The Tree That Shades Me

Brandon traced his family tree after watching NBC's "Who Do You Think You Are," a show that follows popular celebrities as they search for their ancestral roots. "The Tree That Shades Me" is a collection of biographies containing details from census records, newspapers, memorabilia and other published work. Family secrets and long-standing principles are revealed about the author's maternal ancestors, who came out of the slavery and the Jim Crow era to become successful business entrepreneurs.