My Family History - Essay
Kobie Douglas Douglas 1
2-6-12
My family history
"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness.” –Alex Haley This quote explained to me the importance of my grandparent’s legacy and their history. A long twisting family tree inspires one who does not know where their roots originated. My grandfather Frank Douglas and my grandmother Delores Jones gave me a reason to find out where our legacy started. My grandfather Frank Kelow was adopted into a four person white family, which gave him the last name of Douglas. My grandfather was born on February 12, 1902. Frank was raised in Greenville, Mississippi with dozens of cousins, which gave him comfort. Frank’s biological parents did not attend college; in fact, they didn’t even graduate from high school. In Mississippi, “I was surrounded by racism, slavery, and poverty, which gave me the inspiration to give my father a better life” (Douglas). As a young kid Frank often hung out in the streets with his friends and partied a lot. He was a heavy smoker with a tiny taste for alcohol. “Growing up in a poor neighborhood I was introduced to a lot of bad things such as drugs, gambling, and fighting” (Douglas). Around the house, Frank was responsible for mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, and cleaning the pool. At the age of 21 my grandfather entered the army and decided to fight in World War II. After the war concluded, my grandfather married and moved to Queens, New York. Douglas 2
Frank and his wife made history that day because they were the first black couple to move into the neighborhood, which they lived. This was the birthplace of my father Lance Douglas Sr. My grandmother Delores Jones was born on December 14, 1906, into a family of
2-6-12
My family history
"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness.” –Alex Haley This quote explained to me the importance of my grandparent’s legacy and their history. A long twisting family tree inspires one who does not know where their roots originated. My grandfather Frank Douglas and my grandmother Delores Jones gave me a reason to find out where our legacy started. My grandfather Frank Kelow was adopted into a four person white family, which gave him the last name of Douglas. My grandfather was born on February 12, 1902. Frank was raised in Greenville, Mississippi with dozens of cousins, which gave him comfort. Frank’s biological parents did not attend college; in fact, they didn’t even graduate from high school. In Mississippi, “I was surrounded by racism, slavery, and poverty, which gave me the inspiration to give my father a better life” (Douglas). As a young kid Frank often hung out in the streets with his friends and partied a lot. He was a heavy smoker with a tiny taste for alcohol. “Growing up in a poor neighborhood I was introduced to a lot of bad things such as drugs, gambling, and fighting” (Douglas). Around the house, Frank was responsible for mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, and cleaning the pool. At the age of 21 my grandfather entered the army and decided to fight in World War II. After the war concluded, my grandfather married and moved to Queens, New York. Douglas 2
Frank and his wife made history that day because they were the first black couple to move into the neighborhood, which they lived. This was the birthplace of my father Lance Douglas Sr. My grandmother Delores Jones was born on December 14, 1906, into a family of