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You hope for a surprise or two when you map your genealogy: an exiled count, perhaps, or a plank-walking pirate. But when journalist David Wilson, 32, began to trace his roots six years ago, what he found was even more intriguing. As his project moved backward from Newark, New Jersey, to North Carolina and Virginia and finally to Ghana, where his ancestors were put on a slave ship bound for America, he discovered not only his family's slave master but also their modern-day descendants. And one of them, he learned, was a 62-year-old white man who owns barbecue joints in North Carolina. The man's name? David Wilson.
At least three generations of the African American David Wilson's family had worked the tobacco fields of the Wilson estate in Caswell County, North Carolina; among the last was Reuben Wilson Sr., his great-grandfather. More curious than ever now, David Wilson decided to seek out the other David Wilson and make a video chronicle of his trip down South. What could the older man share? What would they say to each other? Meeting David Wilson made a splash when it premiered on MSNBC last spring. The film is now a regular rerun and is available on DVD. Wilson spoke to Reader's Digest about his poignant story—and the perspective it brings now that the United States has its first African American president.
"I grew up the seventh of ten kids in a rough part of Newark. During certain summers, we heard gunshots every night. My parents did their best to insulate us, raising us in the Pentecostal church. My father made sure that we read the paper and watched the news every day. He worked with chemical engineers at pharmaceutical companies, and he taught us to solve problems, such as how to get a device to operate more efficiently. He motivated us by saying, 'I'll give you X amount of money if you solve this.' My mother was more of a free spirit. She'd say, 'Don't worry about your bills; they'll always be there.' She taught me to be flexible and take risks.
"I want to be part of the continuum of strong black men in my family, from my great-great-great-grand-father, who was taken from Africa, to my great-great-grandpa, who was separated from his son when he was sold into slavery. As a young adult, my great-grandpa learned to read and write, bought part of the land that his father had been enslaved on, and started what is now the oldest black church in North Carolina. My grandfather moved to New York at the turn of the last century; his first job was laying cobblestone. He learned four languages and managed a chemical plant. And my father originated several patents and raised us to be inventive and strong.
"In the film, the other David Wilson asks me where I think I'd be if my ancestors hadn't been brought to America as slaves. I respond this way: America would have been a far different country had it not been for the contributions of African Americans. And who knows? That America may not have been one that any of us would want to live in. The question can have a false premise, implying that America was a gift to African Americans. America was never a gift. Everything we received in this country, we had to fight for.
"A Chinese friend once asked why some people think that blacks are lazy. I said, 'Isn't it ironic that those who came here as slaves and fought for freedom get the lazy label?' In fact, slave owners used that stereotype to make blacks work harder. If someone else thinks that I can't do something because I'm black, I'm not going to be upset. I'm going to do that thing because I'm black. Remember, we're descendants of victors, not victims. If they could overcome adversity, so can we. I've accomplished a lot, but I still have insecurities about being black. Even now, when I walk into a room and start to talk with a white businessman, I feel conscious of my race. I hope this changes.
"If you want to have a conversation with white Americans about race, the most important thing is openness. I pick up fear from a lot of white people about having an honest discussion; they don't want to be labeled racist. Some black people are also afraid to seem paranoid. You don't want to be considered the angry black person. But we all have some anger.
"From the beginning, African Americans wanted to be a part of America. We get teary-eyed at 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and are proud to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Someone said there's a love-hate relationship between African Americans and our country. I see it more as a love-hurt relationship. We love this country and we've been hurt by it. So we do question some ways of thinking. America isn't perfect, but it is the best that we have. That's in no small part because of our struggle to help perfect it.
"One of the most touching e-mails I received after my documentary aired was from a woman in Utah. She said that she and her husband and kids came upon the film when they were channel surfing and that its message had changed her life. For a white woman in Utah to be so affected by me—a black kid from Newark—made me feel that my purpose had been accomplished.
"The other David Wilson and I are now good friends. He's one of the most considerate people I've ever met. He and his wife always send cards at the holidays. He brought his grandson to New York to meet me.
"We're all human. We have the same desire to love. We have the same desire for happiness. And we have the same desire for freedom."
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