A group of Black history descendants and family members visiting the District kicked off a two-day convening that will more than likely culminate in a plan intended to collectively take their ancestors’ work to the next level.
On Tuesday, during an event at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the White House’s Office of Public Engagement (OPE) commemorated what’s been documented as the largest gathering of Black history descendants on the premises.
For two hours, public officials recognized the families while highlighting the Biden-Harris administration’s accomplishments in the realms of civil rights, racial diversity, and opportunities for Black Americans.
The occasion marked the beginning of what Kenneth B. Morris Jr., a direct descendant of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, called the group’s continuation of their ancestors’ legacies.
“When we speak with our collective voice, our moral authority will be hard to impugn,” Morris said.
Through his organization, Frederick Douglass Family Initiative: Abolitionism and Antiracism, Morris invited the families to the District to celebrate Douglass’ chosen birthday of February 14. OPE extended the White House invitation to the families as part of an effort to foster future collaboration, a Biden-Harris administration official said.
The group of 15 people included those who trace their lineage back to or claim relation with Douglass, Washington, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, President Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, Emmett Till, Malcolm X and Jesse Jackson.
Below are the names of other descendants, family members:
- Michelle Duster, author of “Voice of Truth” and descendant of Ida B. Wells
- Ernestine Wyatt, artist and descendant of Harriet Tubman
- Sheila McCauley Keys, author of “Our Auntie Rosa” and descendant of Rosa Parks
- Marvel and the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., cousin of Emmett Till and president of Preserve Roberts Temple
- Attallah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X
- Madison Lanier, great(x6)-granddaughter of President Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemings
- Shannon Lanier, Great(x6)-grandson of President Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemings
- Carter Lanier, son of Shannon Lanier
- Chandra Lanier, wife of Shannon Lanier
- Johnathan Jackson, congressman and son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson
- Ashley Jackson, the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s daughter
- Dan Duster, great-grandson of Ida B. Wells
- Nettie Washington Douglass, Booker T. Washington’s granddaughter
- Douglass Washington Morris, III, Nettie Washington Douglass’ grandson
On Tuesday morning, hours before the event, the group toured the U.S. Capitol and learned about the history of transit while at Union Station. They also laid the foundation for serious conversations about the country’s most important issues.
“When you see where we are in this country, people talk about healing and reconciliation but we can’t start talking about that until we have truth telling,” Morris said. “With the spirit of our ancestors, we can be a healing balm.”
Looking Back: A Black History Month Program of Historic Proportions
Upon entering the space on Tuesday, guests saw a slideshow on the right side that featured images of Jackson, Wells, Washington, Till, Hemings, Dred Scott, George Floyd, and other Black history figures. They later listened as Roderick Giles & Grace sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” along with a series of spirituals.
In his remarks before Biden-Harris administration officials, Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members, and other guests on Tuesday, Morris recognized his mother and reflected on the gravity of the moment. He also looked back on his childhood, during which he learned about Douglass and Washington while sitting at the feet of elder family members who spent time with them.
As co-founder and president of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives: Abolitionism and Antiracism, Morris has been leading the charge for the construction of the first Frederick Douglass Museum Center in Rochester, New York. He said that project, anticipated to be completed in five years, will highlight a period of Douglass’ life that’s not widely chronicled.
In regard to his ongoing collaboration with the other Black history families, Morris said he has expectations about an outcome that would produce similarly impactful results. “What will our great-great-grandchildren say about us?” Morris told audience members on Tuesday.
“When nefarious forces pose a threat to our democracy, our descendants will look at this time to see if we were on the right side of history,” he continued. “History lives in each of us but the future depends on how we carry it forward.”
Other speakers included Vice President Kamala Harris (D), OPE Director Stephen K. Benjamin, Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory, CBC Chair Rep. Steven Horsford (D- Nevada 4th District), and Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Alabama 7th District).
Each speaker examined the moment in the broader context, giving thanks to Black historical figures who paved the way for their professional success. They also addressed what they described as the violent revision of U.S. history.
Mallory said part of her job in quelling those forces involves preserving historic infrastructure, including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Atlanta home and the visitor’s center named in his honor.
Earlier, Benjamin, former mayor of Columbus, South Carolina, touted the Biden-Harris administration’s historic appointments, including that of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Horsford later paid homage to the CBC, which currently has 60 members, the highest number since its founding.
Harris, the nation’s first Black female vice president, likened the ongoing civil rights battle to a relay race in which ancestors pass a baton to the current generation facing new hurdles. In her remarks, she noted an executive proclamation President Joe Biden signed last summer to establish the Emmett TIll and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Mississippi and Illinois.
She also evoked Wells’ name as she recognized members of the Black Press as truth-tellers. “It’s imperative that we understand where we come from to understand where we are going,” Harris said. “We honor the descendants and our collective roles of leadership. We owe them a great sense in terms of duty.”
Sewell, whose Alabama district includes Selma, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa, said she came to understand her calling while gleaning wisdom from civil rights era veterans. Their example, she told audience members on Tuesday, allowed her to make history in her own way.
“It’s because of the sacrifices of those who came before us that this little girl from Selma can become Alabama’s first Black congressperson,” Sewell said. “Each generation must fight to preserve progress and advance it. We say thank you for the timeless work to preserve the legacy of your ancestors at a time when extremists seek to erase our history and roll back our progress.”