Heritage and Lineage

As I mentioned in my last blog post I will be posting on different aspects of genealogy and diversity. This week I would like to jot down a few words concerning the topic Heritage and Lineage. These are both fascinating aspects of human identity and culture. They provide us with a connection to our past, shaping our present and influencing our future.

Heritage refers to the cultural, historical, and natural aspects that are passed down from one generation to another. It encompasses traditions, customs, language, arts, beliefs, values, and knowledge that are inherited and preserved by a particular community or group. Heritage plays a vital role in shaping individual and collective identities, as it provides a sense of belonging and shared history.

One of the key benefits of heritage is that it allows us to understand and appreciate our roots. By learning about our cultural heritage, we gain insights into the achievements, struggles, and experiences of our ancestors. It can foster a sense of pride and a deeper connection to our heritage community.

Heritage also serves as a link between generations, promoting continuity and a sense of cultural identity. It enables the transmission of valuable knowledge, skills, and traditions from older to younger members of a community. This passing down of heritage ensures that cultural practices, craftsmanship, and wisdom are not lost over time.

Likewise, lineage refers to the biological or familial connections and ancestry that define our genetic heritage. It traces our lineage back through generations, highlighting the genetic inheritance we receive from our parents, grandparents, and beyond. Lineage is often associated with family trees, genealogy, and DNA testing, which can reveal fascinating insights into our ancestral origins and genetic Makeup.

Understanding our lineage can provide a sense of personal identity and connection to our biological roots. It allows us to explore the diverse mix of ethnicities, cultures, and regions that contribute to our genetic heritage. Lineage can help us embrace and appreciate the diversity within our own backgrounds and recognize the rich tapestry of human history.

I think it is important to note that heritage and lineage and not fixed or static. They evolve over time, influenced by factors such as immigration, globalization, and cultural exchange. Individuals and communities often adapt and reinterpret their heritage to reflect changing circumstances, ensuring its relevance and preservation in the modern world.

It is my true belief that heritage and lineage are integral components of our identities, providing us with a sense of belonging, cultural understanding, and personal connection to the past. The offer us a lens through which we can explore our diverse and complex human history, fostering appreciation for the contributions of our ancestors and shaping our present and future.

As I conclude this portion, I just want to reiterate how I truly believe the diversity professional should also be a delver in genealogy, hobbyist, armature or professional. Understanding our own heritage and lineage makes it a lot easier to convince others how important diversity is in our workplace, community, country and globally.

Time to Renew the Energy - We are Back

I took an extended break to understand where I really wanted to go with my site and blog. I am a strong believer that as a diversity professional it is imperative that I understand the diversity within myself to better communicate why diversity, inclusion and equity are important to others. As I continue on this journey I hope to instill the same thought in others.

Discussing diversity and genealogy in the same breath can be fascinating because it allows us to explore the connections between ancestry, culture, and human history. Here are just some of the topics that I will talk about in the coming weeks:

1. Heritage and Lineage

2. Genetic Diversity

3. Migration and Cultural Exchange

4. Identity and belonging

5. Challenging Assumptions

6. Cultural Preservation

7. Uncovering Hidden Histories

It is my thought that discussing diversity and genealogy together allows me, us, as people and professionals, to appreciate the richness of human heritage and better understand the interconnectedness of our global community. It is my hope to stimulate and promote dialogue, empathy, and appreciation for the diversity that makes us who we are.

The Civil War Name

The last couple of days I have gotten the itch to look at relatives that were involved in the Civil War. I had two 2nd great Grandfathers and one 3rd great grandfather that was in that war. James H. Stewart who was in the 55th Massachusetts Colored Infantry - Company H, Robert Bland who was in the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers Company A, and Ishmael Goss who was in the 28th Regiment United States Colored Infantry. The 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers was renamed to the 79th U.S Infantry after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

Most of us have heard about the 54th Mass as one of the great colored regiments in the Civil War and Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick, Andre Braugher, Morgan Freeman and others made the 54th a common name when they represented the troop in the movie Glory.

What most do not know is that the 1st Kansas was in fact the first colored regiment to enter the Civil War with their first engagement at The Battle of Island Mound. Records and accounts indicate that only 250 from the 1st were sent. I do not know if Robert was a part of this but still researching to see. I know on one of the muster documents for Robert they indicated that he was wounded.

Reading the stories about the 1st is remarkably interesting. How they got started, who helped organize them and where they trained before getting sent to Island Mound and all the follow-on battles after that. Records indicated that they started recruiting for the 1st in Aug of 1862. Robert’s papers show that he enlisted on 7 August 1862. One of the first to sign-up to serve.

I also have a great grandfather, Robert’s son, Elkanah. I always thought this was an interesting name and it almost sounded like a Native American name. I Googled it and it says that the name has biblical roots and there is a Elkanah in the Old Testament who was the father of Samuel.

How would you come to use that name? You would have to be an avid reader of the bible and choose that name over a ton of others or, you would you would have had to heard it somewhere and thought it was a cool name or, someone with the name made a big impression on you with that name and you wanted to honor them by naming one of your children after them.

I think the later happened.

As I was searching the Civil War documents, I found the name Capt. Elkanah Huddleston. It turns out that Capt. Huddleston was part of the 1st and in Company A with Robert. Records also indicate that Capt. Huddleston was the organizer of the 1st Kansas. Records also indicated that they both were mustered-out of the Army around the same time of October 1865. It is a good guess that the two of them knew each other and that Robert was so influenced by Capt. Huddleston that he named one of his son’s Elkanah. I am only hazarding a guess here but if you served so closely with someone that obviously was a great man and leader that it could somehow influence you to name a son after that person.

How well these two knew each other, I cannot tell. Maybe there are more records to be found that may shed a little more light on any close relationship or interactions that may have occurred. I just find it a bit more of a coincidence rather than by chance.

Capt. Huddleston went on to live a great life, dying at the age of 85. Died on 01 Feb 1922 in Larned, Kansas.

Robert went on to be a successful farmer near Oskaloosa, Kansas and passed away at the age of 55, 26 January 1890.

Robert, as well as being a successful farmer created a little notoriety as documented in his obituary from the newspaper Oskaloosa Independent, 01 Feb 1890. “Bland was a well-to-do colored man and achieved notoriety years ago by marrying a white woman. The woman was a widow, with a daughter nearly grown at the time, and neither had a particle of negro blood in them and yet they took up their abode in perfect content with the blacks, and seemed to enjoy the situation.”