Finding Your Roots

-

Voiceover

Unfortunately for Maya's ancestors, having your freedom written into a will was no guarantee you would be treated as a free person. Court records from the 1830's show that John Muke's family exploited his former slaves long after his death. Working them without paying them. Ignoring contracts they made with him and essentially daring the former slaves to sue their former master's family for what was rightfully theirs. Would you please read the transcribe Stacy? I frequently heard the Negros complain about being kept under Muke's and that they ought to have their freedom. -

Voiceover

It's a shocking story. But Maya's ancestors were not about to be intimidated. They challenged John Muke's grandson in a court of law. They and won? Well your third great grandfather was awarded 100 acres of land. Wow. Your ancestors had the courage to stand up for himself and his family because he sued a white man in a slave state, Kentucky, and he won. How is that even possible? Pretty rare but he did it. Oh that's just unbelievable. And he had to have white people testify for him. I can't imagine what the odds could have been and then they went in his favor. To me that's, that's tremendous courage. That's wild. Yeah, yeah they're my people. It's really cool.