This Week's Pod Cast
Hello and welcome back
Today is Friday February 5, 2010
My name is Angela Walton-Raji
This is the African Roots Podcast.
You can always reach me at AfricanRootsPodcast@gmail.com
Hello once again from western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Guess what? I got snowed in here in America’s heartland, and I ended up extending my stay so that I can present at the Black History conference at the University of Arkansas, Ft. Smith. I was to have presented last weekend, but everything was cancelled. It is on again, and will take place tomorrow February 6th.
I was going to go into a lot of detail about upcoming events, but many of the events that I was to have mentioned have been cancelled, including major events at the Smithsonian Institution this weekend. The reason? Another snowstorm. Actually the mid-Atlantic states are going to get over a foot of snow and some places almost 2 feet of snow. I do hope that everyone will stay safe, warm and dry.
I will share with you a great website that I did come upon. Actually it was recommended by someone on Twitter, and it is a site featured by The New England Historical and Genealogical Society They have a great site with emphasis on African Amerian genealogy. The site is AfricanAmericanAncestors.org
This is a great website, as there are resources, guidebooks, databases, and featured exhibits on their website. In addition there is a an introductory video to the site, and so much more. I was even fascinated to find a reference to black soldiers from the Kansas Colored, which is closer to my part of the country. Do not hesitate to visit this site, even if you don’t have New England ancestry. They have done a great job.
Well, I have to share this story with you. Yesterday I had one of those days that genealogists only dream of. Well African American genealogists. I had a more than fascinating 3 hour visit with the descendants of the family that had enslaved my ancestors in the Choctaw Nation. This was one of those experiences, where they sought me. I received an email many months ago, from a gentleman living in Oklahoma who saw my name in an historical journal. He noticed that some of my ancestors had been enslaved by Nail Perry from what is now eastern Oklahoma. He recognized the name and made it a point to find me. He is a descendant of Nail Perry, the slave owner.
This meeting was amazing, as when he arrived he came with bags of documents, and he brought another cousin, Dick Perry, who generously brought out old maps showing me where the family was buried. We talked for over 3 hours and our visit was a warm one, and I must admit that I was more than appreciative of the time that they took to come. We took pictures, talked, examined documents together, and also acknowledged that yes—there is a blood tie that we share as well.
The lesson that I have learned is the value of sharing your work, presenting your data for others. This man found me, I did not know he existed. The meeting was one that was a moving one, and left me with good feelings about human beings. We cannot alter the past, but it is important that we acknowledge the past and talk about it and grow from what we have learned. This has been an incredible week for me, and I have so much more now to do.
Thanks for listening, and let us learn the value of doing what we do—keep researching, keep documenting, and keep sharing what we find.
This Week's Pod Cast
Hello and welcome back
Today is Friday January 29, 2010
My name is Angela Walton-Raji
And this is the African Roots Podcast
Hello to everyone as I am coming to you from western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Or as it is said in this part of the country: Halito—Chim Achukma! Amachukma hoke. I am coming to you today from Van Buren Arkansas on the top of Mt. Vista. Tomorrow in Ft. Smith Arkansas, where there will be a Black History Conference at the University of Arkansas Ft. Smith. I have the honor of being the keynote speaker and am looking forward to participating in this landmark conference.
I have lots of events to share with everyone, from classes to workshops, so let’s get started.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 7:00 pm. – March 24, 2010. The Howard Community College will present
a course entitled “Genealogy: An Advanced Course.” This class is for the experienced genealogist who
needs help in climbing over those “brick walls,” i.e.; deciphering old handwriting, locating and evaluating
those hard-to-find records. The course will meet at Laurel College Center. To Register visit the Howard Community College website.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 7:00 pm. The Prince George’s County Genealogical Society will present a
program entitled “The Underground Railroad in Maryland.” The speaker will be Chris Haley. The topic is
still being developed. The society has moved its regular monthly program to a new location. The program
will be held at the New Carrollton City Hall, 6016 Princess Garden Parkway, New Carrollton, Maryland.
Additional details can be found at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mdpgcgs/
Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 7:30 pm. The Anne Arundel County (Maryland) Genealogical Society in
Severna Park, Maryland will be presenting a program entitled “Maryland African American History and
Genealogy.” The speaker is Lisa Crawley. Many of us in Maryland, know Lisa Crawley and are aware of her contributions to the genealogical community. The program will be presented at Severna Park United
Methodist Church, 731 Benfield Road, Severna Park, Maryland. Additional details can be found at
http://www.aagensoc.org
Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 10:30 am. The Baltimore’s Afro-American Historical & Genealogical
Society/Agnes Kane Callum Chapter will present a brickwall session. The program will be at the Enoch
Pratt Free Library – Northwood Branch, 4420 Loch Raven Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. Additional details
can be found at http://baahgs.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 11:00 am. The National Archives will present a program entitled
“Ancestry.com on African-American Genealogy.” Sabrina Petersen, Business Operations Manager from Ancestry.com, will discuss African-American genealogy resources available in Ancestry.com from the National Archives records. The program will be presented in room G-24 of the Research Center on the Pennsylvania side of the building.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 11:00 am. The National Archives will present a program entitled “Face to
Face with History — African American Civil War Surgeons.” Jill L. Newmark, exhibition specialist and
registrar in the History of Medicine Division at the National Library of Medicine, discusses her article,
Face to Face with History, in the fall 2009 Prologue magazine. In the article, Ms. Newmark, shares her
discovery of William P. Powell, Jr.’s story as an African American surgeon during the Civil War and how
National Archives records provide a glimpse into a rarely studied part of history. The program will be
presented in room G-24 of the Research Center on the Pennsylvania side of the building. Additional details
can be found at http://www.archives.gov/.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 11:00 am. The National Archives will present a program entitled
“Introduction to Genealogy – African-American Genealogy.” Staff archivists will present the lecture on
basic genealogical research and techniques. The program will be presented in room G-24 which can be
reached through the Pennsylvania Ave entrance.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 7:00 pm. – March 30, 2010. The Howard Community College will present a
course entitled “The African American Family.” Discovering the African American family experience is
inspiring and quite rewarding, but can sometimes be a challenge. Alice Harris, who has traced her maternal lineage back to the 17th century, will help you explore methods for learning some of the amazing aspects of the African American experience, for free Negroes and slaves, through research on your own ancestors. Learn practical techniques to trace your heritage and overcome some of the obstacles including finding records of pre-1870 value to genealogists. The cost of the course is $89. The course will meet at Gateway Campus. To Register visit the Howard Community College website . Click “Registration.” The course number is: Index # 7276 and course/section # XE 216 6601. For questions call 410-772-4659 or email:
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 7:00 pm. The Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center for Genealogy and Local
History (RELIC) in Manassas, Virginia will present a program entitled “African American Genealogy:
Tracking Ancestors Before the Civil War.” The program will be presented by Don Wilson. He will
identify sources that can be used to trace lives and relationships and demonstrate the process through a case study approach. The program will be presented at the Bull Run Regional Library, 8051 Ashton Avenue,
Manassas, Virginia. Reservations are required. They may be made via e-mail or by phone at 703-792-4540.
“Researching the African American Family History for the Beginning Researcher.” Rose Dawson, Library
Director, Alexandria Public Library will discuss her experiences researching her family history and how
research led her to self publish a book. This event is FREE and will be held in the Washingtoniana
Division (Room #307), Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Washington, DC.
The library is conveniently accessible from Metro’s Gallery Place-Chinatown station on the Yellow, Red
and Green lines (Galleries exit) and Metro Center on the Red, Blue and Orange lines (11th & G exit). For
additional information contact Doris Greer.
I heard some good news for people who have ties to Bermuda. Data from four slave registers are being reproduced for researchers. This will reflect those who were slaves for several year prior to the abolition of slavery on that island. The registers were created for several years prior to the end of slavery, and at first many slave owners resisted registering their slaves, but realized that the only way that they would be compensated for their losing slaves would be by registering them. This a valuable resource and in the future, I may share info on the isalnds and sources of information for folks researching the islands.
As I am in preparation for this upcoming conference, I want to encourage people to consider expanding their work to include the community where your ancestors lives. The neighbors of your ancestors, should be studied, for they also provide data on the lives of your family. I have learned the value of studying the community to learn how the people made a living, how they copes with laws legalized to hold them back, and how much can be gleaned by studying the community as a whole.
My biggest lessons have been the value of looking at the life stories and documentation of the larger community and to share that data, via writing in historical journals, blogs or even creating a website devoted to your county and/or ancestral town. You will be surprised at how many people will find it, and the kind of response that you will get from presenting historical data not shared before with the public. Trust me, this could open new doors for you as well.
Well, thanks for taking time out of your day and I hope you know that you are appreciated. In the meantime, keep doing what you do, keep researching, keep documenting and please keep sharing what you find.
(To listen to earlier podcasts, click on the date of that podcast and that episode will start to play.)
