Webinar – A Rich Legacy: The History of My Enslaved Ancestors

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Program organized by the New Jersey State Library

In honor of Black History Month, Ruth D. Hunt will highlight the life and contributions of her enslaved 2nd Great Grandparents, Richard Lewis, and his wife Elizabeth Seldon-Lewis, who were born in Southwest Virginia in 1834 and 1836. She will demonstrate how she tirelessly pieced together and documented the story of their lives. and explain how she was able to confirm oral history with verifiable legal documentation. She will also touch on her ancestors’ slaveholder and other relations, including Cherokee heritage. Richard Lewis and his family survived slavery to become landowners, successful farmers, and respected pillars of their community.