Day about family hosted in Oakland
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OAKLAND, Calif. — Ronald V. Dellums, Oakland's newly elected mayor, came to Temple Hill on Saturday, Feb. 17, as part of Black History Month activities hosted by the visitors center adjacent to the Oakland California Temple. Other politicians came as well, but the day was about family, not politics.
Also included in the month's activities were ceremonies and displays for the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame, the National Negro Hockey League and the National Underground Freedom Center.
During his visit to the visitors center, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson said, "I knew nothing about any of my grandparents two weeks ago when this invitation came. They asked us to fill in a little form about our ancestors. I called my mom in Texas and that opened up a whole world of inquiry. My parents were both raised by their siblings and none of them ever talked about their parents."
Now his cousins are helping in the search for information. Tears filled his eyes as he told of receiving a copy of his father's birth certificate, something he had never seen before.
Mayor Dellums indicated he finds genealogy fascinating because it makes history more vivid and personal. His sister, Teresa D. Simmons, is a computer buff and has done a lot of genealogical research. One of their ancestors, "Big Swede" Fortson, fathered a boy, William Henry, by a Cherokee woman named Kitty. Although Big Swede raised him, William ran away when he was a teenager and found his mother. Kitty had married John Dellums, so William decided to use his stepfather's name, which the family still uses.
It was the first visit to the center by Sandre Swanson of the California Assembly. "You guys do an outstanding job," he said. "Genealogy preserves our culture and gives our children inspiration and hope."
Each guest was paired with a trained genealogist for the tour. Margery Bell helped Mayor Dellums do research on his family while about 30 people observed the process. When she finished, he handed her a page of information about his wife, Cynthia's, line. "I'm old enough to be smart," the 70-year-old Mayor Dellums quipped, "and I'm smart enough to know not to go home without something for her."
Mayor Dellums learned about his ancestors from his grandmother while he was growing up.
In 1990, he was part of a U.S. Senate delegation that went to Africa. They arrived in Lusaka, Zambia, at night and it was dark when they checked into a modest hotel. The next morning the window in his room was all fogged up.
"With great anticipation, I go to sleep to awaken to this extraordinary moment. I get up early in the morning and there is dew on the window. I wipe the window and for the first time I actually laid eyes on the reality of Africa," recalled Mayor Dellums. "Suddenly, I realize I am the first member of my family to make the journey back, 360 degrees. And in that moment, I cried. I realized I brought the baton home in a sense. It was a defining moment for me. I only wish I could complete all my family lines: the Swedes, the Italians, the Cherokees and, of course, the Africans."
In addition to visiting the family history center, the group toured the Oakland Temple Visitors Center.
On Friday, Feb. 9, the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame, which honors ethnic sports legends and seeks to enrich, enlighten and educate young people, held its annual dinner and induction ceremony at the Interstake Center adjacent to the temple. Founder and president, Arif Khatib, believes that until children are given the education they need to hold jobs in the new economy, social problems will be difficult to solve. Proceeds from the dinner help fund scholarships and after-school seminars and workshops.
"Arif started the Hall of Fame in 2000," commented Ronald McClain who serves on the San Francisco Bay Area public affairs executive committee. "He had no place for the exhibit, so I suggested our facilities where we celebrate Black history each February. We wanted to share the exhibits and the Family History Center with Black community leaders. We asked each invitee to provide information about their ancestors and then prepared a book for (each of) them."
