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A single deed can hold a whole world. We talk with Terry James, founder and executive director of the Jamestown Foundation, about what it takes to protect Black family land and turn it into a public place of learning. Terry walks us from the foundation’s start in 2007 to the annual Jamestown celebration, where storytellers, craftspeople, Tuscarora artists, and historical reenactors help visitors understand life during Reconstruction and beyond.

We also dig into the award-winning attention Jamestown has received, including major news recognition and an Emmy win for “Our Family’s History: The Story of Jamestown.” That visibility sparks something bigger than headlines: it draws people from across the country who are hungry for African American history that is specific, documented, and rooted in place. Terry shares the gripping story of Irvin James buying 109 acres in the 1870s, signing with an X, and pushing forward when the odds were designed to stop him.

From there, the conversation widens into genealogy research and civic engagement. We talk DNA testing, archives, census and estate records, and the emotional moment when family history becomes proof. Terry also brings practical voter registration guidance for South Carolina, including how to check status on scvotes.org, what “inactive” really means, and why voting rights history still shapes what happens today. If you care about genealogy, Reconstruction-era history, African American landownership, and voter registration facts, this one connects the dots.

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