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.
Seven Proven Strategies for Identifying Slave Ownership and Reconstructing Families: New Paths and Trails
This problem solving lecture presents research pathways and trails to resolve the dilemma of slave and owner identification and reconstructing slave era families.
Janis Minor Forté is the granddaughter of slaves. She has been researching her family history since about 1979. Elements of her genealogical research have be presented before large and small audiences on radio talk shows and national television. Articles about her research have appeared in the Chicago Tribune. She has also authored articles in several genealogy journals and magazines. In 2009, she chaired the publication of an African American Heritage Book. This 386 page hard cover fully indexed book is housed in all of the major genealogy libraries and archives; it has been digitized by FamilySearch.org and is available for on-line reading.
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.
Slave Tags: Researching a Southern Legal System that Mandated the Tagging of Slaves and Free People
Researching slave tags: the southern 1767 to 1867 governmental system of mandating the licensing and labeling of human souls.
Janis is an experienced genealogist, writer and lecturer who presents at national, state and local conferences. Recently, she presented lectures at the Ill. State Genealogical Society Conference, the NGS Conference in St. Charles and Roots Tech 2015 in Salt Lake City. In Oct. 2014, she was the keynote lecture at the Wisconsin Historical Society conference. Prior, she was honored to be the presenter of the James Dent Walker Memorial Lecture at the FGS Conference in San Antonio, Texas. She has also keynoted at several society events.
They’re Not on the Census: Using Non-Traditional Sources to Identify Slave Owners
Researching enslaved African Americans prior to 1865 is a difficult but not impossible task. Identifying slave holders, reconstructing family units and finding missing kin are all primary research goals for those developing family histories. Using methodology as an approach to problem solving, this webinar explores strategies to identify slave ownership. Following, attendees will be able to identify a variety of new research sources that will increase the probability of slave owner identification, reconstruct slave families as well as identify missing and unknown kin. With these new skills, the participant will be able to re-evaluate prior research for accuracy and completeness. They will also be able to complete a Verification of Documentation of Vital Records form to assure they have secured valuable documents. These additional tools and skills will improve the quality and accuracy of the research and will enable the attendee in adding context and content to the life of their ancestors.
Janis Minor Forté is an experienced genealogist, writer and lecturer who presents at national, state and local conferences. Recently, she presented lectures at the Ill. State Genealogical Society Conference, the NGS Conference in St. Charles and Roots Tech 2015 in Salt Lake City.