Hello and welcome back to the African Roots Podcast!
You can always reach me at AfricanRootsPodcast@gmail.com.
I hope you are all keeping dry. I know that there have been some stories of flooding in many areas. I hope that you are all safe and dry.
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I hope you have all had a great two weeks. I have been more than busy, and this time last week I was in southeast Arkansas at Lakeport Plantation in Chicot County, near Lake Village Arkansas. I was attending the “Preserve Arkansas” program at sponsored by Arkansas State University. It was a wonderful experience, and I got a chance to meet some amazing presenters and scholars while there. That was my first time on the Mississippi Delta and I was quite moved by the opportunity to be there. Lakeport is the last remaining plantation on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River. I could almost see the people bent over in the fields pulling those large over-sized bags of cotton behind them. Enslaved people as well as share croppers after enslavement ended all worked in those fields for decades. I met some amazing people who were there, and was impressed with the speakers and scholars in attended! I hope to return to that area, and to meet with others who are from that area in the future! A special thank to you to the staff of Arkansas State University, and Preserve Arkansas.
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I came back from Arkansas to prepare for a webinar with Family Tree Webinars sponsored by Legacy Family Tree. If you did not get a chance to watch the webinar which was entitled “Take me Back to Where I Belong” on Transportation Records of the Freedmen’s Bureau. Here is a link, and you can still listen to it for free for the next several days. I enjoyed giving the presentation, as these records reflect movement—which was something that they could not do when enslaved. So these records are so important. Here is link to the webinar so that you can listen to it.
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Last night’s episode of Bernice Bennet’s show featured Nathalie Blanc Chekete from the Repulic of Benin, in West Africa on a fact finding mission to learn what people want to see, and learn if they visit the country. The country was once known as Dahomey, and is a French speaking country today. They hope to learn what people want to see if they visit that country. This is the second guest talking about their west African country. Some have already visited Africa on the Roots to Glory Tours.
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Oh–there are still some spaces left in two tracks at the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) the teaching institute. The basic fundamentals track and the writing tack are still both accepting people. If you are still looking into an institute–this is the time to sign up for the chance to get the coaching that you need to write that book that you have had on your mind. There will be a half scholarship that will be available and will be announced in the next two weeks.
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Genealogy Coloquium is announced from Alabama State University in Montgomery Alabama in early June. Look for the contact information on the flyer below. Glad to see a variety of events and learning opportunities coming up for the summer. Info: www.lib.alasu.edu
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A New Green Book Highlights South Carolina Black History
A new mobile app has been created to visit the many sites of interest for African American history. Well this app, similar to the old Green Book for travelers before integration. This is a mobile guide that was just announced. The purpose is to give tourists a guide to over 300 sites of African American history and culture. It will also encourage people who use the app to visit sites, and those places where the under-told stories can be found. I have hoped for some kind of app, and would love to see a kind of pokemon app but with history as the targeted stop instead of fantasy sites with fantasy creatures.
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Old Papers of Harvard’s First Black Graduate Found
Glad to hear the story that personal papers of the first graduate of Harvard were found. This find is a treasure, and thankfully the man who found it appreciate the collection of old letters and papers. That is a reminder for us to also collect and organize our own papers and letters as well.
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Montpelier to Open New Exhibit on Life of Enslaved People
The estate of President James Madison, Montpelier is opening a special exhibit of life on the estate, from the perspective of the slaves. The exhibit will feature the lives of the enslaved and their descendants. This has been 2- years in the making. So glad to see such places telling the stories of the families that maintained the 1 family in the big house. June 4th, “The Mere Distinction of Colour” will be opening. A special RSVP is required.
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Well, time to wind down for this week. Thank you for sharing your events with me. Thank you all for just being there, your listening to the podcast is appreciated. Good luck next week in Raleigh, and I hope to see you as the weeks roll by.
In the meantime, keep researching and keep sharing what you find.
Thanks, Angela!
Renate