“Finding your roots is the ultimate mode of self-knowledge, writes Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., host of PBS’s popular genealogy show “Finding Your Roots.”
Scant recordkeeping prior to the end of the Civil War makes researching genealogy a challenge for family historians. To help, FamilySearch has focused on creating a massive archive of African American genealogy resources, including collaborating with the Smithsonian to make records from the Freedmen’s Bureau available online.
To help you learn even more about your family history, we’ve gathered together a list of blogs, forums, podcasts, and genealogy leaders.
- AfriGeneas@afrigeneas In the dawn of the Internet age, a group of family historians banded together to help each other research their genealogy and heritage. Over a quarter century later, AfriGeneas has over 1.3 million page views every month and is one of the top resources on the web for African American family historians. Connect with other family historians in one of AfriGeneas' many forums, join in a daily chat, or follow one of their mailing lists to learn about the latest news and tactics related to African American genealogy.
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- Roots Revealed@meljcollier As a young boy, Melvin J. Collier loved the stories his grandmother shared about growing up in Mississippi. Inspired by a desire to learn more about his heritage, he left a career in civil engineering to trace his family roots from the Deep South to West Africa, writing two books on African American genealogy on the way. Follow along on Roots Revealed as Melvin J. Collier writes about the tactics he uses to discover more about his ancestors. You'll learn about the creative techniques he uses to uncover family records, as well as Melvin's tips for diving into African American genealogical research.
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- Finding Eliza@kriswms2 For over 40 years, Kristin Cleage Williams has been tracing her family history back through the generations. She started Finding Eliza in 2010 with the simple goal to organize and publish the genealogical information she uncovered. Her engaging style makes her a storyteller, however, as she reveals how she discovers family histories out of genealogical records and oral recordings. Get inspired to research your own family history on Finding Eliza and learn Kristin's strategies for finding information about her ancestors. You'll also learn about specific resources Kristin uses to find insight into African American history.
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- Our Black Ancestry We empower our future by honoring our past," writes genealogy researcher Sharon Leslie Morgan on Our Black Ancestry. Founded as a community for those seeking to learn about their African American genealogy, Our Black Ancestry provides links to resources, advice from others on the same path, and a place for family historians to connect. Head over to the Our Black Ancestry website to learn tactics to research your family history, or join the Facebook group to connect with nearly 22,000 others researching their own African American genealogy.
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- African Roots@aywalton Every day, more resources are established online to help African American family historians learn more about their heritage. The challenge is finding the time to keep up with the latest news. That's where Angela Walton-Raji saves the day with a weekly podcast on the latest sources of information on African American genealogy. Tune in to the African Roots podcast for a weekly roundup of genealogy news, including events and records that will help you learn more about your ancestors and family history. If you don't have time to listen, Angela also posts a summary of each podcast on the blog.
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- Lowcountry Africana@LCAfricana Even if your ancestors didn't live in or pass through the historic rice-growing areas of South Carolina, Georgia and northeastern Florida, Lowcountry Africana is still a great resource. Due to their isolation in rural areas, enslaved Africans in the Lowcountry were able to retain much of their language, beliefs, and traditions, giving family historians a unique window into the past. Visit Lowcountry Africana to learn about the history of this unique region and find book excerpts, links to records, and multimedia presentations about history and culture.
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Although it’s challenging to research your ancestors prior to the end of the Civil War, know that you’re not alone on your search. In addition to FamilySearch’s efforts to make African American genealogy records available online, there are also many genealogists and family historians who share their successes, strategies, and tips online. Follow their blogs and connect with them on social channels like Facebook and Twitter to learn about new resources and to be inspired by their research.
What other great blogs, websites, and communities have you found online to help you learn more about African American genealogy?
