Joe & Amanda Canty.
Three branches.
One family table.

The Legacy of Joe and Amanda Canty

We are not newcomers.

Our family's roots in this land run deep — planted through generations of faith, sacrifice, hard work, resilience, and love long before the last few decades. Ours is a story woven into the fabric of America through endurance, family, community, and the determination to build a better future for those who came after.

In the late 1800s, Joe and Amanda Canty moved from South Carolina to Cartersville, Georgia and established a home and legacy that continues to flourish today. Together, they raised seven children — Betsy, David, Harvey, Perry, Jerry, Annie, and Cora — creating a foundation that would grow beyond anything they could have imagined.

Today, their family has grown into more than 700 descendants.

From those early beginnings, generations have carried forward values of perseverance, family connection, and strength. Through the branches of Harvey, Perry, and David, descendants continue to gather, reconnect, celebrate one another, and preserve the bonds that have always held our family together.

Our story reflects a broader story shared by many Foundational Black American families — families whose ancestors lived through slavery, emancipation, Reconstruction, segregation, and social change while helping shape and build the United States through labor, innovation, culture, service, and community.

Historical records show that some of the earliest documented arrivals of enslaved Africans to what is now the southeastern United States occurred during the 1526 San Miguel de Gualdape expedition along the South Carolina–Georgia coast. Historical accounts describe resistance among the enslaved people aboard that expedition, contributing to the collapse of the settlement. While the exact connections between those events and individual family lineages are often difficult to trace, those stories remain powerful reminders of endurance, survival, and the enduring human desire for freedom.

For many Black American families, identity is not only about where we came from — it is also about what our ancestors created despite tremendous obstacles.

The Canty family legacy stands as a living example of that spirit.

We honor those who came before us.
We celebrate those who stand with us today.
And we prepare the way for those who will follow.

More than names on a family tree, we are a testimony of generations who kept going.

Our roots run deep.
Our branches reach wide.
And our story is still being written.