The summer of 2010 was similar to decades of summers gone by in that thousands upon thousands of black families came together to celebrate the special bond of blood ties.
Depending on who you ask about the historical “family reunion institution” in which African Americans across the country embrace relatives from north, west, east and south for a few days of fellowship, the answer will vary.
Some associate African Americans’ strong connection to the practice with Juneteenth – when the last of the slaves gained their freedom in 1865. Families had the ability to fellowship freely for the first time.
While still connected to slavery, others attribute the activity as an attempt to mend the broken branches of family trees torn apart because of an institution where being bought, sold and disconnected from an individual’s roots was common practice.
Fast forward 150 years, and family reunions are going strong, but somewhat sporadic with respect to consistency.
But last month the Rivers/Brewster family celebrated 40 consecutive years of coming together to learn their history and love on each other right here in St. Louis.
The Lumiere Place Hotel played host for 2010. The elite quarters were a far cry from the small backyard in Tennessee where it all began back in 1970.
“Uncle Ernest really had a vision,” Marcia Parks said of her great Uncle Ernest Rivers.
“He saw it as a priority to get the family together and make sure that we do this on an annual basis. I really think it’s so special that we have been committed to them for all of these years – 40 years. The whole situation is pretty unique.”
Any present or former family reunion planning/organizing committee can testify that doing so is much easier said than done. A host of personalities – plenty of whom who don’t see each other but once a year – work towards accommodating dozens who are connected by kinship, but not much else. The opportunity for drama is almost as accessible as reuniting with family.
But the Rivers/Brewsters have managed to keep it going – and even grow their reunion from a small picnic to a full-fledged roster of activities that take place over the course of several days.
The main ingredient for the success that has allowed them to continue is much simpler than it may seem.
According to Parks, all it takes is commitment. She says that if you are seriously committed to making it work on every level, everything else will fall into place.
“It is fixated in our mind that it is imperative that we do this,” Parks said.
“We plan on it and everyone makes provisions to ensure that it takes place. We know every year that it will be held on the second week in August – so we take vacation and we save up for all of the related expenses. For us, we all know that we have to be a part of it … and that’s that. ”
Parks has been a part of the Rivers/Brewster reunions from the beginning.
“As a girl, my dad made sure that I came to the reunions,” Parks said. “He made sure that his kids went to that reunion, and it tends to grow on you. Then you have kids and you bring those values to them. It made us a stronger family. The bond is stronger.”
Ten years ago, they marked the 30th anniversary with a special celebration and a genealogical history of the family that traced back to the late 1800s.
“We stay connected spiritually,” Parks said. “Even if I don’t see them throughout the whole year, there is something in my soul and spirit that has been created over the years of us coming together – and we all look forward to it.”
And with St. Louis under their belt as a success, they are already in the process of planning years 41 and 42. They plan every aspect of the reunions three years ahead. They rotate cities, and it was Parks who played host for the big 4-0. There’s a special connection that she feels with her family because of the practice of seeing them annually.
“People think that it’s not important, but this provides you with an opportunity to get to know each other,” Parks said.
“Try it for five years and see how it will change the relationship with you and your family. We as African Americans have a history. We need to know who we are and learn more. We don’t know who we are. That’s part of what’s wrong with the world today – especially the young people. They have know where they come from.”
