Chris Haley.
The actor, writer, filmmaker and director of the “Study of the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland” is the nephew of
Alex Haley, whose own genealogical curiosity resulted in the epic novel and TV mini-series “Roots.”
Chris Haley’s grandmother,
Zeona Haley, once gave him a book called “A Pictorial History of the Negro in America.” According to the Baltimore Times, it sparked his quest to journey along the same path as Uncle Alex. Nearly 30 years ago, Chris began visiting places where his mother’s ancestors were buried in Georgia. He remarked that looking at the places where they were laid to rest brought them back to life, in a way.
Andrea Blackstone | 4/16/2021, 6 a.m. . Courtesy photo
In recent years, interest in locating burial grounds of enslaved people has grown. There is even a project called The National Burial Database of Enslaved Americans (NBDEA), which Slaververyremembrance.org describes as âthe first and only national database to document individual burials and burial grounds of enslaved Americans.â However, for actor, writer, filmmaker and director of the Study of the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland, Chris Haley, delving into Black history has nearly been a lifelong calling. His grandmother, Zeona Haley, sparked his interest in the topic when she gave him a book called âA Pictorial History of the Negro in America.â It piqued his curiosity, when he realized many were included beyond the most commonly known names.