Claiming Kin : Confronting the History of an African American Family

by Scruggs, Afi-Odelia E.

• ISBN13: 9780312302528
• ISBN10: 0312302525
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-02-18
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Summary

Claiming Kin is a powerful and compelling story about a woman's quest to search out her roots upon the death of the father she barely knew. A former journalist hungry for the truth, her search takes her from her hometown in Nashville, Ten-nes-see, back to the birthplace of the Scruggs family in nearby Williamson County. There, she traces the family back to 1847 and the Scruggs Farm where her ancestors were once slaves. Her journey soon be-comes spiritual and emotional, forcing her to examine not onlyher own beliefs about the importance of family, but also her religious beliefs as she turns toward honoring her ancestors.

Author Biography

Afi-Odelia E. Scruggs graduated from the University of Chicago and earned her Ph.D in Slavic Linguistics from Brown University. She has been a full-time journalist since 1987. She is currently a visiting assistant professor of journalism at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. She was a metro columnist for the Cleveland Plain-Dealer and has worked for the Dayton Daily News and the Clarion-Ledger. She lives in South Euclid, Ohio with her husband. She is also the author of the children's picture book, Jump Rope Magic.