Where do your research journeys take you?

I love the circuitous journey that ensues when researching people and places. Currently, I’m writing about an African girl in 18th century Africa. This led me to find: slavevoyages.org, the most incredible database of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. From there, I ended up learning about Queen Nanny, an amazing Ashanti slave whose image is now on the Jamaican €500 bill. Her biography mentioned a William Cuffee and as my ex-husband (now deceased) was a good friend with a Jeff Cuffee, I Googled his name to see if there was a link. I didn’t find one, but, did find a book by Joseph Nicholson entitled: ‘What is Happening to the Negro in the Protestant Episcopal Church’. Appendix A of the book reads :

‘A Declaration, by Priests who are Negroes, on the Personnel Policies and Practices of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America; Addressed to the Presiding Bishop, The Rt. Rev. John E. Hines and the Members of the House of Bishops and to the Executive Council’.

The declaration was signed by 132 priests and including my children's father. I hadn’t known that.

Where do your research journeys take you?