According to GoodMorningAmerica.com, Strahan’s ancestry was traced back to people who were born enslaved. They were freed at the end of the Civil War and later built a self-sufficient Black community.

“There’s incredible story within Michael Strahan’s family history that was passed down largely through oral tradition about how it is that James and Winnie Shankle were reunited in Texas,” 10 Million Names chief historian Kendra Field, Ph.D., told ABC News. “And it was the power of genealogy and family history that made it possible for Michael Strahan to connect up with that community all these years later.”

Field explained to ABC News that Shankleville is one of more than 500 “freedom colonies,” or post-emancipation Black communities, in the U.S.

“Founded by formerly enslaved men, women and children, these communities were safe havens for many from the broader experience of the Jim Crow era,” she added.

The search for Strahan’s ancestors began a few years ago, and after reviewing findings, the 10 Million Names project, which is committed to recovering the erased history of the 10 million enslaved Americans and their descendants, determined that Strahan’s roots are in Shankleville. Their research into Strahan’s background was also included on PBS’ Finding Your Roots. That discovery pushed Strahan to learn more about his family’s background.

While in the East Texas town, Strahan and Louise met with their long-lost relatives: Lareatha Clay, Stephanie Franklin, Billy White and Phillip White. They helped fill in the gaps of their family history.

According to Clay, their ancestors Jim and Winnie Shankle “were enslaved in Mississippi, and Winnie was sold to a Texan,” ABC News reported.

“Jim really missed her and, you know, wanted to know where she was. So, he kind of asked around and found out about where she was. And so he ran away,” Clay explained to the outlet.

Jim was a runaway enslaved person, avoiding police, slave patrols and professional slave catchers so he could find Winnie. He miraculously made it 400 miles on foot across the Mississippi River and was reunited with Winnie.

“There was a spring a few yards from here, and she was out, you know, gathering water, washing clothes — so, he did his little call and she was like, ‘This sounds like Jim’s call.’ And sure enough, it was Jim,” Clay added.

Jim organized his own sale by Winnie’s owner so he could ensure they remained together. The ended up having six children together, and Strahan’s family line was born.

“It’s a love story,” Strahan said of his cousin’s revelations. “Seems like a movie.”

The Shankles were freed in 1865. and Jim later purchased more than 4,000 acres of land and built their own community. The community bloomed, and Strahan and Louise got to see some of the fruits of their ancestors’ effort and vision. They also visited Winnie and Jim’s headstone at the local cemetery. While there, Strahan noticed a familiar name on a headstone. It was his grandfather Abe.

“I never had a chance to meet him,” Strahan said, describing the discovery as “mind-blowing.”

 

“Wow. History,” he said.