About Us
We are the descendants of Robert “Big Bob” Ealy of Leake County, Mississippi, whose remarkable family story began during the era of slavery. In the 1840s, Jane Parrott, a young enslaved woman who had been brought from Virginia to Mississippi, captured the heart of Big Bob, a young enslaved man who had been brought from North Carolina. Though denied the legal right to marry, Big Bob and Jane were allowed to “jump the broom,” honoring their commitment to one another and beginning a family whose legacy would span generations.
From approximately 1845 to 1871, Big Bob and Jane became the parents of at least twelve children. Big Bob also fathered additional children, and their descendants grew to become one of the largest African American families in the Lena and Tuscola communities of Leake County.
After emancipation, generations of Ealy descendants built families, established roots, and carried the Ealy legacy forward. While many remained in Mississippi, others joined the great migrations of African Americans to communities across the country, including Detroit, Indianapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Las Vegas, Seattle, California, and beyond.
Today, the descendants of Big Bob Ealy represent a family whose story began under the hardships of slavery but endured through love, family, resilience, migration, and an enduring commitment to preserving our shared heritage.
Our Reunion HISTORY
In 1974, the late Mrs. Liggie Marie Ragsdale McDougal, daughter of Annie Ealy Ragsdale Nichols and granddaughter of Paul Ealy, had a vision to bring together the descendants of Robert “Big Bob” Ealy. With that vision, she organized the first Ealy Family Reunion, held at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan.
From that historic gathering, a lasting family tradition was born. The Ealy Family Reunion has continued on a biennial basis, bringing generations of the family together in cities and states across the country.
Over the years, reunions have been held in Detroit, Michigan (1976, 1980, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2010, and 2022); Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1978, 1996, and 2008); Mississippi (1982, 1984, 1992, 1998, and 2014); Pasadena, California (1986); Chicago, Illinois (1990); Huntington, California (2002); New Orleans, Louisiana (2004); Miami, Florida (2006); Las Vegas, Nevada (2012); Atlanta, Georgia (2016); Gatlinburg, Tennessee (2018); and Raleigh–Rocky Mount, North Carolina (2024).
The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the family from gathering in person in 2020, but the tradition continued with a virtual Ealy Family Reunion in 2021. The year 2026 served as a gap year, and plans are now underway for the next reunion. The location of the 2028 Ealy Family Reunion will be announced soon.
More than five decades after Mrs. McDougal brought the family together for the first time, her vision continues to thrive—uniting the descendants of Big Bob Ealy, strengthening family bonds, and preserving the Ealy legacy for future generations.
CONTACT US
Got any questions? E-mail us at EalyLegacyKeepers@gmail.com.
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The Robert "Big Bob" Ealy Family 