Clues From a Lost Letter Led a Family to a Reunion with Their Relatives
Juneteenth is a memorable historical event for African Americans who were victims of slavery. The nineteenth day of June changed their lives — their civil rights and freedom were returned to them. However, it wasn’t only their freedom that got taken away from them. Due to slavery, families were separated, homes were wrecked, and some failed to see each other again. But at the 157-year celebration of African American freedom, a family was reunited in Galveston, Texas.
Sometimes it is essential to discover one’s family roots to achieve a sense of fulfillment and know one’s self even more. It brings peace of mind and happiness to those who have been separated due to social injustices. ABC News reported how Kelly Dixon Tiller found out about her ancestor, Hawkins Wilson. Kelly was curious about her roots and was determined to know more about her ancestors. She was given an answer through an online website called ancestry.com. Kelly and her mother, Alba Marie Jenkins, discovered that they were the second and third great-granddaughters of Hawkins Wilson.
In his letter, he wrote about his thoughts and life details, including his love, family, and faith. The letter was also written for his sister who he got separated with as they were victims of slavery. Hawkins was an enslaved person from Virginia and was sold when he was young. He wrote the letters two years after the civil war ended. His main goal was to find his sisters through the letters — interestingly, the letter even reached his descendants. Kelly read the letter, which was momentous for her as she wanted to know her roots to become closer to her grandparents.
The reunion was even more meaningful because African American freedom was reclaimed in Galveston. Hawkins’ letters were kept by the National Archives Museum and were never delivered to her sisters. Juneteenth was the right day to share Hawkins’ story, and a documentary featured his letters. The documentary produced by Ancestry was entitled “A Dream Delivered: The Lost Letters of Hawkins Wilson.” His letters might not have reached his sisters, but those letters led his descendants to one another. They were all grateful for the opportunity to share Hawkins’ story.
“This story is really kind of a reminder that we should be chasing their voices, hearing from them, their perspectives, and using that to kind of guide us going forward,” says Nicka Sewell-Smith, a descendant of Hawkins Wilson. Clues from the letters gave his descendants answers about their family history. Kelly and her mother reunited in Virginia with Linda Epps Parker and Valerie Gray Holmes. Celebrate their reunion and the importance of Juneteenth by watching the cover story shared by Good Morning America below.
