Cultural Family Background Paper

Cultural Family Background Paper

Talathia A. Robinson

Liberty University

Abstract

If God made everyone and every culture perfect, I wonder how unique would this world be for me and everyone who lives in it? We can spend a lifetime trying to figure of who, what, when, why or where, but it's not until we dig deep within our own family culture and background history, that we really find the missing pieces to our puzzle. Everyday since I can remember, I have always questioned about my ancestors and how I got to where I am. I am a 30 year-old African American female who was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. We think that we know everything it is to know about ourselves, but we have no idea. After completing this Cultural Family Background, I have discovered many traditions, culture ethics and deep secrets that have made me understand the person who I am today.

Introduction

In the small town of Pineville, North Carolina, the "Howie" Sisters, was pretty much the of the town. These sisters consisted of Big Esther, Mildred, Frances, Dorothy, Lessie, Little Esther, Jennie, JoClara, and Queen Elizabeth. Being that there were a great number of girls in this family, one would think that there would have been ongoing arguments and fights, but through the discovery from my family interviews, there was a lot of love and bonding that knitted them so close, that no one or nothing could ever break the bond that Mr. Robert Lee Howie and Mrs. Laura Mae Howie began back in the early 1900's. Who is Mr. Robert Lee Howie? Robert Lee Howie is my great-grandfather that started the generation that I am most familiar with. This generation includes my grandmother and all of her siblings. Mr. Robert was born in May 1908 and was very blessed to see 100 hundred years back in 2008. Sadly he departed this earth peacefully at the residence of his home in December 2008. In the Town of Pineville is where Mr. Robert and his wife, Laura Mae, raised their family. My great-grandfather was well-known because of a small corner store he owned and operated. His store mainly sold candy, drinks, and fruit. Outside of the store, he had one chair that was utilized for shoe shine. Most of the African-Americans in the town came to their store to purchase their items. Once my grandmother and her siblings became of age, they worked on the farm that they lived on and picked cotton with my great-grandmother. Mrs. Laura Mae Howie was a woman I never got the pleasure of meeting, but through conversations, it was expressed that she was very fun, energetic and loving. She spoiled all of her children and they