Episode 20: Cheryl Boyce-Taylor on Loss, Love, and Courage

Episode 28: Bernice Bennett: Black Homesteaders

In this episode, genealogist Bernice Alexander Bennett shares information about the Homestead Act of 1862, and why it's critical that African Americans know about the Homestead Act when researching their ancestry. If your family was listed as a farmer, Bennett says, it's important to check the Homestead Act records to see if your ancestors participated in this program. Bennett advises that, "you have to understand [that] while we identify the land, and we tell the story, there is also more to the story and that’s what happened to the land." 

Bernice Alexander Bennett is an award-winning author, genealogist, nationally recognized guest speaker, storyteller, and producer-host of the popular Research at the National Archives and Beyond BlogTalkRadio program. She is also the first recipient of the Ida B. Wells Service Award given by the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage for her dedication to broadcast stories about enslaved and indentured ancestors of African descent. She also received the Elizabeth Clark-Lewis Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) Genealogy Award in 2019 for original research in support of African American Genealogy. Bennett is on the Board of Directors for the National Genealogical Society and one of the founder’s of the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute,

Bennett--a New Orleans native and current resident in Maryland--enjoyed a 35-year career in domestic and international public health. She received an undergraduate degree from Grambling State University and a graduate degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan.

Her genealogical research centers on Southeast Louisiana, and Edgefield and Greenwood Counties, South Carolina. Her South Carolina journey is chronicled in Our Ancestors, Our Stories, which won the 2018 International AAHGS Book award for Non-Fiction Short Stories. Her second book Tracing Their Steps - A Memoir received the Phillis Wheatley Literary Award from the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage in 2019; the International AAHGS Book Award in 2020 for Non-Fiction Short Story and, the Next Generations Indie Award in 2021 for African American Non-Fiction book category.

Links: 

Land Entry Case Files and Related Records at the National Archives

https://www.archives.gov/research/land/land-records

African American Homesteaders in the Great Plains

https://www.nps.gov/articles/african-american-homesteaders-in-the-great-plains.htm

U.S. Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management

https://www.blm.gov

Music by Sean Bempong

Episode 27: Guy Weston: Claiming Ancestry Land

In this episode, genealogist Guy Weston falls in love with genealogy while researching 19th-century plot records purchased by his great, great, great, great grandfather on his mother's side. He learned the names of his ancestors and their descendants, fueling his obsession with genealogy. Guy’s mother initially thought she inherited this property when a cousin gave her the deed. However, they quickly learned it also belonged to several distant cousins, as new deeds were not executed over the years as one generation died and passed it on to the next. Guy’s introduction to genealogy was searching microfilm to look for these potential heirs.

Guy has been engaged in genealogy research for 30 years, with a substantial focus on his maternal ancestors in Timbuctoo, NJ, where his fourth great-grandfather bought his family's plot in 1829. He says today’s online databases and DNA testing have changed the landscape of what Black folks can find. He encourages all his friends to find their roots. At present, Guy manages the Timbuctoo Historical Society, is a Visiting Scholar at Rutgers University, and serves as editor of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Journal. He maintains a website at www.timbuctoonj.com.

Original music by Sean Bempong.

Episode 26: Melvin Collier: It Was Always In Me

In this episode, genealogist Melvin Collier talks about how he became involved in researching his family's history. From the age of 4, Melvin enjoyed listening to stories about his family. By 1993, he was actively searching archives for family records. Learn about how a DNA test and a trip to Ghana resulted in a surprise transcontinental family reunion. 

Melvin has been conducting historical and genealogical research for over 25 years. He’s a former civil engineer, who later earned a Master of Arts degree in African American Studies at Clark Atlanta University, in 2008, with additional graduate coursework in Archival Studies from Clayton State University. For seven years, Melvin worked as a Library Associate/Archivist at the Robert W. Woodruff Library – Atlanta University Center. He now works for the Department of Defense in the Washington, D.C. area. Melvin has appeared on the NBC show, Who Do You Think You Are, as one of the expert genealogists on the Spike Lee episode in 2010. He has given numerous presentations on genealogy, slave ancestral research, and genetic genealogy at numerous events and conferences. Melvin is the author of three books: Mississippi to Africa: A Journey of Discovery (2008), 150 Years Later: Broken Ties Mended (2011) and Early Family Heritage: Documenting Our Legacy (2016).

Music by Sean Bempong 

Episode 25: LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson: When Your Ancestors Guide You

In her In the Telling conversation, LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson talks about the mystical aspect of doing genealogy: how the ancestors seem to guide you in uncovering their stories. 

LaBrenda is a trustee and President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. She also serves as the Registrar General of the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage, a lineage society that honors ancestors who were enslaved in the United States. LaBrenda earned a BA from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, and both a Law degree and a Master of Laws degree from the New York University School of Law. After working as a corporate tax attorney for thirty-five years, she retired in 2013 and turned her attention to her longtime avocation of Genealogy. She is now a full-time genealogist focused on writing and teaching at National institutes and conferences. Her 2016 guide to researching in her SC home county was hailed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a model for research in SC and other states. 

Suggested links:

LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson's website

Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage

The Source of Our Pride by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson

A Guide to Researching African American Ancestors in Laurens County, South Carolina and Selected Finding Aids

Genealogy: Ethnic Heritage Links - National Archives

Original music by Sean Bempong.

Episode 24: Lynne Huggins Smith: In Search of Caesar Springfield

In this episode, Lynne Huggins Smith shares a story about her 4th great grandfather, Caesar Springfield. Although Lynne knew she was a seventh generation New Yorker, she discovered that Caesar and his wife Mary, in fact were from New Jersey. And although she knew of her great grandmother Edith, and Edith’s mother Sarah, Lynne was inspired to dig deeper into her family research.

Lynne grew up in Nanuet, New York where her family moved from the Bronx. She has been  doing family research since the sixties and is a former officer and current membership chair of  the New York City chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. Her family lived in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Neevis and Suriname. Lynne is currently researching the ancestors of all four grandparents from those places and beyond. She has a Master’s degree in  anthropology from the University of Michigan and completed coursework for the PhD in  American history from Emory University. Lynne spent her career as a financial planning and investment professional, retiring in 2015. She lives in New York state with her husband of over forty years. She has three children and four grandchildren. 

Original Music by Sean Bempong.