EPISODE · Jun 13, 2022 · 18 MIN
Hidden clues of a Black family's Bible
from Headlines From The Times · host Gustavo Arellano, Denise Guerra, Shannon Lin, Kasia Broussalian, Ashlea Brown, Angel Carreras, David Toledo, Mario Diaz, Mark Nieto, Mike Heflin, Kinsee Morlan, Jazmín Aguilera, Shani O. Hilton, Madalyn Amato, Carlos De Loera, Surya Hendry
In the late 1980s, the Diggs family of Southern California came across a family Bible with an incredible backstory. Notes written in the margin documented their family history to an enslaved ancestor who learned to read and write — rare at the time. The Diggs eventually donated their heirloom to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., where it’s now on display. Historians say artifacts like the Bible are rare and offer a valuable portrait into legacy and resistance.Read the full transcript here.Host: L.A. Times Washington D.C. reporter Erin B. LoganMore reading:How a Black family’s Bible ended up at the Smithsonian InstitutionBlack genealogists get help tracing their rootsBehind these names, you’ll find stories of L.A.’s Black history
What this episode covers
Genealogy for Black people in the U.S. is notoriously difficult due to myriad issues. But for one family in Southern California, their search for their past was made easier — through an heirloom bible.
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Hidden clues of a Black family's Bible
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