WE NEVER LEFT

We Never Left explores the identity and evolution of Midland South Carolinians whose lineage haven't moved from the state since their importation during the transatlantic slave trade. This series has been inspired by my own ancestry and the narrative of those who didn't participate in The Great Migration. After doing some research, I traced my 5x great grandfather, Mose Diamond, to a plantation in Lower Richland County, Columbia, South Carolina. Slave documents prove he existed in 1820. How much longer he survived after that is unknown. 

Majority of my present family still inhabit the area we call, "Down The Road/The Country/48" 
Growing up down the road was a coming of age experience for us -- still is for the youngins. Throughout grade school it was common to learn that a classmate was somehow your cousin. Having such a big family but not truly knowing them didn't make sense at the time. Then it dawned on me, we never left.

This is an ongoing series that started February 2021.
This series is shot on film and digital.