My maternal great parents and relatives were free Blacks before the reconstruction (they were not slaves). They own land and Irish people help them pay taxes. My paternal side live on a plantation owned by Jewish people in Georgia and move to NC. Due to discrimation, Jim Crow laws, Sun down laws, No mix race marriages, and other injustices they were part of the Black Dispora north. They share stories living in these conditons and what prompted them to go North to NYC. We were raised on family tradition and stories which I have passed to our 2 sons. Plus we have traditions and stories from my husbands Jamaican family where their grandparents were born and raised in Jamaica. Told stories how the men would come through Florida and work as migrant workers (during Jim Crow, a shock to them); then save money to live in Harlem, and women/children came after they were establish. So very rich culture. I feel privileged and grateful for their sacrifices and hard work to give me the opportunities that they were denied and taught me how to cope/deal with oppressive or discriminatory situations and help to make change to improve the lives and relationships for all people in the world. Both sides of the families had longevity, living into 100, 90s or late 80s. Some died early due to that they couldn’t handle the trauma; hard work and alcohol was how they coped.