How We Came To Be
Ross Merle and Berta (Barnett) Evans, grandparents of the cousins, parents of the eight siblings.
African American Appalachian Legacy was founded in 2025 to preserve African American Appalachian history by restoring historic sacred spaces—including private, public, and church-affiliated cemeteries—and connecting them with genealogical records, oral histories, and memorabilia. The nonprofit grew from ideas shared at a 2024 family-and-friends reunion in Cleveland, Ohio where six of eight Evans siblings had settled after leaving West Virginia for college or military service in the 1950s. Twelve of seventeen total Barnett-Girty/Evans cousins were raised in Cleveland. Two brothers were still living at the time of the reunion. Over three days, family members and friends shared stories, meals, memories, games, memorabilia, genealogy, and music while reflecting on their common bonds. The patriarchs urged them to stay connected, restore historic properties, preserve and share the history, and honor education. This nonprofit carries that legacy forward by including other families and friends with ties to African American Appalachian history. Watch this page for more...