There Has Been No Remorse over It: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Enslaved Ancestral Roots through a Critical Family History Project

This paper explores the benefits and value of college students’ conducting critical family history (CFH) projects, which may serve as curricular material to expand students’ understanding of complex aspects of history and immigration. This article unpacks how one student came to...

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Main Authors: Vicki Mokuria, Alexia Williams, William Page
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-03-01
Series:Genealogy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2313-5778/4/1/26
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author Vicki Mokuria
Alexia Williams
William Page
author_facet Vicki Mokuria
Alexia Williams
William Page
author_sort Vicki Mokuria
collection DOAJ
description This paper explores the benefits and value of college students’ conducting critical family history (CFH) projects, which may serve as curricular material to expand students’ understanding of complex aspects of history and immigration. This article unpacks how one student came to see herself and others from a deeper perspective, particularly through the lens of someone who chose to continue digging into her enslaved ancestors’ roots. Using narrative inquiry, a college instructor and former student collaboratively reflect on the lessons learned from using a CFH project in a college-level class primarily for preservice teachers. A unique aspect of this paper is that it gives voice to a former student in the class, which provides a way of seeing the complexities and dehumanizing components of the lives of enslaved Africans in the U.S.—often sanitized out of history books. In addition, a university librarian suggests approaches to genealogical research, by focusing more on the lived experiences of ancestors that go beyond dates and locations. The perspectives from both a former student and the college instructor add multiple dimensions on lessons learned from a critical family history project, which uses students’ family histories as funds of knowledge as the primary curriculum.
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spelling doaj-art-a6a20df783be41999e0f5eee48d663462025-08-20T01:54:38ZengMDPI AGGenealogy2313-57782020-03-01412610.3390/genealogy4010026genealogy4010026There Has Been No Remorse over It: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Enslaved Ancestral Roots through a Critical Family History ProjectVicki Mokuria0Alexia Williams1William Page2Education Studies, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 75962, USACollege of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USAUniversity Library, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USAThis paper explores the benefits and value of college students’ conducting critical family history (CFH) projects, which may serve as curricular material to expand students’ understanding of complex aspects of history and immigration. This article unpacks how one student came to see herself and others from a deeper perspective, particularly through the lens of someone who chose to continue digging into her enslaved ancestors’ roots. Using narrative inquiry, a college instructor and former student collaboratively reflect on the lessons learned from using a CFH project in a college-level class primarily for preservice teachers. A unique aspect of this paper is that it gives voice to a former student in the class, which provides a way of seeing the complexities and dehumanizing components of the lives of enslaved Africans in the U.S.—often sanitized out of history books. In addition, a university librarian suggests approaches to genealogical research, by focusing more on the lived experiences of ancestors that go beyond dates and locations. The perspectives from both a former student and the college instructor add multiple dimensions on lessons learned from a critical family history project, which uses students’ family histories as funds of knowledge as the primary curriculum.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-5778/4/1/26critical family historynarrative inquirypreservice teacher educationafrican-american historysoka educational philosophy
spellingShingle Vicki Mokuria
Alexia Williams
William Page
There Has Been No Remorse over It: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Enslaved Ancestral Roots through a Critical Family History Project
Genealogy
critical family history
narrative inquiry
preservice teacher education
african-american history
soka educational philosophy
title There Has Been No Remorse over It: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Enslaved Ancestral Roots through a Critical Family History Project
title_full There Has Been No Remorse over It: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Enslaved Ancestral Roots through a Critical Family History Project
title_fullStr There Has Been No Remorse over It: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Enslaved Ancestral Roots through a Critical Family History Project
title_full_unstemmed There Has Been No Remorse over It: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Enslaved Ancestral Roots through a Critical Family History Project
title_short There Has Been No Remorse over It: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Enslaved Ancestral Roots through a Critical Family History Project
title_sort there has been no remorse over it a narrative inquiry exploring enslaved ancestral roots through a critical family history project
topic critical family history
narrative inquiry
preservice teacher education
african-american history
soka educational philosophy
url https://www.mdpi.com/2313-5778/4/1/26
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