“Who Do You Think You Are?”

One of the hottest new television shows is NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” Each episode follows a different celebrity in his or her quest to learn more about his family history. This past Friday night’s episode focused on Emmitt Smith, the Hall of Fame running back and “Dancing with the Stars” winner.

Smith’s search took him from his Dallas home to Florida, Alabama, Virginia, and an African slavery sanctuary. Smith fully expected to learn that his family tree includes slaves. He learned a few other things though that both shocked him and shed light on the twists, turns and roadblocks that any genealogy search may encounter.

While America is one of the most open countries in terms of public records and archives, some families’ history and lineage are easier to trace than others. Due to the awful treatment of African Americans prior to the 1960’s, public officials did not feel the need to record major life events or even the existence of all people equally. Some census takers in some locales carried such ugly hate that they didn’t believe that people with darker skin counted as people. This shows how self-destructive racism can be. States receive more federal money and congressional representation when they count more people. By failing to count everyone, these census takers denied their states their money and representation.

On a more personal level, the missing accounts of family connections can impact our lives today. What genes do we carry that might predispose us to certain diseases? What if an unknown relative had the kidney that could save a life? What if we were missing heirs of a small fortune? What might our past mean to future generations? While he hit some roadblocks, Smith’s search enabled him to uncover valuable family information as could yours.

That Smith’s ancestry involved a then-taboo interracial relationship and crossed an ocean made his search all that much more complex and difficult. Not everyone will encounter these problems. There is however the potential in any genealogical search that some places or sources may have better record keeping than others. Notwithstanding a person’s best efforts to research his or her family history, consulting with professional genealogists may be necessary.