All ages - General Admission - $10 Tickets
Live conversation with audience Q&A - Recorded
Doors & bar open at 6:30 PM - Show starts at 7:00
Isiah Smith and Orice Jenkins are long-lost cousins reconnecting through a shared journey of genealogy, history, and identity. Their individual family stories converge around one common thread: uncovering the past to move forward.
This one-time live podcast explores the complex intersection of race, genealogy, and family history. Isiah Smith and Orice Jenkins connect through a shared past, including a powerful artifact, their great-grandfather’s Bill of Sale, and the story of an ancestor freed from slavery in Georgia.
With much of their history lost to the Civil War, they work with a UVA genealogist to uncover missing pieces. Their search leads to difficult revelations, including ties to the Early County Massacre.
This event will explore the themes of ancestry, the legacies we inherit, and the necessity of understanding our past to heal and grow. It will feature an unscripted, open-ended conversation where Isiah and Orice share their personal reflections, the challenges they faced while uncovering their history, and how this journey has shaped their identities today.
Expect raw, sometimes contentious discussions and a deeply emotional exploration of what it means to come to terms with one’s heritage in the present and looking toward the future.
FEATURING:
Orice Jenkins
Isiah Smith
PRODUCERS:
Erik Saras
Sam Boase-Miller
Madelynn Brady
Jeff Haas
Copies of the book “The Early County Massacre: Goolsby Vs. The State of Georgia” by Orice Jenkins will be for sale at Folded Leaf bookstore on the first floor of Commongrounds.
ORICE JENKINS
Orice Jenkins is an author, researcher and musician from the east coast whose work focuses on uncovering and preserving overlooked and erased Black histories, particularly through archival research and genealogical records. His writing, including Early County Massacre, brings to light personal and collective stories that challenge dominant historical narratives and reconnect families to their past. More information about his work can be found at oricejenkins.com.
Isiah Smith Jr. is a retired government attorney, author, and lifelong bibliophile based in Northern Michigan. His personal journey into genealogical research led to the discovery that connected him with Orice Jenkins and shaped his understanding of his own family history. He writes about history, identity, politics, and literature on his Substack: “A Ray of Light” at isiahsmithjr.substack.com
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