Summerour descendants hold 100th family reunion in Lithonia
LITHONIA, Ga. - For the past century, the Summerour family reunion cookout has been on the Fourth of July.
If you’ve planned a family reunion before or been to one, you know there’s a lot of work that goes into it. So, imagine just how dedicated the Summerours must have been to have organized this annual massive meet up since 1923.
Independence Day, for this family, has its share of grilling, games and lots of bug spray. If you look closely, you’ll see their T-shirts with the same logo, but are different colors. Each color represents a sprawling branch on their family tree.
"Even though we’ve done it every year, this year it was important to see how unusual it is and how we’ve taken it for granted because we just gather annually," Sheila Mason said.
Family reunions are a mainstay in the Black community.
"After slavery ended, we were scattered. Family members were sold, and it became really important for people to gather and go find their family," she said.
For the Summerours, it all started July 4, 1923, when Sam and Essie got their kids and siblings together. Their descendants can only Google how different life must’ve been back then.
"If you think, back then people were probably working seven days because they were doing labor jobs. There weren't many opportunities to take off, but holidays were almost always days to take off. So, it was easy for everyone to gather on a holiday," Mason explained.
Every Independence Day since, the Summerour tree has grown, and they’ve gathered to remember all who’ve come before them and pour into those not far behind.
The Summerour's have been planning annual family reunions for the past 100 years. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
"We’re finding baby pics of all of us at these reunions like ‘Who is that?’ 'That's you,'" Brittany Bunch said.
The matriarch of the family has attended 78 reunions.
She attended her first from her mother’s belly. The only exception was the year she caught COVID.
Her daughter, Mason, is still in awe at her family’s dedication to connection.
DeKalb County and the City of Stonecrest were also impressed. Both governments individually honored the Summerours for the tradition that keeps them grounded.
That annual reunion has been all over the place — from the Peach State, to Michigan where many family members moved. No matter, there was no doubt where the centennial celebration would be: Georgia. It's where the tradition began.