Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
The High Point Museum will host a book signing and conversation with the authors of “The Book of Ancestry: The Forgotten Ones of Oakwood Cemetery” on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. at 1859 E. Lexington Ave.
“The Book of Ancestry” was written by historians Phyllis Bridges and Linda Willard and offers insight into the lives of the people buried in the Colored Section of Oakwood Cemetery in High Point. The early Black settlers buried in this section were the “movers and shakers” of early High Point, including Rev. Daniel Brooks, landowners Mariah and Evander Calvin and reinsman Henry Clay Davis, in addition to many others. This book portrays the city through a new lens that documents the empowerment of Black citizens during a period when not all people living in America were afforded a voice.
Visitors to the program will have a chance to purchase a signed copy of the book by the authors. Following the book signing, Bridges and Willard will have a conversation on their research. They will explore the long-lost stories of the people who lived in High Point since its founding in 1859 and discuss how the book serves as a resource guide for genealogy research.
Willard is an active member of numerous local history and cultural organizations. Her love of history led her to research Quakers and High Point’s African American community. Bridges is a native of High Point and the visionary founder of Yalik’s Cultural Arts Center. She was instrumental in the creation of High Point’s African American Heritage Trail.
“This book not only gives one a better glimpse into the past history of High Point,” said Phyllis Bridges, High Point historian and co-author of the book. “It also serves as a resource guide for researching the genealogy of the African American community of early Black High Point.”
This is a free event open to the public.
