Black Life in Oxford

American Family: The Suel Family’s Journey from Slavery to Outstanding Oxford Citizens

In 1993, Jennie Elder Suel donated many documents to Miami University that her family carefully kept for generations. Looking through the collection unveils a family that spent generations working to better their circumstances in a world that did not want them to. The Suel family tells a story across generations of perseverance as they migrated from Virginia, dealt with racism, fought in the Civil War, and reached out to help the community.