Sweet Tea: Black family reunions go deep

Hey there, I’m so glad you’re here. Welcome to Sweet Tea by the AJC, a newsletter for refreshing, positive stories from around the South. Sit and stay awhile. We have so much to tell you.

“Home is where the heart is.” We hear that phrase a lot, but what if it means something deeper than we think? Is home a place, where our heart rests and that it longs for? Or is home a sense of bone-deep belonging that we carry with us, that finds shelter not in the safety of a dwelling but in the nearness of the people we love most, who see us and know us and allow us to see and know ourselves?

I went down this philosophical rabbit hole after reading iconic AJC reporter Ernie Suggs’ beautiful piece on Black family reunions. Let’s discuss.

FAMILY REUNIONS ARE LIVING BLACK HISTORY

The Thornton family poses for a group photo during their annual reunion held in Atlanta in June 2025.

Family reunions are a familiar affair for many people, but they’re something special in Black American communities. The ravages of slavery rent families apart, and afterward, navigating a hostile country often took Black individuals far away from their known kin. Finding each other, glorying in each new generation, was a victory most can’t imagine.

Suggs spoke to people at several Black family reunions, including a senior patriarch keen to keep the practice alive in younger generations, and a first-time attendee welcomed with open arms by a family she barely knew she had.

I spoke with Suggs about why this story was so important to him. This is what he said:

“I’ve always been drawn to telling the true story of the African American experience. On the surface, this could have been a simple idea — summer is prime time for Black family reunions. But I wanted to go deeper.

“Like so many of our traditions, family reunions were born out of trauma: the tragedy of slavery and forced separation. I wanted to find families whose stories reflected how these gatherings are more than just parties — they’re acts of resistance, remembrance and repair."

In a way, hitting publish isn’t the end of the conversation. It’s just the beginning. Suggs says he’s been heartened by responses to the story.

“The best part of doing stories like this is the way they resonate — not just with the people I interview, but with readers. I’ve received so many letters and social media messages about the grace of the story and the way it offered something deeper — something to learn. That’s what brings me joy."

SATCHMO SUMMERFEST

Jazz great Louis Armstrong performed at the Atlanta Jazz Festival in 1966.

• How it goes down: In addition to plenty of jazz and New Orleans fare, the festival includes lectures and information on how Armstrong, widely considered the father of jazz, left an indelible legacy stretching from his humble roots in Jane Alley to, well, the entire world.
• Fun fact: Why Satchmo? According to the Louis Armstrong House Museum, Armstrong had a lot of nicknames that played on his big mouth. One such was Satchelmouth. When a magazine editor flubbed it to “Satchmo,” Armstrong took a liking to it, and it stuck.
• Reading recommendation: Armstrong was a prolific writer, and in researching this little section I learned he documented his early life working for a Lithuanian Jewish family in a book called “Louis Armstrong + The Jewish Family In New Orleans, La., The Year Of 1907.” In it, he tackles nuances of race, prejudice and the constraints of whiteness, from which Jewish people were very often excluded.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WEST VIRGINIA

Whew, Harpers Ferry is pretty.

West Virginia was admitted as a state June 20, 1865.

If you’ve never been to the Mountain State, you’re missing out. Growing up next door-ish in Maryland, I spent many gorgeous days in Harpers Ferry and Charleston. Some of the most beautiful country you’ll ever see. And don’t forget the pepperoni rolls.

SIPS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH

TELL US SOMETHING GOOD

SOUTHERN WISDOM