Family Heritage Project
DeQuan J. Abrom
February 14, 2014
Miss Rowley
Period:3
On January 1, 1917 my great-grandfather was born into the world in Raleigh, North Carolina to adopted parents Richard and Ruth Abrams. The Abrams were a white Christian couple who also resided in Raleigh, NC. They named my grandfather James L. Abrams. Mrs. Abrams was incapable of having children during that time. His biological parents, who were both young, did not attend college; in fact they never finished high school.
The name “Abrams” is a long-established is of early medieval English origin, and is a patronymic form of the Hebrew male given name "Avraham", originally "Abram", "high father", later changed to "Abraham", "father of a multitude (of nations)". This name was borne by the first of the Jewish patriarchs, ancestor of all the Israelites (Genesis 11-25), and Abraham was the name of a priest in the Domesday Book of 1086. This personal name was used to some extent among Christians in the Middle Ages, and has always been a popular Jewish given name. It was greatly revived after the Reformation, and was particularly popular in the Low Countries where it reverted to its original form of Abram, which is still used there, as it is in Wales. The first bearer of the extended form of the surname was John Abraham. Later, when my great-grandfather entered the military, his name was erroneously recorded as “Abrom” and has been that way ever since.
In 1920, the Abrams relocated to Washington, DC were they resided for the rest of their lives. They thought it would be a little easier as an interracial family if they moved, what they considered, up north—but there really wasn’t much difference, so boy were they wrong. The city was still segregated but the scenes weren’t as harsh as the South. Mr. Abrams was a foreman for a construction company which earned a pretty good living and Mrs. Abrams was a housewife.
They moved into the area of the city which is now known as the Shaw-Howard Community.
February 14, 2014
Miss Rowley
Period:3
On January 1, 1917 my great-grandfather was born into the world in Raleigh, North Carolina to adopted parents Richard and Ruth Abrams. The Abrams were a white Christian couple who also resided in Raleigh, NC. They named my grandfather James L. Abrams. Mrs. Abrams was incapable of having children during that time. His biological parents, who were both young, did not attend college; in fact they never finished high school.
The name “Abrams” is a long-established is of early medieval English origin, and is a patronymic form of the Hebrew male given name "Avraham", originally "Abram", "high father", later changed to "Abraham", "father of a multitude (of nations)". This name was borne by the first of the Jewish patriarchs, ancestor of all the Israelites (Genesis 11-25), and Abraham was the name of a priest in the Domesday Book of 1086. This personal name was used to some extent among Christians in the Middle Ages, and has always been a popular Jewish given name. It was greatly revived after the Reformation, and was particularly popular in the Low Countries where it reverted to its original form of Abram, which is still used there, as it is in Wales. The first bearer of the extended form of the surname was John Abraham. Later, when my great-grandfather entered the military, his name was erroneously recorded as “Abrom” and has been that way ever since.
In 1920, the Abrams relocated to Washington, DC were they resided for the rest of their lives. They thought it would be a little easier as an interracial family if they moved, what they considered, up north—but there really wasn’t much difference, so boy were they wrong. The city was still segregated but the scenes weren’t as harsh as the South. Mr. Abrams was a foreman for a construction company which earned a pretty good living and Mrs. Abrams was a housewife.
They moved into the area of the city which is now known as the Shaw-Howard Community.
Bibliography: Abrom, Rochelle. Interview with mother. Glenn Dale, MD, Jan. 30, 2014 Abrom, Dorothy. Interview with grandmother. Washington, DC, Jan. 30, 2014 Abrom, Jamison. Interview with grandfather. Washington, DC, Jan. 30, 2014 Abrams, Gladys. Interview with great-grandmother. Wash., DC, Jan. 29, 2014 Lee, Matthew. Interview with my Dad, Lanham, MD 20769, January 29, 2014 World War II. H.P. Willmott. DK Publishing.5/18/2009. 336p Howard University. Jesse Russell. Book on Demand Publishing. 1/17/2012. 140p