Welcome to Digging the Roots!
Shelley Murphy–familytreegirl and I welcome you to our latest chat on genealogy and family history!
We are here in Richmond Virginia for a special event at the library of Virginia on African American Genealogy!
Library of Virginia Family History Day Program
Richmond Virginia
Listen to our chat, and here are a few snippets from our conversation!
Angela: We are here at the library of Virginia for a special event that will unfold on Saturday September 16th in downtown Richmond! Tell us more about the event, Shelley.
Shelley: The conference is called Virginia: Where African American Genealogy and History Begin. What about your sessions?
Angela: I shall be highlighting Essential Online Resources and Database for African American Genealogy. I will discuss those websites, blogs, podcasting sites where people can obtain useful information. I shall also be discussing the Mapping the Freedmen’s Bureau website that I was honored to co-develop with our good friend Toni Carrier, of Low Country Africana.
Angela: Many people don’t know if their ancestors lived near a field office of the Freedman’s Bureau. Hopefully people will know that this site can be a useful too. Tell us about your classes.
Shelley: My first class is about overcoming genealogy challenges. You have to understand some of the basic ground rules to use as a check list once you cross that line. I will also be teaching, “so what” about analyzing your records and establishing a time line. When you get a document, one has to learn how to analyze a record and learn what you have?
Angela: Please explain “so what” What do you mean by that?
Shelley: This is a meme to get people to find more data from what they have, It is somewhat of a trigger to find out what you have…..I love to tell people that they should determine how every record leads to another record…………..and so our dialogue continued. To hear the entire podcast click on the link above.
Angela: “………We are in the heart of everything in this amazing state of Virginia. And Richmond the heart of Confederacy, and so many things that occurred here. There was the Castle Thunder prison and the Whitlock warehouse was for people of color and for women. And of course we know the history of Shockoe Bottom.”
Shelley: “Oh this city is so historic, and there are some buildings down on the main street where the old tailors were that used to sew clothing to dress the slaves so that they were “Dressed to be Sold”. One has to take in so much of this horrendous site.
Angela: “To be in a city that has such painful history, yet here were are having a conference in this city 151 years into freedom.”
Shelley: “Well the Library of Virginia is the correct place to hold this event, and the staff is cordial and helpful, and there is much to see and feel. And this conference is a 3 day collaboration with the Library of Virginia, the Church of Latter Day Saints, and the Virginia chapters of AAHGS-the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. What a real thank you is in order for these groups to make this happen.
Angela: “Well glad to be here for the events, and hopefully many will come out and share those stories. So do you have any parting words?
Shelley: “Keep digging for the roots and sharing the story.”
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