Welcome back to the African Roots Podcast! I can be reached at AfricanRootsPodcast@gmail.com.
It is the 4th of July weekend, and I hope that you are getting ready for the time to be spent with family and friends, and are preparing for a wonderful time to make memories! Do be careful as fireworks are going on and please be safe especially with children. I am ready for the weekend, but also getting ready to travel to St. Louis, Missouri next week for MAAGI, the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute. We have an exciting week that is planned and we are all quite excited! This is the third year for MAAGI and popularity for this event is growing. We are even being asked to bring the program on the road! That is something we never imagined and the response has been so positive. Those in the Methods and Strategies track will learn about Dr. Murphy’s “So What” concept! And those who have thought about writing since their research started, the Writing Track will allow people to learn about the many options available to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard and to produce something about the research journey! So take a look at the MAAGI line up and perhaps next year MAAGI might be in your plans!
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Of course many of us will be looking forward to the AAHGS conference in October in Richmond Virginia. Of course Virginia is where so much of the nation’s history began and the opportunity to go a few days early and conduct some research is quite exciting.
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Are you involved in the indexing project for the Freedmen’s Bureau records? I am speaking about the records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands? I am talking about the indexing initiative launched a few days ago, by Family Search. These records are amazing, and to see them, there are two sites. One is Family Search, and the other site is the Internet Archive. On the Internet Archive I recommend that you type the following words in the search box, to get to your state: “Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands for the state of ____(insert state name)___. On that site, the first 50 pages are so, consist of the Descriptive Pamphlet, that you need to know. The pamphlet will be your guide.
On Family Search, simply go to your state of interest, and click on the bureau records. But keep in mind these are not microfilmed records. But study them anyway. Many of them are not indexed, and you are strongly urged to participate in that initiative. And of course that brings me to the indexing project in general. We need to get them indexed–and your help is needed.
I have found my ancestors, and yes, many of these records are sobering. I have found my gr. grandfather, and I see that at first he was not paid a salary, but was going to receive board, clothing and food rations. But no money. Thankfully that changed within several years, and he later became a land owner himself and he became a homesteader as did his son, Irving. I wrote an article about my find.
You might find that after the war, the newly freed people were placed in the share cropping system, which became a new version of the same thing.
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Speaking of involuntary labor, last night’s episode of Bernice Bennett’s show featured Antoinette Harrell, who spoke about 20th century peonage. This was a system of involuntary labor that lasted well into the 20th century. She has spen many years exploring this terrible studying this system. She has even met people trapped in the system well into the second half of the century as well.
Well, I know many of you are in a pre-reunion time. Please remember to tell the story, not just the facts and names. Tell the stories of how the family survived, the stories of their resilience. Reunions are more than good food, and enjoying the music. Make sure the family legacy is preserved.
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Well, I am winding it down this week, as I prepare to journey to St. Louis. Have a great week, make some good memories. And remember to keep researching, keep documenting, and keep sharing what you find!
