Carol Hector-Harris: Journalist. Never enslaved Africa born patriot, Ghana. Artwork

Daughter Dialogues

Listen to real-life stories from women with African American lineage who honor their ancestors' fight to achieve independence for the United States of America and are members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The host, Reisha Raney, a black leader in the DAR and a direct descendant of President Thomas Jefferson's grandfather, is conducting independent research as a Harvard University non-resident fellow, under the direction of Henry Louis Gates, Jr, host of the PBS Special "Finding Your Roots", exploring the lives of DAR members of color and their ancestry which includes men and women of American Indian, black or African descent, and white or European descent who contributed to the founding of the USA. Who are these descendants? What challenges did they overcome researching their genealogy? Visit DaughterDialogues.com to subscribe to the newsletter and meet more members of color. Follow us @DaughterDialogs on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. This is not an official podcast of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). This podcast is independent and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the NSDAR. The President General is the official spokesperson of NSDAR.

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Daughter Dialogues

Carol Hector-Harris: Journalist. Never enslaved Africa born patriot, Ghana.

April 22, 2021 • Reisha Raney and Carol Hector-Harris • Season 2 • Episode 32

0:00 | 1:44:44

Carol talks about descending from Quock Martrick, born in 1756 Ghana, Africa, who served with George Washington in the American Revolution and was with Benedict Arnold when he left his post; spending three years searching for Quock’s slave master, assuming he had one as always taught in school about blacks in America, but never finding one; going before a council of Ga-Adangbe tribal elders for permission to meet her ancestral relatives in Big Ada then, the family giving her the name of Akutu Martey, meaning part warrior because she beat the odds by returning to them and the proper surname which was butchered to “Martrick” by the English; Quock serving in the Massachusetts militia as a free man alongside enslaved soldiers and slaves serving masters who were fighting, but choosing not to join the British; Quock marrying the daughter of a free black patriot; and three white men trying to get Quock declared insane to take his property, representing himself in court and the judge ruling in his favor. Carol shares oral history about growing up in Massachusetts with her siblings who are 10 to 16 years older and her parents fostering 74 siblings so she would not grow up like an only child, having to cut up and fry six whole chickens for dinner; family visiting Martha's Vineyard and having clambakes in the sand at the beach; being shaped by 6th grade "Africa the Dark Continent" school lesson; attending dance school; starting college at U-Mass, Amherst; wanting a dance career but father deciding she needed to study nursing, later switching to acting and directing at Emerson College; her foster brother in Vietnam showing his sisters' photos to soldiers who wrote letters to them, one becoming her husband; earning a bachelor's in Journalism and master's in International Politics- Sub Saharan Africa; working in public relations, communications and journalism; landing a job with a cable tv station in Antigua while vacationing there; her husband supporting her move to work in Antigua for almost 2 years while he and their two sons stayed in Ohio; working for FEMA being deployed to disaster areas; working in Louisiana on a housing restoration project after hurricane Katrina; working on her PhD in Journalism at 70; paternal grandmother's grandfather being a Civil War veteran, having a farm on a street named after him; sister helping with family research, stuck at 3rd paternal great-grandmother Chloe Jacobs; finding a document by a Boston Historic Genealogy Society researcher with 1790 census listing Quock Martrick, learning Chloe was born in Londonderry Canada; never knowing that blacks were in American Revolution; later learning when working on PhD that some Africans came to America free as mariners or for adventure; joining a Ohio Univ. study abroad program to Ghana; familiar faces and mannerisms of people where her ancestor left 250 years ago; Quock knowing his exact birth date, indicating he is royalty; Ga-Adangbe naming boys born on a Wednesday Quock, her confirming the day; grandmother being upset every time she told the story about DAR not allowing Marian Anderson to sing; joining DAR feeling she owed it to Quock, his wife, and her grandmother since "they kept Marian out but I was going to go in", and as an opportunity to learn; discovering a dozen other patriots; DAR members being genuinely nice; serving as a chapter officer, Librarian, being an example to granddaughters; having been made to feel she doesn’t belong in this country, also in career, and education by some who claimed this country having no relation to the war; having First Americans in her family; people not being able to say go back to Africa; as a member of the DAR, bringing recognition to people who have been ignored.

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Family from Massachusetts; mother a "Rosie the Riveter" in WWII; father mail carrier and typesetter for African American newspaper; siblings 10 - 16 years older, 6th grade "Africa the Dark Continent" school lesson; mother teaching her to sew

Attending dance school as a child, perfuming at community functions; on debate team, student council and senior class officer; in Girls Friendly Society at church travelling in St. Cyprian's church in Boston

Growing up without older siblings in house, instead, parents giving her 74 foster siblings; having to cut up and fry 6 whole chickens; family going to Martha's Vineyard, big clambakes in sand at beach; father president of fish and hunting club in Boston

Attending U-Mass Amherst; wanting a dance career, father deciding she needed to study nursing; studying acting & directing at Emerson College; foster brother in Vietnam showing sisters' photos, fellow soldiers writing letters to them, one becoming husband

Earning bachelor's in Journalism and master's in International Politics- Sub Saharan Africa; working in public relations, communications, communications, journalism; landing a job in Antigua while vacationing, husband and sons staying in Ohio

Substitute teaching for a few years; working for FEMA in external affairs, research and writing, as a congressional liaison officer, and inter-governmental affairs, being deployed to disaster areas in NY, Puerto Rico and USVI

Working in Louisiana for a year working on housing restoration after hurricane Katrina

Being away from husband and their two boys off and on during fifteen years of her career; their visiting her as often as possible; although hard, wanting to show them women can hold their own

Watching family pass away, envious older siblings got to know them; seeing family Bible with birth information then starting writing down family information and putting together a family tree; spending summers in countryside with paternal grandmother

Paternal grandmother's grandfather being a Civil War veteran, having a farm on street named after him

Finding a document with 1790 census listing Quock Martrick; discovering Quock born in 1756 Ghana, Africa, served in Revolutionary War; spending 3 years searching for his slave master, assumed he had one, but never finding one

Only learning in school that all black Americans came from slaves; later learning when working on PhD that some Africans came to America free

DNA resulting in Ga-Adangbe from Ghana; Ohio Univ. study abroad program in Ghana; going before council of elders to visit ancestral family in Big Ada, giving her name of Akutu Martey, (butchered to "Martrick" by English) meaning part warrior beating odds

Giving grandchildren a connection to Africa by discovering Quock; mannerisms of people in Ghana reminding her of her family, "you can remove use from the continent but you can't remove the DNA from us"

Professor in Ghana telling her that people had trading relationships with Europeans, flattered when British said they had raised healthy and strong children then guaranteeing the boys jobs, so the elders deciding to let them go, unaware of slave trade

Ghana prof. saying not every Africa arriving in America was a slave, some were mariners, navigators, or went for adventure; Quock knowing his exact birth date, indicating he is royalty; Ga-Adangbe naming boys born on a Wednesday Quock, confirming day

Quock serving in Massachusetts militia, his pension application mentioning that he served with "the Conductor" George Washington, and was with Benedict Arnold when he left his post; having to prove his service for pension

Quock as a free man fighting alongside slaves; marrying daughter of a free black patriot; three white men trying to get Quock declared insane to take his property, representing himself in court and judge ruling in his favor

Grandmother being upset every time she told story about DAR not allowing Marian Anderson to sing; discovering a dozen other patriots; joining DAR feeling owed it to Quock, his wife, and her grandmother since "they kept Marian out but I was going to go in"

People being stunned that she has an ancestor in Revolutionary War and knowing who they are since never learned that history in school; grandkids now knowing that their ancestor was with George Washington and served in war that they read in history books

Feeling deceased grandmother was influencing her to join; didn't know anything about DAR except Marian Anderson; also opportunity to learn, journalists are curious, getting ready to earn PhD at 70 in Journalism

DAR being welcoming, not just because a novelty but genuinely nice

Having rare history in DAR with an African born patriot never enslaved, since many Daughters of color descend mostly from a white man through an enslaved woman and a few from formerly enslaved black patriots

Serving as a chapter officer, Librarian, being an example to granddaughters

Having been made to feel do not belong in this country, career, education as if taking a seat that doesn't belong to her; those claiming this country having no relation to the war; having First Americans in family; people can't say go back to Africa

Being a member of the DAR, bringing recognition to people who have been ignored