Dear loyal and constant readers (and casual ones as well–we love all readers!):

We will be on hiatus until about March 12.  I’m having some surgery at a local hospital, and should be recovered by that time.  In the meantime, please enjoy some posts you may have missed under  The Best of GeneaBlogie.  The link is located just to the right.

Three years ago during Black History Month, I wrote a series called “African-American Military History.”  One of the posts in that series was the one depicted below.

Earlier today, Brig Gen Mary J. Kight became the first African-American woman to command a state National Guard organization.  She was sworn in as Adjutant General of California by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.   She now heads California’s 21,000-strong Army and Air National Guard organizations, the largest in the nation.

I had the great privilege of serving at the California Air National Headquarters as a lieutenant colonel and colonel while Mary Kight, at the same ranks was with the 144th Fighter Wing at Fresno.  I heard about her before I met her.  The respect she garnered around the headquarters back then (the mid- to late 1990′s) made it clear that she was an up and c0ming future leader.

General Kight holds masters degrees from Gonzaga University and the Air University.  She also graduated from California State University, Chico, and Monterey Peninsula College in our mutual hometown of Monterey.   A former aircraft maintenance officer, General Kight has had a variety of assignments in the Air Force and Air National Guard over the past thirty-six years.  Since 2004, she has visited a number of the more than 32,000 Californians who have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I last visited with General Kight last September at the retirement ceremony of a mutual acquaintance at Travis Air Force Base.  Gracious and friendly as always, she certainly didn’t let on that she must have known that she would soon make history again.

I salute and congratulate you, General, for your well-earned appointment!

Brigadier General Mary J. Kight

Adjutant General of California

effective 2 Feb 2010

“Finding  Dr. King’s Roots in Slavery” originally appeared at GeneaBlogie on Monday, January 15, 2007.

As is the case for many African-Americans, the ancestors of Martin Luther King, Jr., apparently included a slaveowner. We know that Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. The 1930 census of Fulton County, as mentioned here previously, enumerates the family of “Marvin L. King,” the wife being “Elberta.” We know that Dr. King’s mother was named “Alberta.”

In addition to “Marvin, Jr.,” the census records a daughter, Willie. The Kings live next door to “Allen” D. Williams, a Baptist preacher, and his wife, “Jimmie.” In his autobiography, Dr. King tells us that his mother was the daughter of the Rev. A[dam] D[aniel] Williams.

The 1920 census of Fulton County shows Adam D. Williams, his wife “Jennie” [Parks], (her correct name) and daughter Alberta. In Henry County, the census counts a Jim King, a farmer, his wife “Dealy,” and seven children. In his autobiography, Dr. King relates that his father was from Stockbridge in Henry County, Georgia. The indisputable King Encyclopedia says that Dr. King’s grandfather was James Albert King, who married Delia Linsey, and that they were from Henry County.

In the 1910 census, Adam D. and Jennie C. Williams have their names spelled correctly. They are in Fulton County. At the same time, James King, Sr., is a resident of Henry County, and his household includes a son “Michael,” then about 12 years old.

Martin Luther King, Sr., was known as “Michael,” at least until he was 22 years old. At that time, according to the New York Post in April, 1957, his father told him that his true name was “Martin,” but that his mother had nicknamed him “Mike.” [The senior "M.L." King went on to say that he had intended to name his son "Martin," and did not know until 1934 when the boy was five years old that the name "Michael" had been put on the birth certificate. The elder King said he found this out when he was applying for a passport. Reliable sources suggest that the senior King had gone to Germany at that time.]

The odd thing about the 1910 census is that James King’s place of birth is shown as Ohio (as is his mother’s) and his father is said to be a native of Ireland. On the 1900 census, this same assertion is apparent, except that his father’s birth place is given as Pennsylvania.

The 1900 census shows us one Nathan King, a day laborer in Jones County, Georgia. He’s counted with his wife “Malinde” and three children.

In 1880, Nathan King was listed in Putnam County with wife Malinda and seven children, one of whom is named James and appears to be James Albert King, Dr. King’s grandfather.

Back another decade, in 1870 (the first time most blacks were identified by name in the census), there is no Nathan King family in Putnam County, Georgia. There is, however, a Jacob Brannum, age 65, heading a household that includes 38 year old Nathan and 24 year old Malinda, as well as 5 year old James (whose last name is spelled “Branham”). The ages of Nathan and Malinda Brannum and their four children are consistent with the ages of Nathan and Malinda King and their families.

The Branhams were prominent landowners and slaveholders in central Georgia. They were of Irish ancestry and had moved to Georgia from Virginia in the late 1700’s. In the mid-nineteenth century, Henry Branham and Joel Branham were key figures in the family and in Putnam County. Henry owned 29 slaves in 1850, while Joel owned twelve. Both men were physicians.

Dr. Joel Branham attended the birth of one of Putnam County’s most famous residents: the controversial writer, Joel Chandler Harris, who apparently was named after him. A folklorist and journalist, Harris wrote the Uncle Remus stories.

(Another prominent literary figure born in Putnam County is the Pulitzer laureate Alice Walker [The Color Purple], who is fiercely critical of Harris, accusing him of “stealing” African-American heritage).

In any event, it is possible that the Branham family held Dr. King’s ancestors as slaves. Note, however, that in 1870, there were also a number of blacks in Putnam County enumerated under the name “King.” This suggests, of course, that there was a slaveowner named King in that locale. Indeed, Elisha L. King and his wife, Elizabeth Ann, owned 15 slaves in Putnam County as of 1860.

What to make of this name change? Many freed slaves took the names of their recent owners; however, many took other names. It may well be that Dr. King’s ancestors were first owned by the King family and then by the Branhams when freed. The theory would be that they took the Branham name first and, later, for whatever reason, decided to change it to the King name. One reason for such a switch may have been to bring family members together under the same name.

The genealogist William Addams Reitwiesner lists a white man named William Nelson Williams (1804-1863) as Dr. King’s great-great-grandfather on his mother’s side. Williams supposedly had a “non-marital liaison” with an unnamed woman. It’s not clear what supports this assertion. See The Ancestry of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Following that line back one more generation, Reitwiesner shows William Williams (1772-1835) and Rachel Nelson (c.1774-1851) as the next great-grandparents. These people were from North Carolina, but ended up in Dallas County, Alabama.

As is the case for many African-Americans, tracing Dr. King’s ancestry past the middle of the 19th century is not a simple matter. Perhaps some young researcher will take up this matter as a tribute to Dr. King and his message of brotherhood.

Photo from Wikipedia Commons via Library of Congress, New York World-Telegram & Sun Collection. Public Domain.

Other Resources:

The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute (at Stanford University)

The Library of America–Reporting Civil Rights (biography of New York Post writer Ted Poston)

“The Genealogy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” originally appeared at GeneaBlogie on Saturday, January 13, 2007.

[Updated  1/18/2010] One would think in the Cyber Age, it would be easy to find a rather complete genealogical study of an historic figure like Martin Luther King, Jr. Turns out, that’s not the case. There are sources that identify Dr. King’s parents and grandparents, but few go beyond that. Ancestry.com has a “Famous Family Tree” that goes back to King’s great-grandparents. (Ancestry.com has transcribed the 1930 census of Fulton County, Georgia, to include the family of “Marvin L. King,” with son “Marvin L., Jr.” At first I shook my head in amazement over this; but upon an examination of the image of the sheet, the transcription may be accurate. See below).

Rootsweb.com’s WorldConnect Family Tree Project has one posting for Martin Luther King, Jr., that seems fairly close to the generally known facts of Dr. King’s family history. This tree was updated on December 31, 2006.

Click on these images to see how Martin Luther King, Jr. , was enumerated on 1930 census. Did the enumerator get it wrong or did Ancestry.com transcribe it incorrectly? (Images Copyright (c) MyFamily, Inc.)

The most extensive on-line source that I found concerning the genealogy of Martin Luther King, Jr. is on a rather spare, somewhat peculiar site called WARGS. This site is owned by one William Addams Reitwiesner (“WARGS” is an acronym for “William Addams Reitwiesner Genealogical Services”). Reitwiesner is a genealogist who specializes in celebrities, politicians, and historical figures. Reitwiesner traces Dr. King’s maternal line back six generations.

The Reitwiesner work is based largely on census records and such. It is not extensively documented, as Reitwiesner candidly admits. However, it does seem consistent with known and demonstrable facts.

Next: Finding Dr. King’s Roots in Slavery

[updated 1/18/2010, 11:15 am PDT]

“The Dream” Originally appeared at GeneaBlogie on Saturday, January 13, 2007.

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood . . . .

That’s a powerful line in one of the greatest oratories in American history–”I Have a Dream,” delivered by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. It was the zenith of the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” organized by a coalition of civil rights groups.

This particular line resonates with me because, among other reasons, I am the descendant of former slave owners in Georgia as well as the descendant of former slaves. I’m not unique in that regard. So at such a cosmic picnic, I would break bread with the modern descendants of Reuben Henry Sanford, who owned my great-great-grandfather, Billie Sanford. And I would parlay with the Birdsongs. Although I’m not descended from a Birdsong-owned slave, I’m here because the union of George Preston Birdsong and Matilda Manson, a free woman of color in Upson County, Georgia, produced my great-grandfather, Otis Manson. I would come to the table with the descendants of Nathaniel Emmons Johnson of Mason County, Kentucky, and Clay County, Missouri, who apparently owned my great-great-grandfather, Ezekiel Johnson and his mother, Harriet Mitchell (Zeke’s father was the prominent Kansas City-area merchant and civic leader, Dan Carpenter). All in the spirit of brotherhood . . . Loyal and Constant Readers know that I regard any debt as having been cancelled in my case long ago.

If this great breaking of bread and healing of hearts were to take place literally, it would be a banquet for all Americans. Who would be sitting across the table from you ? And, indeed, who would lift a glass with the children of Martin Luther King, Jr.?

Did you know: Martin Luther King, Jr. was named after his father, Michael Luther King, Sr.? That’s no typo. Both the civil rights icon and his father, sometimes known as “Daddy King,” were named “Michael” instead of Martin at birth. In April, 1957, “Daddy King” told the New York Post the story behind the name changes. When he was about 22, his father, James Albert King, told him that his true name was “Martin” and that his mother had nicknamed him “Mike.” Daddy King said that when Martin was born (at home), the attending birth specialist, having known the senior King for a very long time, “automatically” put down “Michael” on the son’s birth certificate. Daddy King claimed not to have discovered this until 1934, some five years later, he applied for a passport. By this time, the erstwhile farmer had completed his studies and was a minister.

In 1934, Martin Luther King Sr. and a companion went to Germany to study theology.  This image shows their arrival back in New York. It was in applying for his passport for this trip that “Daddy” King claimed he discovered that his birth record gave his name as “Michael” King.

Images copyright (c) MyFamily, Inc.

Next:  The Genealogy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

No blogging today or tomorrow . . . minor outpatient surgery. On the weekend, we join the discussion of standards, certification, and maturity

From the National Archives and Records Administration, 6 Nov 2009

The Senate has confirmed David Ferriero as the 10th Archivist of the United States. Mr. Ferriero  previously was the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries, the largest public library system in the United States and one of the largest research libraries in the world.

Among his responsibilities at the NYPL was the development of the library’s digital strategy, which currently encompasses partnerships with Google and Microsoft, a web site that reaches more than 25 million unique users annually, and a digital library of more than 750,000 images that may be accessed free of charge by any user around the world.

Before joining the NYPL in 2004, Mr. Ferriero served in top positions at two of the nation’s major academic libraries, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, and Duke University in Durham, NC. In those positions, he led major initiatives including the expansion of facilities, the adoption of digital technologies, and a reengineering of printing and publications.

Mr. Ferriero earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature from Northeastern University in Boston and a master’s degree from the Simmons College of Library and Information Science, also in Boston. After serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, he started in the humanities library at MIT, where he worked for 31 years, rising to associate director for public services and acting co-director of libraries.

In 1996, Mr. Ferriero moved to Duke University, where he served as University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs until 2004. At Duke, he raised more than $50 million to expand and renovate the university’s library and was responsible for instructional technology initiatives, including overseeing Duke’s Center for Instructional Technology.

As Archivist of the United States, Mr. Ferriero will oversee the National Archives and Records Administration, an independent Federal agency created by statute in 1934. The National Archives safeguards and preserves the records of the U.S. Government, ensuring that the people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to records that document the rights of American citizens, the actions of federal officials, and the national experience.

Its 44 facilities include the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, the National Archives at College Park, 13 Presidential libraries, and 14 regional archives nationwide. The National Archives also publishes the Federal Register, administers the Information Security Oversight Office, the Office of Government Information Services, makes grants of historical documentation through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Among the National Archives’ approximately 9 billion pages of materials that are open to the public for research nationwide are millions of photographs, maps, and documents, thousands of motion pictures and audio recordings, and millions of electronic records. Every subject relating to American history is covered in the records of the National Archives: Revolutionary War pension files, landmark Supreme Court cases, international treaties, legislative records, executive orders, public laws, records relating to all U.S. Presidents and the papers of Presidents Hoover through George W. Bush.