A Parallel Consciousness: Kinship & Spirituality

Abstract

My research, A Parallel Consciousness: Kinship & Spirituality project, analyzed and examined primary and secondary sources of documentation to curate micro-biographies from individual and family information of 19th century enslavement. The project focused specifically on the ties of enslavement to the prominent Sothoron family of the Plains Plantation located in St. Mary’s County near Benedict Charles County and the Patuxent River. John Henry Sothoron was on the board of Trustees of the Maryland Agricultural College which became the University of Maryland. He was an enslaver of about 82 slaves during his time as well. From those 82 people in enslavement, Abraham(Abram) Harris was an individual embodying spirituality while the Morris family exemplified kinship. From qualitative data and document analysis, kinship and spirituality were concluded to be consistent themes explored through ethnographic and genealogy methods. Both themes, being extensions of ancestral veneration, guidance from ancestors to exemplify in the living world. Ultimately, this research reframes the historical narrative of enslaved people to portray the parallels of the souls and mindsets of those enslaved and the enslaver. Abraham Harris’ story is a testimony of the faith, morality, and education he possessed to his freedom. The Morris family is an early representation of dismantling the broken image of Black families and their dynamics.