February is Black History Month, no matter what stunts the government tries to pull on us! We are going to continue to celebrate our own accomplishments and culture.
I’m inviting a special guest to The Scribe. I can’t remember how Ja’el and I connected on social media, but several years ago she did some research on my family tree for me. I’ve always been intrigued by her research and followed her ever since. When I tell you she has done some amazing historical work, I mean it! Just check her bio.
I typically do posts on Goddess Energy and Black History Month and this month, I wanted to add something else. So I asked Ja’el if she would guest here with us and share her wealth of knowledge.
We are going to chat live and then she’s going to be sharing her insight on the blog. So make sure, if you haven’t already, that you sign up for The Scribe so you don’t miss any of the posts.
Now, you know I like to roll in spirit. I wanted to speak with her about why Black folks have this obsession with having Native American ancestry, but I know that we will have so much more to discuss as well.
Stay tuned!
Bio
Louisiana native, Ja’el “YaYa”Gordon is a Professional Historian and Genealogist who specializes in interpreting antebellum history, genetic genealogy, Descendant group research, and conducting oral history interviews. Ja’el has over twenty years of experience as a researcher with a special focus on the Deep South antebellum/plantation history. As a researcher, Ja’el also provides historic interpretation work for numerous plantation sites where she teaches and researches on difficult history, documents enslaved persons, organizes slavery exhibits, research lost plantations, and conducts Descendant outreach initiatives. Ja’el holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Southern University and A&M College at Baton Rouge, a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Southern University New Orleans, and is a Ph.D. Candidate in Higher Education at Jackson State University. She serves as a Charter Member and current President of the Louisiana Chapter of Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS-Louisiana), the current Vice-President of Genealogy for the AAHGS National Chapter, a member of the Association of African American Museums, and Le Comite des Archives de la Louisiane, Inc. Ja’el also serves as the President of the Bonnet Carre Historical Center (formerly the 1811 Kid Ory House). Ja’el is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women.
