African Roots Podcast Episode #271 June 13th, 2014

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Welcome back to the African Roots Podcast!
You can reach me at AfricanRootsPodcast@gmail.com 

Greetings everyone, it is good to be back home in Maryland, but I had an amazing time last week at the SCGS Jamboree, in Burbank California! I met some wonderful people and was thrilled to see so many genealogists that I often see only online. I had a wonderful time and had the honor to participate in a panel with Nicka Sewell Smith and Bernice Alexander Bennett. We discussed the Future of Genealogy and the feedback that we got was truly wonderful!

I was so excited to also be taped by the Genealogy Guys podcasters, George Morgan and Drew Smith! I was interviewed by them, and what an honor. They have inspired me to create this podcast, so being on their show was a truly great experience!

 

The entire experience at the SCGS Jamboree was wonderful and I am energized for more events as the summer conference season emerges.

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Massive Database on Slavery from the UK

Link to Database

While in California last week, I had the chance to meet Dr. Maurice Gleeson of the UK who spoke to me about an incredible project that he is working on involving British legacy of slave ownership in the British West Indies. Dr. Gleeson gave the keynote address at the Jamboree, and he was also a guest earlier this week on Bernice Bennett’s Blog Talk Radio Program, Research at the National Archives and Beyond. 

He shared so much about this massive project and I learned a great deal about British activities in the West Indies, including the fact that many of the early slaves in the Carribbean were actually Irish slaves. Within a few years some once enslaved actually became slave owners as well.

But you are urged to listen to the archived podcast and the amazing interview with Dr. Gleeson, as it was quite revealing. And most of all there is the incredible database of British slave ownership that has been constructed. I looked at the database and was truly amazed at some of the information that could be extracted. Slavery ended much earlier for the UK than America and there was a surprising amount of information about more than 4000 estates! The interview will capture your attention and I hope you take some time to explore that amazing database as well.

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So What?

Last night’s episode of Bernice Bennett’s show was an exciting show with Dr. Shelley Murphy who spoke in detail about the So What concept? This is a great concept and great discussion on how one document can lead you to more documents. The dialogue last night was an engaging exchange, and Dr. Murphy discussed methods of actually analyzing data, and how to actually make that “reasonably exhaustive search” so often mentioned! You should by all means tune in to catch the archived show if you missed it last night. Remember Ms. Bennett’s show airs every Thursday evening at 9pm EST on Blog Talk Radio.

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Well, this is genealogy webinar season and a great time to get some good tips from multiple presenters. If you missed Lisa Alzo, she has some super tips on jump starting your genealogy projects, and has wonderful links and tools to help you write that story.  I am also honored to present a webinar in about 2 weeks, on Native American genealogy, and I am excited about that. If you catch the live broadcast it is free of charge and you have a wonderful opportunity to also download notes and even ask questions of the presenter in the webinars. The best thing about webinars is that they can be viewed from home. For a list of all upcoming webinars, click HERE.

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Well, it’s time for Juneteenth!

The Season to celebrate Freedom is here—it’s time for Juneteenth! We all know the history coming out of Galveston Texas in June of 1865. Well over the past 149 years the annual celebrations have evolved and spread throughout the country.

Even here in Maryland, we look forward to Juneteenth in the genealogy community as we know that the Prince George’s County chapter of AAHGS will have their annual Juneteeth event. Well tomorrow—–For 9th year in a row their Juneteenth Seminar will take place at the Nature center at Watkins Regional Park. This is an all day event and a family friendly event. Vera Williams who is the 3rd gr. Granddaughter of Solomon Northup will be a special guest .

The Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. Prince George’s County Maryland Chapter (AAHGS-PGCM), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Suitland (Maryland), and the Prince George’s County Historical Society will jointly sponsor the Ninth Annual Juneteenth Seminar, “Footprints and Roots,” for tomorrow’ss event.

All the activities at both of these community events are FREE and open to the public. For more information, call Carolyn Rowe, (301) 292-2751 or Jane Thomas, (301) 292-1207

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Roots Tech Deadline

The Call for Papers continues for Roots Tech 2015. We should consider and commit to participating and telling the story. We need to take our stories, our databases, our websites that we use frequently to tell those amazing stories of survival. And yes, we need to present at Roots Tech as well. Remember that 2015 is a milestone year for so many reason. As we tell the stories of why this is a landmark year, we should commit ourselves to being involved in this historic event which promises to be the largest genealogical event in history. And our participation is equally as important!

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Well now that summer is truly here—-as we have the summer storms to prove it—it is also family reunion time!! What fun—-old cousins, some new cousins—elders, children, old photos, old stories and all the food!!

Well—-I look forward to two events this August—I have the honor of attending two reunions in Maryland—one from St. Mary’s County MD and the other a family from the Eastern shore of Maryland. Interestingly beyond being Maryland based—-both families come from Free people of color, and oddly the descendants had no knowledge of this chapter of their history. I have become quite curious as to why this has escaped the family narrative.

Many who have a legacy of the family having been free, have carried that tradition down from one generation to the next. But the odd phenomenon for me, is to determine how and why the family’s legacy was lost. When families were free and obtained land prior to the Civil War, this is often a family that had certain advantages that other families having been enslaved did not have. How long did their position of advantage last? After the Civil war, did they simply blend into the larger population of color, and become victims then to a system of discrimination based on color? Did class or social status impact their lives?

It is truly amazing for me to take note of as I am working to present part of the family story to the family at both of these reunions.  Now as one who researches families that were enslaved—-I always urge the researcher to determine how freedom came to the family.

Now as one who researches families that were enslaved—-I always urge the researcher to determine how freedom came to the family. Finding that story if it did not survive the family narrative—then to find the stories of freedom from the region—the community, the county—use the resources as they emerge. As Family Search is uploading more and more records from the Freedman’s Bureau—our charge is to examine them—some buried stories are right there.

Also dare to find out if your state had any co-habitation records—-so much rich history is found in those records. No. Carolina had them we know, thanks to Dr. Barnetta McGhee White’s work. But other states did as well. Those hidden boxes in the attics or basement of courthouses are often the very records that hold this data. Time to learn to ask about some of the oldest unused records—and to ask those questions frequently.

As 2015 a milestone year approaches—-let’s awaken the consciousness of each other, of our families, and of the record keepers. There is so much more to find, and so many more stories to tell.

Thank you for listening to me once again when you have many options of how to spend your time. You are appreciated and thanks for sharing what you have. Please continue to do what you do, and keep researching, keep documenting, and always keep sharing what you find.

 

African Roots Podcast Episode #270 June 6th 2014

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Welcome back to the African Roots Podcast! You can reach me at AfricanRootsPodcast@gmail.com

Greetings to you from beautiful Burbank California! I am coming to you from the Mariott Hotel in Burbank California, and I am here for the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree! Let me tell you folks from all over the nation are here and what a treat to spend some time with people of all kinds of talents and skills and genealogy accomplishments! This is one of what I call the Big Three genealogical events of the year and it is a lot of fun being here yet again!

 

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A Special Announcement from NMAACH: Let’s Index the Freedman’s Bureau Records!

A word of advice—if you click the volunteer application on the museum site—you will get a message that they are not taking volunteers. Wrong link as that is for the museum itself. The indexing process is intiated from the Family Search site. Click on the link for indexing and there are some instructional videos to assist you with getting into the project.

This record set is amazing rich in names and data, and indexing is sorely needed, so please consider getting involved in this much needed effort! More information is available HERE.

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A Great Story of Collaboration

 

In southern Maryland in Charles county an article was shared with me about a fascinating collaboration with the African American Charles County Historical Society, a team of archaeologist and land owners are working together on local history. Apparently at a construction site, some burials were found, and the spirit of collaboration and partnership is unfolding. Here is a link to the story.

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Upcoming Webinars

Although this is the conference season, this is also webinar season! Some interesting online presentations are coming up on FamilyTreeWebinars are unfolding, and I am excited because I have an upcoming webinar later this month on Native American research.

Webinars provide wonder opportunities to get information and I hope that you will be able to take advantage of them.

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Call for Papers–Roots Tech Accepting Proposals

Well June is here, and Roots Tech is now accepting proposals for Roots Tech 2015. Last week was the FGS deadline for their 2015 conference. Well between now and the end of June, Roots Tech is accepting proposals, so get yours in!

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A Soldier Remembered

                                                  Headstone of Louis Bass, in St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Thiancourt France

I had a wonderful week, as I was elated two days ago when a photo of the headstone of my gr. uncle was posted by the American Battle Monument Commission. This was shared on Facebook on the anniversary of his death. I was elated to see the image. I wrote an article about him and his mother on my blog, and how his mother, my great grandmother, never saw the final resting place of her son. I was so moved to see his stone, for at last we can all look upon his gravesite and remember this fallen soldier who was also a member of the family. I am please for his sacrifice is remembered.
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If you missed Bernice Bennett’s show on Saturday, then you must tune in for the archived version. Her recent guests were the staff members of MAAGI, with Charles Brown the director of the institute as the primary guest. In addition several who attended the institute last year, called in to share how they found the institute and how their own life was enhanced by the skills that they learned at MAAGI. For information, visit the institute’s website at MAAGI-StL.

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Highlights of the Jamboree!


Take some time to see what is going on this weekend in southern California at the SCGS Jamboree. I am looking forward to listening and learning, and also for participating in a panel with Bernice Bennett and Nicka Sewell Smith. And if you can’t attend, do check out the many live streaming sessions online.

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Because of the events of the day that are pressing, I shall cut things back this week, but I shall be blogging from the event, so watch my blogs and follow me on FB and Twitter for images. Other events are there to attract your attention, an event also a Jamboree, unfolds in Tennesse, and of course Juneteenth is around the corner. So thank you all for taking out time from your schedule to listen and I hope that I have been able to share some useful information with you.

In the meantime, remember to keep researching, keep documenting and keep sharing what you find.