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Almost. My paternal grandmother's family had been slaves in Gloucester County and King and Queen County for Virginia for probably over 100 years. Just north of the Roads. They lived in rural Virginia until the early 1990s in that same area. My grandmother had left for New Jersey around 1940. THere she met my grandfather who was one of the relatively few black people born in Trenton, NJ in the 1920s
My grandmother on my mom's side is either 100% west African or close to it according to 23 and me. She and two of her kids are extremely dark-skinned so I believe it. That side of the family is Geechee and lived on the sea islands of South Carolin after slavery before moving to Florence so one of my male ancestors could work on the railroad.
South Carolina was dangerous and they moved a few dozen miles north to Wilmington North Carolina like many Geechees did and then began migrating to Boston (Orchard Park Projects) in the late 1950s. My grandmother was born in Florence SC though and still cooks the coastal sea-island style and keeps woven rice baskets and other stuff like that..
I’m convinced 99% African Americans in the north east have an aunt, uncle or grandparents in or from the Carolinas or VA lol.
My mother is originally from SC(Mullins) and with family in nearby parts of NC(Fairmont and Lumberton). So, a lot of black people in the Northeast have roots in the Carolinas.
Ironically, like BBM my mom had an aunt that lived in Trenton that she looked just like. A lot of people from the area of SC she is from went to NJ, but quite few went to Upstate NY. For instance, the current mayor of Rochester, I found out her mother was from Kingstree. This former Buffalo city judge, who is Mary McLeod Bethune’s nephew was born and raised in Utica: https://www.uncrownedcommunitybuilde...n/james-mcleod In fact a former poster on here, her parents were from Andrews, which is the hometown of Chubby Checker and Chris Rock and had a lot of family in Rochester.
Florida is another one due to the migrant farm workers. Belle Glade and Pahokee are a couple places down there that may come up around Utica, the East End of Long Island and in the Finger Lakes areas of NY. Some from places in Central FL like Titusville, Ocala, Kissimmee, Osceola, Sanford, Apopka, etc.
Parts of AL come up quite a bit as well. In the Syracuse area, a lot of people with roots in the Auburn-Opelika/SE AL area for instance. Some from the Mobile area too.
Plenty of GA as well.
Some western TN/MS slips in further west in the Northeast. For instance, Aretha Franklin’s family actually went to Buffalo first then moved to Detroit. Her mother is actually buried there.
A lot of African Americans in Boston have family in Alabama too and I don't know why, but it's a higher than expected portion. I don't get it. Mississippi is a lot more rare but I was friends with a girl who's grandparents lived in Tunica, MS.
A lot of African Americans in Boston have family in Alabama too and I don't know why, but it's a higher than expected portion. I don't get it. Mississippi is a lot more rare but I was friends with a girl who's grandparents lived in Tunica, MS.
I think AL and MS are the 2 states that show up more than expected in terms of African Americans in the Northeast.
Almost. My paternal grandmother's family had been slaves in Gloucester County and King and Queen County for Virginia for probably over 100 years. Just north of the Roads. They lived in rural Virginia until the early 1990s in that same area. My grandmother had left for New Jersey around 1940. THere she met my grandfather who was one of the relatively few black people born in Trenton, NJ in the 1920s
My grandmother on my mom's side is either 100% west African or close to it according to 23 and me. She and two of her kids are extremely dark-skinned so I believe it. That side of the family is Geechee and lived on the sea islands of South Carolin after slavery before moving to Florence so one of my male ancestors could work on the railroad.
South Carolina was dangerous and they moved a few dozen miles north to Wilmington North Carolina like many Geechees did and then began migrating to Boston (Orchard Park Projects) in the late 1950s. My grandmother was born in Florence SC though and still cooks the coastal sea-island style and keeps woven rice baskets and other stuff like that..
my s/o has family in Florence and Myrtle Beach and her roots are from SC/GA/AL. People from VA seem to have mostly moved to DC, Philly, Pittsburgh, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, and Boston.
I think AL and MS are the 2 states that show up more than expected in terms of African Americans in the Northeast.
for NJ, I've definitely met people with Alabama roots, so I think you're correct. We also colloquially like to call South Jersey, "Alabama" lol for perceived "countryness". I wonder if that's at all connected considering the long standing black population in South Jersey.
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