Albert “Peter” Datcher says people of color “need to look at our ancestry,” and that is precisely what this family farmer and community historian in rural Shelby County has been devoted to doing for much of his life.

Datcher descends from enslaved people who worked the same land near Harpersville that his family has farmed for generations. Indeed, it was his once-enslaved great-grandfather who was able to purchase the first 100 acres following the Civil War – land that was part of a plantation. Since then, the farm has grown to 400 acres.

Ada and Aldrich Datcher in the 1920s. (Alabama Department of Archives and History)

Six generations of the Datcher family have lived in the 1,500-square-foot house that sits on the farm. It is a place now known as Datcher’s History House, where Datcher has put on display more than a century’s collection of mementos, photographs and documents that tell the story of his family’s journey from enslavement to freedom to successful farmers. Along the way, there are stories of triumph and tragedy, of hard times and family celebrations.

Today, on Juneteenth, the nation pauses to reflect on its legacy of slavery and Gen. Gordon Granger’s freedom proclamation on June 19, 1865. Learn more in the video below about one Alabama family – its ties to a dark past, and its devotion to sharing its story with others. You can also learn more about the history of the Datcher family here.

Pete Datcher keeps history alive for his family and Alabama community from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.