During Family History Month, it seemed right to revisit Jordan Carroll’s story.
Jordan always loved his family’s stories. From a young age, he’d soak up anecdotes from relatives. Growing up in California, he was removed from his roots back east, but he persisted in learning more about those who came before him.
“I always wanted to know more about my family history to have a better sense of myself,” Jordan said.
Where Records Fail
As he got older, he moved beyond just family lore and began digging through old documents. But like many African Americans hunting for family history, because of the scourge of slavery, records eventually failed him.
“For a lot of African Americans we do not have those records from before the mid-1800s,” he said.
The paper trail just stops at a certain point, but that’s when Jordan realized something else.
“I’m carrying records inside me, in my DNA,” he said.
Check out his story here.
