On this edition of In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson Jr. speaks with Byron Hurt and Althier Eady. The two were recently involved in the Nova film Lee and Liza’s Family Tree, a documentary that traces the lineage of the Hurt family. This is the second of two interviews from Byron Hurt and Althier Eady on In Black America.
Many descendants of slavery find it difficult to trace their ancestry through traditional means. Though Hurt knew the names of his oldest-known ancestors, Lee Hurt Sr. and Liza Waller Hurt, he needed the help of genealogy and other living relatives. He connected with Althier Eady, Lee and Liza’s granddaughter and organizer of Hurt-Waller ancestry committee. The two of them used their family’s history as told by their elders coupled with the work of scientists to uncover more about their ancestry.
Though the two come from a large family with a wealth of stories, Hurt knows that his experience is not the norm. He encourages curious listeners to take the first step, no matter how small, when it comes to learning about their ancestry.
“By having very small, reunions and talking about your family members, talking about your ancestors, looking back at old photographs and sharing those old photographs and making sure that younger generations know who their family members are. And then, you know, just take it from there. I think the most important thing is to honor your family members by honoring the elders and making sure that you're getting as much information out of them as possible while they're here.”
More on this interview can be found wherever podcasts are available. The In Black America program airs on KUT on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 a.m. You can also listen anytime on kut.org or wherever podcasts are available. Lee and Liza’s Family Tree is available to be streamed on the PBS website.
