Hidden clues of a Black family's Bible
Genealogy for Black people in the U.S. is notoriously difficult due to myriad issues. But for one family in Southern California, their search for their past was made easier — through an heirloom bible.
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Show Notes
In the late 1980s, the Diggs family of Southern California came across a family Bible with an incredible backstory. Notes written in the margin documented their family history to an enslaved ancestor who learned to read and write — rare at the time. The Diggs eventually donated their heirloom to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., where it’s now on display. Historians say artifacts like the Bible are rare and offer a valuable portrait into legacy and resistance.
Read the full transcript here.
Host: L.A. Times Washington D.C. reporter Erin B. Logan
More reading:
How a Black family’s Bible ended up at the Smithsonian Institution
Black genealogists get help tracing their roots
Behind these names, you’ll find stories of L.A.’s Black history