Dr.Rev Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial



Me and Grandbaby Jai 2013
Today is the Day of Service for America. In Honor of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. My contribution was to help donate funds for the Memorial and teach my Descendant's about his Life, Work, and Deeds. I had almost forgot these. They were on another camera after my cellphone lost it's power. It was such a learning lesson that day. So many questions from Jai. 

I always want to Honor his Life in any capacity big or small. I "Lived" one day before he was Assassinated. We will always be tied together in that moment. He was always my school project.

I will gladly pass this onto the rest of the babies in my family or any child who wants to know. 

"Who this man was".....

Thank You So Much Dr. King for helping us set "OURSELVES" FREE with your Guidance. Your Legacy will live on in so many hearts. As long as I live, I will Honor that. 

It's the least I can do for all that you have done for so many. I hope you are resting now. We miss you. One day we'll be together.

Happy Birthday!
Love, True Eddie Tyler Taylor and Puddin' aka Jai
                                                                         "And a CHILD shall Lead Them".

In Honor of Dr.King's Birthday 2014 ~ #DreamForward



Dedicated to Sandra Taliaferro and L.t. Lanier of the Family Griot who just passed yesterday. I Will continue to Dream Forward with our Ancestor Work.  

San encouraged me and read my Blog when I first started. I'll remember all the fiery conversations me and L.t. had. Such a lost to the Genealogy Community in whole. You will be Missed. 
Reblogged from the Taliaferro Project!

Click Link Below to read Sandra's STory! 
Ms. Sandra Taliaferro


Friend of Friends Lesson


The King Center for Observance Events


Worldwide Genealogy | A Genealogical Collaboration: A TrueKeeper....

Worldwide Genealogy ~ A Genealogical Collaboration: A TrueKeeper....: Hello All! My name is TRUE ! Yes!  that's really my NAME . I usually don't talk about ME. Just for this Post I will tell you a ...

Hello All! My name is TRUE!

Yes!  that's really my NAME.

I usually don't talk about ME. Just for this Post I will tell you a little about MYSELF which is hard to do. This is the 1st Time I have gotten really Personal.  I have been blogging since November 7, 2012. I choose that date in Remembrance of my Daddy who taught me the True meaning of Family History.  I  Reserve my Blog for my Ancestors.

I was born a day before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr died. April 3rd. In Harrisburg, Pa.
 When I was born my Father's Parents adopted and raised me. My Grandmother Tinnie named ME.
On April 4, 1968 when Dr.King was assassinated my Grandmother said "When One Life was Taken, Another was Given".

She always boastfully said. I was "Blessed" from the womb.

My Mother who is German and my Father who is African American.

My Mom, Me and 2nd child with Parents (Grandparents) 1989

 They were young, it was the 60's. The World was a tumultuous time. My Father was away at Vietnam he served 2 Tours and spent 28 years in the United States Marine Corps, and still Living today. Both are! I'm a retired Army Veteran as well. Serving in the Army has afforded me to be stationed and live all over the World and United States in ways I might not of ever experienced doing something else as a career. I live in the COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY! good Ol' US of A.

My Grandparents decided after much thought who were married for 25 years and all their children were Grown and Living away from home decided to "Keep Me"!  I was their Oldest Child's Firstborn.

laugh now because I say they bought and got me for about 160 Bucks!

Receipt of my Adoption
This and my Original Birth Certificate and Letter from Lawyers is my only Documentation of my Original Birth. This has never been seen before. I only found it after my Grandparents passed away.  My Adoption Records from the State of Pennsylvania are Sealed. That is why I'm glad my Grandparents let me KNOW my Parents so I didn't have to Question who I was and Search for my Heritage. It was the Best thing for my Family to make all those decisions before I was born.

I'm so Grateful and Proud. I was meant to be with my Paternal Grandparents. They were the catalyst for the Wonderful Life I have been able to Live. I had the Luxury of having all of ME and my Heritage. No part of me was Denied. My Grandparents let me see both sides of my WORLD through my Birth Parents.

I've always felt International for the longest. So it's befitting that I'm participating in this WorldWide Genealogy Blog for I am Truly Worldwide. Through DNA testing I have learned about my English, Irish, Norwegian and African Roots. Some parts still Unknown. I'm a U5b1c Maternally and E1b1a7a Paternally through 23andMe.

Since I was a little girl. I knew I was gonna be the "TrueKeeper" of my Family's History. I've appreciated this Gift for a long time. It started when I was 9 and I didn't know it was called Genealogy or what Genealogy was?  I just always penned and kept Notes to Myself. Eventually as I grew into adulthood. It has it's True Meaning now.
Daddy and Me,  age 9.  1977

From this picture, it explains it all. I found this after my Parents passed away also. I remember those times. When Daddy would break out the pictures and I would ask so many questions and remembered Family Stories from Heart back then.

I'm so Grateful for them not shooing me away and answering my questions. I always loved to hear  My Family Stories and where I came from. I have deep roots in Cumberland County, Newville, Pennsylvania, my Mother's European family have been there since the Revolutionary War from England, Ireland, all over Europe.  All the way to Bullock County, Midway, Alabama with my Slave Family. It was always a joy learning about all the Relatives I had and what their Lives were like.
 They could of kept the old ways where a "Child should be Seen, and Not Heard". I loved hiding in the wings and behind doors to Listen to the Old Folks. I'm glad I got to stay with my Grandparents. I was Overwhelmed with Way too much LOVE for ONE person.

I get a little teary-eyed at times. I find solace in that they appreciated and knew what I was doing and they were so Glad and Grateful to tell THEIR stories and that someone was Passing it On.

So that is what I do at my blog: My True Roots!  I do African American Research intermixed with my European Heritage. Please stop and have a look around. We just might be Kin!

I'm a member of 3 Genealogical Societies. I'm also a part of African American Genealogy Slave Ancestor Research or AAGSAR.  I also TWEET.  That Girl! @MyTrueRoots .   I look forward to writing more on my Ancestors and tell you the STORY that Inspired me the MOST and hearing all of Yall's stories. Thank you to Julie Goucher of "Angler's Rest" for the Invite!

I have A Ol'Slave named Ike Ivery!  He is who began me on my Quest for being the......... TrueKeeper! of my Family History.

Are you the "TrueKeeper" of your Family?


Thank You to my Grandparents for all their Love and Everlasting Support. Simply the best!
Me with my "Parents" who are my Grandparents, 1997


See Ya soon!
Best Regards, True!

BlogFest2014! African American Bloggers ~ Family History Revealed

  Today is the DAY!  AAGSAR BlogFest 2014  has ARRIVED!

 

 Our Ancestors are SPEAKING! It's been a long tedious 4 months. Through our "Principal" Luckie Daniels she created AAGSAR after a Grievous and Sorrowful time when she lost her Mother she went offline for a bit. 

"I'm so Glad" she came back!  We are Celebrating and Finally through her have found Our Voice and made a HOME for Our ANCESTOR's to bear their TRUTH. 

I have been in many  Facebook Groups. Done many Internet Searches for my Genealogy and Family History.  I was sort of out in the Wild trying to find my place and didn't quite know what to do with my Work, only that I wanted other researchers to see it. I couldn't put two and two together. 

NEVER have I seen someone place the VALUE and MEANING on what our Work was suppose to do?  The Mentorship she has provided to us can't be matched. She has helped us grow into our Own. Even with myself she made me Think about what I Speak into the World and has helped me Grow in Confidence that I do know what I'm doing. 
She has also been our Cheerleader and Advocating for Years for our Voices to be at the Table.
 She has had more than her share of Heaping and Hauling, with us Grown Folks with our Hard Heads and Stubbornness.   Teaching us how TECHNOLOGY and Blogging can be integrated to put our Research out there and take us to the next level.

AAGSAR found ME! We have done 1:1 training. Been taught the meaning of our Work is IMPORTANT, we Do have a VOICE! Other's want to hear and read our Stories.  There are so many African American Family Histories. We finally found a PLACE where we can Commune together and get our Ancestors ONLINE and Out into the Community. We know what it means to be the Keeper of Records. What a HONOR it is to be the GRIOT, chosen to tell our Ancestors stories.

                     BlogFest2014 and AAGSAR have gotten us to the TABLE.
 Coming to the Table


This is a 1st! I'm so HUMBLED to be a part of so many new African American Bloggers! We are not in the shadows anymore. I look forward to hearing more of their stories. For up and coming New Bloggers who are hesitant?  Take the Leap of Faith and begin sharing your stories in Blogging!  You can do IT!   No more should we accept "Hoarding" our Family Histories. Keeping them in our Minds and Binders. 

Let Them Speak! Let your Ancestors Stories be Told! 



I'm so PROUD and PLEASED with Principal Daniels on your Leap Of Faith. For so many of us we had doubts and fears. 

Now we know what the TRUE meaning of our Work on behalf of Our Ancestors truly means.

 Do not DESPISE your PAST. Keep writing all the way from  your PHd Dr. to Preacher to Prisoner. Fully embrace all your family stories, let their Lives show their MEANING in Blogging.

This is a LIST of new African American Family Historian Bloggers being presented for BLOGFEST 2014! you can also follow US on Twitter @AAGSARFaceBook .

LINK FOR NEW BLOGGERS! :  



Enjoy!  Spread the Word. If you have family connections in anyway,  CONTACT and COMMUNE with them. Keep everyone Encouraged, do a Random Act of Kindness and SHARE INFO. 

We have already LOST so Much. Let's try to work through the HURT, PAIN and SHAME and work together. It only makes the Genealogy Community STRONGER! We will only come out on the other side Truthfully by Honoring Our Ancestors Stories. All of it.....

They say to OPEN a WINDOW after a Loved ones Passing, so their Soul Can Fly. I'll open a Window tonight in Honor of OUR Ancestors...... Let their Spirits SOAR on this Day of our BlogFest2014!


Ancestor Guidance


My Ancestors are PLEASED and BEAMING!  Ivery, Lewis, Miles, Daniel, Sweigard, Evans, Johnson, Watson, Heckman's and Barrick. North and South, even as far far away in hamlets and countrysides all over the World. They are SMILING!

Today we will Celebrate! Congratulations to all AAGSAR Tribe Member Bloggers! {{{Clapping}}}

 Our Sankofa Journey for Blogging has BEGUN! 

Today we "Bask in Our Ancestor's Light", for tomorrow the REAL WORK begins.......




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