BitterSweet Editors - BitterSweet

In Support of African American Family History Research: What Can White Enslaver Descendants Do?

The Linked Descendants working group gathered in May to learn more about what white descendants of enslaver families can do to support African American researchers. We heard stories from Briayna…

BitterSweet EditorsJuly 28, 2022

Slavery & Its Legacies

Southern Bells

Elizabeth Avery Thomas ponders her family legacy as a descendant of enslavers through a technique called speculative nonfiction. As she writes at the close of this piece, 'In my current…

BitterSweet EditorsJune 22, 2022

Research & Finding Documents

In Support of African American Family History Research: 27 Actions White Descendants of Enslaver Families Can Take

Developed for the Linked Descendants meeting, May 2022 African American family history and genealogy researchers often find their work made more difficult or blocked altogether by the legacies of slavery…

BitterSweet EditorsMay 27, 2022

Research & Finding Documents

If Healing is to Happen, We Can’t Let the Sore Fester: an interview with Beverly Bevel

BitterSweet talked with CTTT member Beverly Bevel about her experiences researching her enslaved and enslaver ancestors. In 2019, Beverly founded “The Lewellen Project,” a non-profit organization with the mission to…

BitterSweet EditorsApril 12, 2022

Healing, Repair & Action

Visualizing Our Histories, Our Stories — Part 4

We are continuing our series, and will be sharing artwork and writeups of the creative process, from our Linked Descendants’ working group members. Some of us have begun to explore…

BitterSweet EditorsFebruary 24, 2022

Linked Descendants

Contacting and Connecting with Linked Descendants Presentation Video

On October 24, 2021, the Linked Descendants group of Coming to the Table hosted a panel on Contacting and Connecting with Linked Descendants. The panelists included four linked pairs (the…

BitterSweet EditorsJanuary 18, 2022

Linked Descendants

A Family Tree With Roots Deep In Slavery

Originally published on NPR's Code Switch in November 2018, Nabil Ayers' story about discovering his family history, his connections to slavery, and developing a relationship with a linked descendant is…

BitterSweet EditorsJanuary 4, 2022

Slavery & Its Legacies

Visualizing Our Histories, Our Stories — Part 3

In this series, over the next several months, we will be sharing artwork and brief writeups of the creative process, from our Linked Descendants working group members. Some of us…

BitterSweet EditorsOctober 15, 2021

Healing, Repair & Action

Visualizing Our Histories, Our Stories — Part 2

We are continuing our series over the next several months, and will be sharing artwork and writeups of the creative process, from our Linked Descendants' working group members. Some of…

BitterSweet EditorsSeptember 1, 2021

Healing, Repair & Action

Visualizing Our Histories, Our Stories — Part 1

In this series, over the next several months, we will be sharing artwork and brief writeups of the creative process, from our Linked Descendants working group members. Some of us…

BitterSweet EditorsJuly 14, 2021