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Hello and welcome back to the African Roots Podcast!
My name is Angela Walton-Raji.
You can contact me at africanrootspodcast@gmail.com

May is the month when attention is given to preservation of cemeteries. You may wish to attend the Colonial Slave Cemetery Symposium in Portsmouth New Hampshire on May 9th from 9 to 3:30. Information can be obtained by phoning the library at 603-431-2768.

North Carolina and Florida researchers will enjoy exploring the Florida Memory website. This site hosts a number of digital images and wonderful audio files. On the site one will find a slave document from the Elliott Family Papers, depicting the names of the slaves. The document can be found at:
http://www.floridamemory.com/FloridaHighlights/Slaves/ Some wonderful audio clips including old recordings from the 1950s can also be heard on the Florida site: http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/folklife/folklife_cd3.cfm
Fans of the Harlem Renaissance will especially enjoy listening to the Zora Neale Hurston files that she made when she worked for the WPA in the 1930s. Enjoy these audio files at:
http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/folklife/sound_hurston.cfm#

One gentleman from Onslow County NC has truly become a pioneer in the preservation of African American cemeteries. Jack Robinson has painstakingly documented several cemeteries and has put a good amount of his own time and money and has influenced others in his community to preserve and appreciate the untold stories of the black community. His work on the Brick Mill Cemetery project and other works can be found at: http://www.resurrection-mission.com/. He deserves our support and our respect for his tireless efforts.

In Wilmington NC all eyes will be on the project begun by Hands on Wilmington. Their work on Pine Forest Cemetery will prevent a major cemetery from going into ruin. Their story and their work can be found at:
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20090429/ARTICLES/904294002/1155?Title=-Forgotten-graves-discovered-at-Pine-Forest-Cemetery

Good wishes are extended to PAAC –Preservation of African American Cemeteries. This Arkansas based organization will host its annual meeting at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro Arkansas on May 15-16. Hopefully this organization will grow into a national organization providing a platform for cemetery preservationists to share resources and methods, and to widen enlighten the public on the need to restore and preserve the burial sites of our African American ancestors. More information about the conference is located at: http://www.monticellolive.com/paac-conference-may-15-16/
“An ancestor never dies, till there is no one left to say their name.”

Join me next week for the next African Roots Podcast.

Keep researching
Keep documenting
Keep sharing what you find.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Welcome to the African Roots Podcast
Today is April 24, 2009

The New England Regional Conference is underway in Manchester New Hampshire. Information on the speakers and events can be found http://www.nergc.org/2009/images/NERGC2009Program.pdf“>here.

Researchers from the state of Georgia will enjoy looking at the documents found in the Virtual Vault. Among the great records to be found are photos of African American midwives. In addition are some early records from the 1800s and late 1700s. Information is located at: http://content.sos.state.ga.us/

Missouri State Archives offers a good number of presentations on video. The story of living historian Paxton J. Williams who depicts George W. Carver, can be found at: http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/about/presentations.asp

The state of Delaware has placed some wonderful photos of the old “colored” schools on its website. Most of the images are from Kent County Delaware. They can be viewed at:
http://archives.delaware.gov/exhibits/photograph/boe/kent/index.shtml#TopOfPage
An unusual document from Delaware is Joseph Barker’s Negro Ledger. This reflects business transactions of Joseph Barker, a local merchant on Barker’s Landing, with black customers. The historic ledger was made between 1808-1811. It can be found at: http://archives.delaware.gov/exhibits/document/barkers_ledger/barkers%20ledger.shtml#TopOfPage
The Slavery Papers of Delaware will fascinate any historian interested in Delaware African American history. Manumissions, slave births and Petitions for Freedom are included in this collection, found at:
http://archives.delaware.gov/exhibits/document/slavery/toc.shtml#TopOfPage

Events:
Next week, Olive Harvey College in Chicago is hosting the African American Genealogy Forum. Information is located at: http://www.aaghsc.org/

May 5th and May 16th the National Archives will host a series of lectures for genealogists. The Archives documents located on Footnote.com will be discussed on May 5th and on May 16th a presentation on getting past brick walls will be conducted. Both sessions will occur at the Washington DC location in room G24. Information is on the Archives website: www.nara.gov

Information on genealogy fair in Ft. Lauderdale at the Sherman Library is located at:
http://www.aaghsc.org/

Information on some of the works of historian and genealogist Dr. Agnes Kane Callum are locate at:
http://www.angelfire.com/md/akcallum/pubs.html Books can be ordered from her directly at akcallum@aol.com

Thank you for listening to this week’s podcast.

Please join me next time and remember:
Keep researching
Keep documenting
And keep sharing what you find.