perspective matter. I look forward to exploring various aspects of legacy through telling my story. Ase’