About the Book

When Thomas Norman DeWolf learned he descended from the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history, it changed his life. He became sensitized to white privilege, America's history of slavery and the continuing legacy of racism. He participated in a family journey that resulted in the Emmy-nominated film "Traces of the Trade" and the publication of his book "Inheriting the Trade."
Sharon Leslie Morgan's epiphany came as she researched her family genealogy and found at least a dozen people who had been enslaved. That some of these ancestors were fathered by white men exacerbated feelings of alienation and anger. She re-visited the past to make sense of her present and helps others do the same through her Our Black Ancestry website.
In 2008, Tom and Sharon embarked upon a "healing journey." They committed to learning more about the legacy of slavery, its impact on their lives, and the implications for people throughout the United States and internationally.
Two people from diverse backgrounds share the stories of their lives, those of their ancestors, and their journey together. "Gather at the Table "offers productive ways to discuss race using an approach that leads to understanding and healing for individuals and communities.
Praise for "Inheriting the Trade"
"Tom DeWolf's deeply personal story, of his own journey as well as his family's, is required reading for anyone interested in reconciliation. Healing from our historic wounds, which continue to separate us, requires us to walk this road together."
--Myrlie Evers-Williams, civil rights leader, chairman emeritus of the NAACP (1995-98), and author of "The Autobiography of Medgar Evers, Watch Me Fly, and For Us the Living"
""Inheriting the Trade" is like a slow-motion mash-up, a first-person view from within one of the country's founding families as it splinters, then puts itself back together again."
--Edward Ball, author of "Slaves in the Family"

Product Details

Media: Hardcover Book, 240 pages

Publication Date: Oct. 9th, 2012

Publisher: Beacon Press

ISBN-10: 0807014419

ISBN-13: 9780807014417

Series: Not Applicable

Language: English

• Categories: General Personal Growth Discrimination and Racism