Roots of Cypress: An Afro-Diasporic Familial Tapestry

My previous post focused on my great grandfather, William Henry Young, Sr . a.k.a. "Chick". This article will be dedicated to the identity of his father. In my nearly decade-long genealogical journey, I was under the impression that Chick's parents were lost to time since he was an orphan raised by his grandmother Louise Jackson (nee Moore, previously Young).  A few years ago, when my research went from casual to more intricate, I found a pair names of Chick's Social Security application that were attached his parents; Herman and Alfair . "Alfair" does reoccur on that side of my family as various relatives but eventually, his marriage revealed his mother's name as " Claudette " which aligned with Claudia Young who was the daughter of Louise and Jack Young . All of them were from Allendale, South Carolina where Chick was born.  However that left me with the question of what Herman's full name was and his whereabouts. I assumed he was fr...

After a long hiatus, I've decided to return to writing on here.  Today I want to write a brief article in honor of my great grandfather William Henry Young Sr. aka "Chick", whose 106th birthday is today. In this article I will be alternately referring to him as Chick and William Sr.  William "Chick" Young in his zoot suit, ca. early 1940s Chick was born on March 12, 1920 in the then newly formed Allendale, South Carolina. Some records such as his draft card and his marriage license indicate Orangeburg as his birthplace but genealogical research confirms Allendale as my family's origins. Allendale is a small town within in the county of the same name, located in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. The county was formed in 1920 from the southern parts of Barnwell County and northern parts of Hampton County, making it the youngest county in the state. It is also the least populous and one of the poorest to this date.  Chick was orphaned at a yo...

Today is the 81st birthday of my late grandfather, William Henry "Butch" Young Jr. My grandfather died 10 years before I was born but he still had a massive impact on me in my journey as an artist, historian, and community member. Butch as a child in South Philly, ca. early 1950s My grandfather was born in the twilight of World War II and he was initially raised in South Philly at 502 Cantrell Street, the house my great grandfather and his grandmother Louise Moore-Jackson, resided at since migrating to Philadelphia from Allendale, South Carolina in the mid-1920s. He was the second youngest of four children and the only boy, his two older sisters being Edith ("Snoota", 1941-1979) and Phyllis ("Chubby", 1942-2022) and his younger sister Sherry (1952-1984). As a youth he was known for his love of animals, and was described as taking in stray cats ans dogs frequently.  Butch and his family moved over to North Philly in the 1950s to the ...