Black History Month: It’s a family affair
This year marks the 45th Black History Month, an annual celebration of the achievements, advancements, and contributions of Black Americans to our history. This year’s theme is the “Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity” and it explores the African diaspora, and the spread of Black families across the United States. In this blog, three crew share stories about their own family dynamics and values.
Tell us a bit about your family and/or extended family (even non-blood related)? What is that dynamic like?
I have a large, blended family. My mother and father both remarried when I was relatively young, so in total I have five siblings (two brothers and three sisters). I am technically the oldest sister. My mother, stepfather and youngest sister live in Philadelphia, whereas my father, stepmother and four other siblings reside in Southern California, where I was born and lived for ten years. The dynamic was a bit awkward when I was younger as I only spent summers and one major holiday with most of my siblings. There is also a thirteen-year age gap between me and my youngest sister. However, I’ve always felt fortunate that I have bonus family. – Alexis J.
What values are emphasized in your family? Which did you carry into adulthood? Which didn’t you, and why?
Honesty and respect for each other and ourselves, but especially our elders. I grew up in the Christian faith and so there was always a level of spirituality and religion that guided the activities I participated in and even my outlook on life. All these identified values have carried into my adult life because they resonate with the person I want to be in this world. I come to my work and other relationships with a level of honesty and care that was instilled in me by not only my parents, but my grandparents. I was even fortunate enough to have a relationship with some of my great grandparents. I cherish those memories and relationships most because they connect me to the history of my family and how we navigated in this world when others were not always so accepting and open to our people. – Alexis J
What is your favorite family memory or tradition?
My favorite family traditions are usually surrounded around holidays and food. When I was young and still lived in California, my paternal grandmother hosted Christmas. After attending a Christmas Eve church service, a few of my cousins and I always spent the night at Grandma’s house. I remember the smell of the house from her cooking some not so savory delicacies to the sweet smell of her homemade German Chocolate cake, and of course getting to lick the spoon that had left over cake batter on it. My cousins and I would try to stay up all night and even slept in our sleeping bags around the Christmas tree. – Alexis J.
Is there anything else unique or special you’d like to share about your family?
I am not sure if this is unique, but having four parents means that in my case, I also have many aunts and uncles (sixteen to be exact). I was not even able to count all of my first cousins, but it is somewhere around forty-five. Additionally, my stepmother is from Nigeria. So while I am very proud of my Black American culture, I am able to experience Nigerian culture by way of my step mother as well. – Alexis J.