Welcome back to the African Roots Podcast! You can reach me at AfricanRootsPodcast@gmail.com
Well a shout out to folks who are attending two major events—one in Pittsburgh— AAHGS the Afro American Genealogical and Historical Society is hosting the 35th Anniversary conference this weekend. Several photos have been shared from Pittsburgh and are being placed on social media.
Also to the midwest, the Afro-American Genealogy and Historical Society of Chicago is hosting their 32nd Annual conference as well. So shouts out to both groups.
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Well, you have until midnight tonight to get in your proposal to present at the Southern California Genealogy Jamb0ree. The deadline was extended through today, the 10th and if you have considered submitting, you still have some time.
More information HERE.
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Genealogy Event Scheduled for New York City
The Genealogy event in New York city is being scheduled for October 17th and 18th, which is just a week away. The Genealogy Event, in partnership with The National Archives at New York City (NARA at NYC) is taking place in New York City, October 17 & 18 at the Alexander Hamilton US Custom House, One Bowling Green. DNA Day, an added feature of The Genealogy Event is being held at India House, One Hanover Square on October 19. Across the three days attendees will benefit from over fifty genealogy and DNA focused talks, complimentary one on one consultations with genealogy experts, an exhibitor marketplace, a Friday night social event and research opportunities at the National Archives at New York City.
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Later this month–don’t forget the Virtual Genealogy Fair offered by the National Archives in Washington DC. Take a look at their schedule it is quite detailed. Regardless of background there are presentations that may be of interest to the genealogy community as a whole. Glad to see that this is back on their schedule of events.
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So this time of the year brings us to the end of the official conference season, and we are about to wind down for the holidays and to get ready to plan our projects as we physically slow down for the fall and winter months. Hopefully you will now have the time to start on those personal genealogy projects, writing projects, research projects and more. Take the time to go through the many collections that you have amassed and start to see how to allow each project to unfold and to take shape. As we settle into the fall and winter–this is great time to analyze what we have and to determine how our work will be presented and shared.
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Virginia Database Expands
Click HERE for database.
An update for those with Virginia ties! The database Unknown No Longer is a resource presented by a collaboration of many people from scholars, historians, genealogists, and the Virginia Historical society to present more and more information containing the records of people once enslaved. Many of us with ties to others states—Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, have ties to Virginia. Well how do we follow those lines and follow them back in time to Virginia? Hopefully databases such as this one will assist us in that effort. Feel free to explore what is there, and what has recently been shared.
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We as genealogists have to appreciate the work of historians do and last night on Bernice Bennett’s show, Research at the National Archives and Beyond, her guest explored a unique community and told a story not explored enough. Dr. Amitra Chakrabarhi-Myers who discussed her work, Forging Freedom.
Listen to the show for the content. But then listen also with another ear, which involves the part that insires. For me the inspiration is to find an untold story–from the community of interest. I research Oklahoma among the many places that I study. But as she describe women who lived in pre-emancipation Charleston. I thought about my Oklahoma community and thought about the untold entities. There were free people who lived in the Territory before the Civil War. Not thousands, but several hundred nevertheless. I appreciated the encouragement to look at a region–and find what has not been told. Schools, churches, businesses–all of these are part of the larger historical story.
We have varied stories, from the Carolinas to the Great Plains from the cities to the frontier—but research it, document it, write about it. I was inspired. So tune in a listen to last night’s episode of Research at the National Archives and Beyond. It airs every Thursday night at 9pm.
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I have come to realize the need to seriously look at the projects that we begin, and then abandon. When we collect all of this paper—what do we do with it? Do we collect and then finding ourselves then later slave to the clutter? Well clutter is a compilation of delayed decisions. We bring that Civil War pension file home, then put it aside. We collect the data from which we can extract a story. But we forget to complete the project. It might be a piece for our blog, or a chapter in our book, or the book itself. We have to learn how to finish the project as well.
As we look for stories—we must think about the many projects we have started. Each pile of data needs some structure–and then to put in order and then to complete the project.
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Well, time as flown by–but thank you for taking time to listen and tune in, and thanks for your announcements. Again a shout out to the conferees at weekend events. Let’s get back to those projects, and lets remember to keep researching, keep documenting, and remember to keep sharing what you find.
