In 2023, my family began a life-changing journey—traveling to the Lenoir Plantation in Mississippi and the Darensbourg Plantation in Louisiana to uncover and document the stories of our ancestors.

What started as a family trip has become Where I Got My Name, a film about survival, truth, and the power of knowing where you come from.

🎥 Watch the trailer below to preview this work-in-progress film about our family’s path from enslavement to emancipation—and the legacy they left behind. Then read the letter my dad wrote updating people on the progress of our film and asking for donations to help us complete the project.

As we work to complete Part One of the documentary, we wanted to share this letter from our father, Gerald, whose words capture the heart of this project:

Hello to Friends and Family, 

We hope 2025 is off to a great start for you. In the new year, we are continuing to create our video documentary that chronicles our family’s journey from enslavement to emancipation. Since 2023, we have traveled to the site of the Lenoir Plantation in Mississippi and the Darensbourg Plantation in Louisiana three times to conduct interviews and research.

You can watch our trailer that previews the coming documentary at the top of this page..

Our goal this year is to complete part one of “Where I Got My Name” on our Lenoir and Ratcliff ancestors of Mississippi. Part two will focus on the Darensbourg/Delisle side of the family history in Louisiana.

We are asking you to continue your support for our project. We need to raise another $10,000 for our project. If you can, please make a donation here.

We  have filmed hours of interviews with family members, family friends, descendants of enslavers, and experts on the history of slavery. The documentary will contain scenes from the site of our families’ enslavement and from the land where emancipated family members settled and farmed their own land. We were also able to document that many of our ancestors, the first generation to be born free, were college educated. 

To date, we have raised over $15,000 on GoFundMe. The funds have gone to pay for airfare, lodging, car rentals, and meals, as well as video equipment and software. We are extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed.  

The new funds will pay for two more trips to Mississippi and Louisiana and additional software and equipment. In addition, we will be able to secure the rights to use the song “Down in Mississippi” by the great bluesman J.B. Lenoir (no relation, but the same plantation, we believe).  

The current oppressive bans on teaching Black history makes our documentation of our Black family history relevant to today’s struggles for racial equity and education justice. The triumph of our family is insightful and inspirational. 

Any amount that you can contribute—small, medium or large—will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.  

Take care, Gerald, Jesse and Jamana