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Unity not Division

 I was 25 years old when the world changed that September morning in 2001. My mother woke me up, telling me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center in New York City. Half-asleep, I remember saying,  That doesn’t make any sense. Pilots can see those buildings.  But when I got out of bed and turned on the TV, I watched in horror as the second plane struck. In that moment, I knew it wasn’t an accident. It was deliberate. The images and sounds from that day are still burned into my memory. But what haunts me just as much is what came after. Instead of drawing us closer, fear and anger caused many to turn on those who looked different, prayed differently, or thought differently. And in the 24 years since, it feels as though the division has only deepened. Instead of uniting, humanity is unraveling. Harsh rhetoric is now commonplace. People are quick to point fingers and label others as the enemy simply because they disagree. Our country is tearing itself apart from within—...

My 4th Great Grandmother Deborah Simpson

My fourth great-grandmother was a woman named Deborah Simpson. Her maiden name is unknown to me, as is the name of her husband. She had seven children with this husband before he died sometime in the late 1820s.  Her children were Nancy, an unknown male, Anna, an unknown male, an unknown male, Lucinda and William.  The first record I found for Deborah was the 1830 census record. She was found living in Jameston, Martin County, North Carolina. Below is what that census recorded: white males 5 to 9 years old = 2 white males 10 to 14 years old = 2 white females 5 to 9 years old = 1 white females 10 to 14 years old = 1 white females 40 to 49 years old = 1 The next record I found was the 1840 census. She was living in District 1, Martin County, North Carolina. Below is what that census recorded.  white males 10 to 14 years old = 1 white females 15 to 19 years old = 2 white females 30 to 39 years old = 1 white females 50 to 59 years old = 1 The next record I found for Deborah w...
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  You can find this book on Amazon or also at books.by/henrydparrishjr  

Decided Instead to write a book about it

 So I decided to write a book about the Coley brothers' case that I had been writing about for this blog. I just finished it and self-published it yesterday through Books.by The book can be found at the following link. https://books.by/henrydparrishjr It's titled: Blood, Justice & The Coley Brothers

Why Studying History Is More Relevant Than You Think

  What do you think of when I say the word, History? Does it bring to mind memories of dry textbooks, endless dates, and pop quizzes about battles you barely understood?  If it does, you are not the only one.  However, history isn’t just about memorizing who did what in the 1700s or the sequence of ancient empires. It’s about understanding the world we live in today and figuring out how we got here. And, believe it or not, it can be pretty fun—if you give it a chance. Have you ever wondered why certain countries are allies, while others seem perpetually at odds? Or why cities are built where they are? Or even why people celebrate holidays the way they do? History holds these answers. It’s like the ultimate backstory for everything around you and by digging into the past, you start seeing the threads that connect historical events to modern-day issues. That’s how you begin to understand the "why" behind the "what." Another thing I have heard from students is that his...

Murderers In The Family: Background on the State's Star Witnesses Lucy and Pinkie

 Lucy and Pinkie were sisters. They had been born in Nash County, North Carolina.  Their mother was named Mary Jane Brewer and everyone called her by her middle name of Jane. Jane had been born a free person of color in 1835 to David Wilkins and Penelope Merritt, also free persons of color in Nash County, North Carolina. They had married on Nov. 20, 1833 in Nash County. Jane's mother died young and her father David remarried to another free woman of  color, named Martha. In 1850, Jane and her family are living in Nash County, NC. David Wilkins, her father, was listed as head of the family and 43 years old. He is a free person of color. With him are Martha aged 29, his wife. The following children are listed: William 14, Jane 11, Martha 9, George 6, David 4, Matilda 2 and Louis one month old.  In 1860, Jane is living in Dortches, Nash County, North Carolina. She is listed as 24, mulatto and a housekeeper. She has two children named Isadore aged 3 and William aged...

Murderers In The Family Part 4

  It has been a very busy time for me and I apologize for the delay in getting to the rest of the story. However, I have had time to look over all the documents and also research what became of some of the other people involved in the story. So let us begin.  First, I would like to say thank you to the NC State Archives located on Jones Street in Raleigh, NC for helping me find the NC Supreme Court files for this case. For documentation purposes cite the case as follows: Supreme Court Original Files State v. Calvin & Thomas Coley Case No. 17,772 Franklin County Box #836 1894 In total, 55 pages were copied for me by the NC State Archives. Here are some of the highlights of these 55 pages.  ------------------------------------------------------ Bill of Indictment State of North Carolina, Franklin County Superior Court January Term 1894 The jurors for the State upon their oath Present: That Calvin and Thomas Coley late of the County of Franklin on the 1st day of July in ...