Picture of Israel Meyer Augustine Jr.

Judge Israel Meyer Augustine, Jr. and His Ancestors

To celebrate Black History Month, I chose to highlight an Avoyelles Parish born history maker, Judge Israel Meyer Augustine, Jr. His ancestors’ roots are buried deep in the soil of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. He’s my second cousin once removed, and he has many relatives, the Augustines, Benjamins, Pierres, Perrys and many others from Moreauville and Mansura. (The above picture was taken from a Georgia Family Reunion booklet) My great-great grandfather, Ursin Augustin (1808-1901) was his great grandfather, also. In 1969, [i]he was appointed to a district judge position of the Orleans Criminal District Court by Governor John McKeithen. He was the first Black to be appointed to a judgeship in Louisiana since Reconstruction.

The Trials of Ursin Augustin

The Trials of Ursin Augustin

The life of my maternal great-great grandfather, Ursin Augustin, continues as he struggles through the tearing apart of his family while enslaved. After reuniting with them in 1865, he plotted his own destiny, by purchasing a plantation, in a competitive and sometimes, unscrupulous world that he hadn’t been trained for. Legacy means an amount of money or property left to someone in a will. Even though he had to contend with a lawsuit by Dr. Joseph Moncla, his former owner, he continued to fight to secure a legacy for his family. The first part of Ursin’s story has been told in the Parents for Ursin Augustin.

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colonial home

Simon in a Dangerous Confrontation

Visiting his Free minor children placed the enslaved Simon's life at risk. The accusations of a white landowner and the strict rules of the Louisiana Black code had the potential of having Simon harmed physically, imprisoned and/or hindered from visiting his children again. Also, discover a family connection between a slave-owner and the enslaved Simon.

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Four cotton pickers in a cotton field with blooming cotton

Unity’s Hidden Legacy

I continue with the lives of my great grandmother, Unity FWC (Free Woman of Color) and my great-great grandmother, Mally/Milla/Miley/Moilly. Unity had been bestowed the ultimate gift, the gift of freedom. Yet, something about William InRufty’s last will and testament gave me a feeling that there was more, something missing. I believe you will find the search for Unity’s Hidden Legacy very interesting.

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