Webinar Abstract: Learn about some of the most unusual and underutilized African American records and where to find them.
Researching African American Ancestors: Funeral Programs and Photo Archives
20th-Century African American researchers will find funeral programs and photo archives invaluable. There is a rich tradition revolving around funeral programs. As a result, numerous archives have intentionally collected them, and many are now placing them online for all to access. You will find many details of genealogical relevance that help us fill in evidentiary gaps, and sometimes photos are included. Speaking of pictures, there is something magical about seeing a photograph of an ancestor we may have never met that is priceless. Let’s explore some collections rich in photos of African Americans; maybe your ancestors are included.
El Destino Plantation Project
The Florida Historical Society houses many different collections. One of these collections are the El Destino Plantation Papers. These papers include vital business documents, which include legal documents as well as personal correspondence and plantation journals. El Destino, Spanish for destiny,…
Researching African-American Genealogy in Florida
The Florida Memory Website is an often overlooked resource when researching Florida ancestry. Florida Memory is a digital outreach program providing free online access to select archival resources from collections housed in the State Library and Archives of Florida. Florida…
The Great Migration: Tracking African Americans to Northern Industrial Cities
Between 1910-1930, droves of African-Americans left the South for new opportunities in the North. Learn how to track your migrating ancestor using genealogical sources.
Ari Wilkins is a genealogist and library associate at Dallas Public Library, where she provides genealogy programming and education. She worked with the esteemed genealogist, Dr. James Rose on his project, “Generations: The WPA Ex-Slave Narrative Database.” Ms. Wilkins has spoken nationally at the National Genealogical Society, Federation of Genealogical Societies, RootsTech, Texas State Genealogical Society, Ohio Genealogical Society, the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research, American Library Association, and a multitude of local societies. Ari has concentrated her interests in North Carolina and Louisiana research and specializes in African American genealogy and research.
Freedmen’s Bureau Records – Invaluable to ALL Southern Research!
We overlook records that we think pertain to only one group of people. The Freedmen’s Bureau records cover more than freed slaves – they include ex-soldiers, impoverished widows, small children, and destitute parents. They include ration, school, court, marriage, military, and more records, along with incredibly personal correspondence regarding loved ones.
Diane L Richard is the Principle of Mosaic Research and Project Management (MosaicRPM), www.mosaicrpm.com. She has M.E. and M.B.A. degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). She has been doing genealogy research since 1987 and since 2004 professionally focused on the records of North Carolina, other Southern States and migration paths to the Mississippi River.
Enslaved Blacks in White Church Records: An Overlooked Resource
Slaves often attended their owners’ churches. Learn to use records of those churches for details about a slave’s parents, owners, attendance, dismissal, sale and more.
Wevonneda Minis is a South Carolina-based genealogist with twenty-five years of experience. She researches, writes and speaks professionally. Ms. Minis focuses on general research methodology, African Americans, slave-holding families, South Carolina, Georgia, and several types of records.