Restoring Stories: A Community Project for African American Genealogy

At All Saints Sharon Chapel, our faith involves action. We believe racial reconciliation isn't just a topic for a committee, but a core spiritual practice of repair. It calls us to ask: What does it mean to uncover the truth of our past, and how can we actively help restore what has been broken? 

Our journey into racial reconciliation began with the hard work of confronting our own history. Now, we are excited to take the next step from truth-telling to active restoration.

For us, one of the most powerful answers to that question lies in the work of reparative genealogy.

Confronting the "1870 Brick Wall"

For many Americans, tracing a family tree is a straightforward hobby. But for millions of African Americans, the search often hits a "brick wall" at the 1870 census. This was the first federal census to list formerly enslaved individuals by name. Before that date, people were most often recorded as property, without names, ages, or family connections, making it incredibly difficult to piece together a lineage.

This isn't just a gap in records; it's the result of a system that intentionally erased family histories. The work of restoring those connections—of finding and speaking the names of those who were silenced—is a profound act of justice. It is the work of making people whole.

Our Next Step: A Two-Pronged Approach to Restoration

That's why we are thrilled and humbled to announce our next step in this essential work. We are deepening our commitment to reparations through a powerful, two-pronged approach that combines national expertise with local, relational healing.

First, to build regional capacity for historical recovery, All Saints Sharon Chapel is helping to found the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS). As one of the premier national organizations dedicated to preserving African-ancestored family history, this new chapter will create a hub for our entire region, providing the scholarly resources and network to help in this vital work of restoration. A working group from our parish will be actively involved in this effort to uncover African-ancestored family histories.

We especially invite those with experience in non profit governance as we form this inaugural chapter’s working groups. We will meet Sunday, October 26 at 1PM in person and via Zoom.

Second, to create a space for healing and repair, we are partnering with the Northern Virginia chapter of Coming to the Table. CTTT’s mission is to bring community members together to surface difficult histories and undertake the work of reconciliation. This partnership is where our parish will focus its most personal reparative work: building relationships with and learning from the descendants of those formerly enslaved at Wilton Hill. To support this dialogue, volunteers from our new AAHGS chapter will help research and restore these family connections—work that is deeply tied to the very land on which our chapel now stands. 

An Invitation to Everyone

This is not a project for a few, but a project by the many. We believe this essential community work needs allies, experts, and curious neighbors of all backgrounds to come together in partnership.

You are invited to join us if you:

• Have an interest in family history and want to help African Americans uncover their family stories.

• Have expertise to share in research, history, or storytelling.

• Are simply a curious neighbor who believes in the power of connecting our shared past to our shared future.

If you see yourself in any of these descriptions, there are two key ways to get involved:

1. For those interested in genealogical research: The AAHGS chapter will focus on the scholarly work of uncovering and documenting African American family histories from across our region.

2. For those interested in dialogue and relational repair: The Coming to the Table meetings hosted at Sharon Chapel will focus on processing these histories together and building a more just and truthful community.

You do not need to be an expert to participate in either group, and your racial background does not qualify or disqualify you. All who are committed to the work of repair are welcome.

Join Us

The work of faith is the work of community, and we invite you to be a part of it.

To learn more and join the interest list for the AAHGS genealogical research and/or the Coming to the Table dialogues, please contact Davette Himes at cgs@sharonchapel.org. She will ensure you receive information about the first AAHGS meetings in October and updates on when the CTTT meetings will be scheduled.

We can't wait to begin this work together.