Descendants’ Day 2024

October 5, 2024 was Menokin’s second in-person Descendants’ Day, and the weather was beautiful as Descendants from across the country gathered to share in the day’s experience. The theme of this year was “Telling Our Story”, and it was exemplified through the dedicated work of the Descendant Collective who volunteered their time to organize and execute this special occasion.

Greetings,

I join those who preceded me in welcoming each of you to the 2nd Menokin In-person Descendants’ Day. I have been asked to speak about Descendant work at Menokin and to share thoughts about why we are here, who is here and what does it all mean?

Descendant work at Menokin was initiated in 2018 when the Board of Trustees engaged genealogist Bessida Cauthorne White to identify persons who were enslaved at Menokin and to begin location of their present-day descendants. The scope of this phase of the Menokin search was limited to those persons enslaved by Richard Henry Harwood, during his ownership of Menokin from 1836 to 1865.

We learned that Amanda Beverly and her children were enslaved at Menokin. Her husband, Stafford Gordon, was not enslaved at Menokin. He was enslaved by John C Mitchell at a nearby plantation. When we refer to Stafford Gordon who was enslaved at Menokin we are referring to their son, Stafford Jr. Most of us here today are descendants of Amanda and Stafford and their children.

There are two other families we continue to research. William Parris was enslaved at Menokin. His wife Lucella Cox was a free woman. Their children’s status, legally determined by their mother’s status, were free. Peter Henry was enslaved at Menokin however his wife, Ellen Smith and their children were enslaved by Mary Mitchell at a nearby plantation. Since many records used to try to identify the enslaved people listed them by just age and gender or by first name only, our ability to learn more about them and their descendants is impossible. As we know, this is the challenge for Black Americans as they attempt to explore family genealogy. As descendants of the identified Menokin families, we are fortunate to have learned this part of our history.

To further its commitment to engage descendants of the enslaved people, the Menokin Board established an Action Team in 2021, which is now known as the Menokin Descendant Engagement Team (MDET). It was MDET that planned the 2022 Descendants’ Day bringing together over 100 descendants despite turbulent weather in the form of hurricane Ian. At our wrap-up session that day, attendees seemed motivated to maintain our Menokin connection. The Menokin Descendant Collective was formed. MDET serves as the board liason to support and encourage the growth of the Descendant Collective. Today’s event was planned by a hard-working group of Descendant Collective members, with support of Menokin’s staff and MDET members.

-Judi Gordon, Descendant

Photos courtesy of Steve Gordon, Taurin Gordon, Tiffani Joi Gordon, attendees & Menokin staff.