In 1880, Nancy Williams placed an ad in the Philadelphia newspaper The Christian Recorder in hopes of finding her once enslaved daughters Millie and Mary.
The end of legalized slavery under the Thirteenth Amendment made freedom a reality. Many formerly enslaved people like Williams were eager to find friends and relatives torn from them. But where was the best place to start?
Newspaper ads became one of the main ways for the formerly enslaved to reconnect with family and friends. These ads contained crucial information such as who someone may have been sold to, where, and when. But that was just the beginning.
The Black Church was instrumental in helping reunite formerly enslaved people with their loved ones. Newspaper ads were read aloud during announcements, spreading the word and bringing people back together. Not all families were reunited, but Black communities worked together to help find as many lost relatives as possible.
When our people finally got free, placing, spreading, and responding to these ads were some of their first actions. Our families, whether through blood or choice, are crucial to our survival.