What are they afraid of?

So we talked a bit about why someone would keep changing their story, and I said we might go into why someone might be afraid of anyone knowing their real ancestry.

Sometimes this is due to a real fear. Sometimes, this is something that is learned.

Let’s say you had a distant, enslaved ancestor who was of African ancestry, but had light skin. Their parents might have had dark skin, but this ancestor could legitimately “pass for white.”

(there were many people who looked white that were in this situation, which was one argument abolitionists used for the ending of slavery)

If they had a way to escape slavery, do you think they’d go around telling everyone they were Black?

Of course not. They’re hiding! They’d do their best to fit in with white society, and teach their children to do the same.

If their children wanted to know about where they were from, do you think they’d tell the truth? Of course not, because until slavery was abolished, they (and their children) could be dragged back to the plantation in chains.

So their kids wouldn’t know. They’d tell their children (the runaway’s grandchildren) the stories their parent told them. If there were many kids, they might have each gotten slightly different stories, so the stories the grand-kids get might not match.

Not only would the stories be different, but there would be a definite feeling in the family NOT to investigate too much.

It’s dangerous.

It’s forbidden.

But no one says why.

So you see how this person’s great-grandchildren might be wondering why they’re not getting a straight answer for anything?

The fear was real 100, 150 years ago. It’s been passed down for so long that people don’t even know anymore what the fear was about.

But now, you’re safe to learn the truth. You might learn that what you were afraid might be in your ancestry isn’t there at all.