Speaking Truth is a platform created by Rea Bennett, Michael Zirulnik, and Bobby Walker that invites the descendants of enslavers to examine their lineage and begin the process of making amends. In 2024, the creators of Speaking Truth gifted fifty-two individual oral histories that tell some of these stories to the Center for Family History at the International African American Museum.
In the description underneath each oral history, information including names of the enslaved and the enslavers has been pulled and is listed.
Rights
Speaking Truth retains copyright on these records. The digitized copies of the records are in the public domain and intended solely for free, public access. Any usage of the digitized copy of these records should be cited as coming from the Center for Family History at the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, United States per Speaking Truth. See speakingtruth.org.
Tonya Singer discusses learning about her enslaving ancestors in her 40s and her outrage at not learning before that age. She also reflects on learning about the history of slavery in New England.
Bill Hillegeist discusses his ancestors, the DuFiefs, who were enslavers who owned Millwood Plantation. He reflects on his life living in a "white world."
