Hello and welcome to the African Roots Podcast. You can always reach me AfricanRootsPodcast.
Today, I am coming to you from beautiful Salt Lake Utah! I am attending Roots Tech, and all I can say is that this is an exciting experience! And it has been more than expected! I arrived on Tuesday and on Wednesday I spent time researching at the Family History Center. At first, I did not see hundreds or thousands of people as were predicted. But then Thursday, that changed!! Over 12,000 people are here at present. The opening session was so exciting–and after a wonderful VIP tour, I got to sit in the special reserved section and was truly amazed! I was near the main stage, and got to see so much of it, all.
Since being here, I have met Facebook friends, whom I have met, plus people from Family Search. The energy being shown has been amazing. And they are talking about making this event even larger for next year. For those who are not here, I urge as many as possible to go to Roots Tech website, and watch the live video streams.
I have to admit–I thought that this would be a one-time experience. But I might consider coming back again for Roots Tech 2016.
This is a chance to be exposed to the cutting edge of technology. I have been impressed with the energy level of energy shown and hats off to the folks at Family Search. I have been able to catch some good sessions, and one of the sessions that I sat in on was a session on self-publishing. Lots of good tips and ideas were shared by presenters Thomas Macentee and Lisa Alzo. I learned a lot and hope to try to apply some of the ideas that they shared. Being around those who are creative, makes me want to create as well.
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An announcement was shared this week about an historical exhibit underway. The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, announces an African American Postal exhibit. Black America from Civil War to Civil Rights. This is the very first postal exhibit devoted to an all African American theme. This exhibition will go on a full year and will end in February 2016. It will chronicle slave-transported mail, plus some of the original artwork from the African American heritage series. Civil War patriotic items are also going to be shared. I was excited to hear this as I am a collector. This is an exhibition that is truly unique.
******************************************************************************************Next week I will be coming to you from Atlanta Georgia. I will be speaking about the time that Freedom came and methods of documenting those days. I will be speaking also at a local library in Atlanta, and on Friday, a webinar will be offered through Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Researching Ancestors in the Era of Freedom.
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Dr. Shelley Murphy
My special guest today, is Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy who is sharing her feelings about the Roots Tech experiences. Listen to her observations and opinions about her experience here in Salt Lake City.
It has been a pleasure to be here in Salt Lake City as everyone has been hospitable and warm. It was also a pleasure to meet Tamu Smith, aka “Sister Beehive” on Blog Talk Radio. Meeting her was a delightful experience, and she has been a part of the community that has made several of us feel really welcomed here.
New Friends at Roots Tech
So, I am winding down this week’s podcast from Salt Lake City! I will be coming to you next week from Atlanta. In the meantime, please remember to keep researching, keep documenting, and keep sharing what you find!
