Jesse Williams Discovers the Story of An Enslaved Ancestor

Like almost all enslaved people, July Hadley left very few records behind, but we were able to learn a little more about his life, starting with a map of the estate where Samuel Hadley held him in bondage.

We believe that July likely worked this land planting cotton.

And perhaps unsurprisingly, the area was familiar to Jesse, even today.

Wow.

And we're, and I mean, we are, you know, when I, all the time I spent in my life down here in Lowndes County with my family, it's very close.

We haven't geographically gone very far - No.

- since then.

Same in my family.

You know, like we're right there.

They would say "a stone's throw," so I can, and will, visit this land, and there's, oh, I see Boston.

So, that's where my grandfather was born.

Yes, that's right.

Wow.

Damn.

Um... Hm.

It makes me wanna go touch it.

It makes me wanna go be there.

July Hadley passed away sometime around 1890, likely in the same part of Georgia where he spent decades in slavery.

But there is a heartwarming coda to his story.

In the 1900 census, we found July's son, Isaac Hadley.

Isaac is Jesse's great-great-grandfather, and he too, was almost certainly born into slavery.

But, as the census shows, when freedom came, Isaac transformed his life.

He learned to read, became a landowner, married, and raised 10 children.

Wow.

Got a huge family, all this property, can read and write.

This is a incredible turn of events, despite just unfathomable opposition.

That's right.

Mm-hmm, wow.

Wow.

What's it like to see that?

I feel lucky to be able to put a point on it, and be able to name it, and have a place on the map to point to, something to explore further, and share with my children.

It's so much different to be able to have any level of, any level of precision, any level of actual naming.

So that I can sit with it, and think about it, and say his name.

Mm-hmm.

And take him with me now.

- Yep.

- It's a big deal.