Research At The National Archives And Beyond!

Bound to History: Leoncia Lasalle's Slave Narrative from Moca, Puerto Rico, 1945 Dr. Fernandez-Sacco's recent article is about interviews, enslavement, testimony, and the communities involved in a 1945 interview by the historian Luis Diaz Soler with Leoncia Lassalle then 112 years old, and her 85-year old daughter, Juana Rodriguez Lasalle's experiences under bondage. Fernandez-Sacco offers a context for the account, traces their family history, considers the multiple contexts for this narrative, the limits on archives, and how historical knowledge is made as we do genealogy that engages slavery & life post-emancipation. The need for a collaborative genealogical practice has never been so necessary.  Dr. Ellen Fernandez-Sacco is an independent scholar whose current work focuses on the genealogy and family history of people transitioning into freedom after 1870 in Northwest Puerto Rico. She's co-founder and moderator of Sociedad Ancestros Mocanos, a discussion group that began in 2004. She's also a paneli

In 1879, Islay Walden, born enslaved and visually impaired, returned to North Carolina after a twelve-year odyssey in search of an education.  It was a journey that would take him from emancipation in Randolph County, North Carolina to Washington, D. C., where he earned a teaching degree from Howard University, then to the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, in New Jersey. Along the way, he published two volumes of poetry and founded two schools for African American children. Once ordained, he returned Randolph County, where he founded a Congregational church (Strieby Church) and common school. Despite an early death at age forty, he would leave an educational and spiritual legacy that endures to this day. Born Missionary uses Walden’s own words as well as reports from newspapers and church publications to follow his journey from enslavement to teacher, ordained minister, and community leader.  Margo Lee Williams is a graduate of Marquette University, and has her M. A. in Sociology from Hunter College, and a

Being an African American woman researching and working on plantations, Ja'el often gets the question: why work at a place with such an horrific history?  There are no slave costumes or reenactments for her; this is real life. Whether she is being interrogated to see if she is teaching the watered down version or being met with the unspoken hope that she actually will water it down; every single encounter is unique. Nothing will ever stop Ja'el from researching and providing the life stories of the enslaved with dignity and facts. As a historian, she revisits this type of trauma by choice and, her purpose is to help others process, not suppress. Ja'el Gordon, Louisiana-born Genealogist and Historian is a graduate of Southern University (Baton Rouge) with a Bachelor of Arts in History. She worked for the Division for Student Affairs and created a plethora of successful, engaging events and programs for the student body and community. In 2015, she received her Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Southern U

It is essential when attempting to trace enslaved ancestors that one become familiar with the laws of each pertinent state or territory regarding the institution of slavery.  Without such a survey of the laws, valuable information can often be overlooked.  Knowledge of laws and their associated records can alert the researcher to more obscure sources of information. Victoria Robinson is an experienced genealogist who, while growing up in Utah, started tracing her family history. After graduating Georgetown University, she continued to be curious of mind and passionate about genealogy. Combining these traits, she also works to help others discover their roots. For nearly 30 years, she has worked as a senior librarian at the Annandale [VA] Family History Center, where she assists patrons and staff with their research and serves as the staff expert in African American genealogy.  She has presented at various local and national genealogy/history conferences over the past 19 years on the topics of research method

You researched your family back to the county where they were living right after enslavement;  located white people in the community with the same surnames and found wills associated with their family. In addition, you may also (or instead) utilize DNA information to lead you to a specific family that held enslaved people. You have done the work of finding records of people and sometimes families linked to a place or maybe two places in time but there is no centralized or searchable place for us to leave those records for others. This discussion will focus on:     • Records that are kept at the County level     • Why enslaved people may use the surnames of the seller, buyer, the grantors or the grantees or another name altogether     • Finding enslaved people that may be sold across the county or state lines      • Searching for a family member that may have been split up Sasha Mitchell is a family and community historian, former chair of African American Heritage for Asheville & B

Get the latest information on the release of the 1950 US Census population schedules on April 1st, 2022. We'll cover how to access the images, how to locate your ancestors based on their address and enumeration district, and share information on how you can volunteer to index the 1950 US Census! Thomas MacEntee is a genealogy professional specializing in using technology and social media to improve genealogy research and to connect with the family history community. http://stevemorse.org   Opening Music: Sweet Melow Spice - AK Alexander Productions

Myrt has stress-free ideas for sharing family history discoveries one story at a time, using a single photo, document, heirloom or historical tidbit. It starts with a 15-minute brainstorming session. DearMYRTLE is the nom de plume of genealogy blogger Pat Richley-Erickson also known for hosting genealogy webinars and Zoom “how-to” sessions, with over 1,300 videos on her YouTube channel. She began online genealogy work in 1985 with Q-Link, progressed to PC-Link then America Online’s Genealogy Forum She serves as President of the Association of Professional Genealogists Second Life Chapter. You’ll find Myrt online at Blog.DearMYRTLE.com where she has lately been chronicling new additions to her “ancestor trunk” under the popular title 52 THINGS.   Opening music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander Productions

Join Gaynell Brady, owner and educator at Our Mammy’s for a discussion about the legacy and fallacies of mammy.  Genealogy remembers all of our ancestors, not just the most famous or free people.  In 2013, Our Mammy's was created to honor the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives to take care of others. The company was named Our Mammy’s to reclaim the name Mammy, and to emphasize to others that a Mammy was much more than just a name. Mammy cared for generations of plantation owners, laborers, and enslaved Africans and African Americans.  Mammy's strength, courage, wisdom, and tenacity is displayed on every family tree.  Mammy is often stereotyped as an uneducated, submissive, dark skin, overweight maternal woman. Gaynell Brady is an educator and museum professional who is passionate about learning, genealogy,  and museums.  She currently serves as the Owner/Educator at Our Mammy’s LLC, where she teaches families about genealogy and African American history. In her current role as Owner/Educator at Our

Difficult truths about slavery, racial injustice, and other harm, bring up a variety of emotions and challenges for genealogy researchers and families. Adrienne Fikes wants us to reframe the narrative about the descendants of enslaved persons and enslavers gathering together to heal. This shift in perspective allows us to stand firm in our deepest truth; have consistent access to unspeakable joy; and develop the deep roots and bubble wrap we need to stay in this principled struggle to understand each other, while addressing the structural issues continuing these wrongs. How many of your 16 great-great-grandparents can you call by name? After a random tweet led her to information about her roots, Adrienne Fikes M.Ed, PCC (she/her) created the #16Greats Challenge, encouraging other GenXers and younger to learn the names of their 16 great-great-grandparents, or understand why they can’t. Adrienne is a seventh-generation Virginian, with deep roots in North Carolina, and is part of the 1st generation to grow up i

From Sago and Fatima, Randall and Esther, to Moosa and Katy, learn the ancestral story of the Trask 250 from the vantage point of the oldest traceable ancestors who unite them, those who were born in the late 18th century, mostly in Africa, with descendants who number more than 5,000.  Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, host, consultant, and documentarian with more than 20 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, and reverse genealogy, and is expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, and researching enslaved communities. Nicka has diverse and varied experience in media with a background in audio, video, and written communications. She's appeared on TODAY Show, CNN, MSNBC, on the series Who Do You Think You Are and has been interviewed by Oakland Tribune, The Undefeated, National Geographic, and TIME. She is the host of BlackProGen LIVE, an innovative web show with more than 125 episodes focused on people of

Dr. Penny Walters, author ofThe Psychology of Searching (Amazon, 2020) asks why is compiling a family tree now such a popular hobby. We will look at kinship, homelands, ethnicity, becoming obsessed with searching, race memory, and putting all the pieces in our jigsaw. Why do we research ancestors we share so little DNA with? Are we searching for who they were, or who we are? Once we have started our search, some discoveries reveal painful realities (including injustices and enslavement), uncovering our relatives’ secrets and lies, and numerous ethical dilemmas can arise. These are covered in depth in the book Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy’(Amazon, 2019).   Dr. Penny Walters www.searchmypast.co.uk has been a University lecturer for 30 years in Psychology and Business Studies. Penny's interest in genealogy started after having her first child and then wondering about her biological parents, as she was adopted. DNA testing has revealed 94% Irish heritage; and fascinating insights into her Black British childre

  Tina Jones research journey began in 2000 when she began working with the local senior citizens - many of whom were residents of two historically African American neighborhoods in Franklin, Tennessee.  Franklin was the site of a significant Civil War battle and is the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee. Several historic homes operate as museums and significant local attention is paid to the community’s Civil War history. The genealogy program with 50 senior citizens soon had constructed dozens of family trees - many intersecting. She started compiling any information she could find about the experiences of enslaved people in Williamson County to understand more fully the context in which the people she was researching had lived.  Tina tracked down slave narratives of people with ties to the area, newspaper clippings, probate documents, and diary entries.  It all helped paint a fuller story - and highlighted an aspect of local history that had been almost entirely overlooked: the contributions of b

Funeral Programs serve as a wonderful legacy and memento to remember a cherished love one. These programs are given at funerals and are written with great care to honor the dearly departed. This show will discuss the genealogical value of Funeral Programs and how genealogist/family historians can partner with funeral homes, churches and others to gather, organize and compile these programs to tell the community story. Dr. Antoinette Harrell, is a renowned genealogist, author and local historian specializing in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes of  Louisiana. Her books include several children's genealogy activity books and the first ever publication "Images of America - African Americans in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes. In addition to her books, she is also the host of Nurturing Our Roots Genealogy Zoom Sessions. Dr. Harrell has been featured in many national and international magazines and other media such as on Vice for her peonage and genealogy research attracting over 3 million viewers.    Openi

Jordan Bankston Noble, commonly known as the Drummer Boy of New Orleans was easily one of the Reconstruction era's most prominent Black men, known internationally for his military and musical career. From childhood, Jordan was enslaved and ordered to enlist in the Battle of New Orleans, Seminole, Mexican American, and Civil Wars. He was sold at least 6 times, raised a family, and spent at least 60 years of his life as a Free Man of Color. Despite all of this, his story is still not well known by the public and what has been written about him has largely been falsified. In this episode, meet Jordan Noble's 5X great grandson Alex Trapps-Chabala to give clarity to his life and his legacy.  Alex Trapps-Chabala is a Bay Area-based historian and genealogist on a mission to help all BIPOC people learn about their family histories in a safe, informative, and engaging way. He is a 4th generation Bay Area native, deeply connected to his roots on the Gulf Coast. Alex is a Black Queer activist with a knack for disrupt

A narrative is an oral or written account of events or experiences. While there is no mainstream research design in family history, narrative inquiry is a research method that uses oral accounts, photos, obituaries, newspaper articles, and other forms of artifacts and contextualization, as units of analysis to research and interpretation to understand the way relatives create meaning in their lives as narratives. The show will share with listeners how to incorporate narrative inquiry to research family history. Dr. Curry will provide examples of narrative inquiry from his award winning book, The Thompson Family: Untold Stories From the Past (1830-1960). Dr. Curry is a genealogist, educator and author who focuses his genealogical research in eastern Aiken County and western Orangeburg County, South Carolina.   Opening Music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander Productions.    

Kathy Lynne Marshall’s most endearing tale of heroism was about her three times great-grandmother, Margaret Booker, and the grisly reason she left Beverly, West Virginia, with her young children in tow, for freedom in Barnesville, Ohio.  Imagine Marshall’s surprise when an 1855 newspaper article connected Margaret’s possible father, Edward “Ned” Backus, to the Fusion (aka Republican) Convention in Ravenna, Ohio. After many unsuccessful attempts to free his wife and children, Ned’s lawyer suggested he seek legal and financial assistance at the convention. What was it like for a newly freed man traveling 150 miles from the slave state of Virginia to north-central Ohio, five years before Abraham Lincoln was voted the first Republican President? Marshall will discuss her research process and reveal the many twists and turns which culminated in an unbelievable story that was broadcast in many newspapers east of the Mississippi River. The new knowledge of who Edward’s likely slaveowner was, as well as serendipitou

The Daughter Dialogues podcast shares real-life stories from women of color who honor their ancestors' fight to achieve independence for  America and are members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).  The host, Reisha Raney, a leader in the DAR and a direct descendant of President Thomas Jefferson's grandfather, is conducting research as a Harvard University non-resident fellow, under the direction of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. She is exploring the lives of DAR members of color and their ancestry which includes men and women of American Indian, black or African descent, and white or European descent who contributed to the founding of the USA. This is not an official podcast of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR).    Reisha Raney is the owner of Encyde Corporation, providing business analysis, systems engineering, independent testing and post implementation solutions for some of the world’s largest systems, ranked in the top 4% of all women owned businesses in the U

Join Sylvia Cyrus, Executive Director of the ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY for a discussion around the theme and events to celebrate Black History Month (The Black Family Representation, Identity, and Diversity). The black family has been a topic of study in many disciplines—history, literature, the visual arts and film studies, sociology, anthropology, and social policy. Its representation, identity, and diversity have been reverenced, stereotyped, and vilified from the days of slavery to our own time. The black family knows no single location, since family reunions and genetic-ancestry searches testify to the spread of family members across states, nations, and continents. Not only are individual black families diasporic, but Africa and the diaspora itself have been long portrayed as the black family at large. While the role of the black family has been described by some as a microcosm of the entire race, its complexity as the “foundation” of African American life and histo

A Ruse, A Railroad, A River - Mapping Miles from the Antebellum South to Freedom Fearlessness and the clever escape from enslavement taken by Miles Eason, 3x Great Grandfather who used the Civil War as ruse for escape, inevitably breaking the color barriers of the Coal Mining boom of Philadelphia. Tanisha is content creator and microblogger behind Ancestral Bequest, a bespoke and inclusive community that is dedicated to genealogical exchange and education. Penned by her peers as The Rebel Genealogist™️, she is driven to tell compelling stories of the lives of her ancestors beyond the databases they’re often confined to. We have to be the ones to tell their stories and honor them with pride.  Tanisha joined the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society – New Jersey Chapter in November of 2019 and is an alum of the Midwest African American Genealogical Institute where her focus has been Genetic Genealogy and DNA Analysis. Ms. Watson is her families historian since she was 8 years old, often tel

  While researching his grandfather, James Morgan learned a lot about unique records of the AME church that enabled him to learn more about his and others' family histories!   He will share his findings with us! James R. Morgan III is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications and Africana Studies in 2011. He is currently employed with the United States Department of State and serves as a Curatorial Consultant with the African American Civil War Museum in Washington, DC. James is an active Prince Hall Freemason and as such he serves as Worshipful Grand Historian & Archivist of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. He has authored several scholarly writings on African American Freemasonry and fraternalism. He is also an Honorary Fellow and Life Member of the Phylaxis Research Society. James is an active and experienced genealogist and is a member of the James Dent Walker Chapter of the Afro