Research At The National Archives And Beyond!

The history of slavery in America has made our DNA a complex cultural stew. In this episode, Nicka Smith combine traditional genealogy and DNA research to trace back to previously unknown but well documented enslaved ancestors. Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, host, and documentarian with more than 18 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, reverse genealogy, and family reunion planning and execution. She is also an expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, sharing genealogy with youth, documenting the ancestral journey, and employing the use of new technology in genealogy and family history research. Nicka has diverse and varied experience in communications, with a background in publications, editing, graphic design, radio, and video production. She has edited and designed several volumes of family history that include narratives, photos, and genealogical information and has also transferred these thin

In 2017, Kathy Kanika Marshall wrote, The Ancestors Are Smiling! which is a collection of uplifting, funny, touching and sometimes harrowing real life stories, creatively told by Kathy Marshall’s ancestors and their descendants. For example, Marshall’s great-grandmother, Ella, worked for a congressman who helped convince President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, making it possible for her second great-grandmother, Margaret, to transport her five enslaved children in a buckboard to freedom in Ohio. Spunky Great-aunt Reba describes receiving her high school diploma at 106, and being profiled in Essence Magazine and on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Pullman Porter Austin’s dream came true when his sometimes wayward son (Marshall’s father) became a doctor. Marshall’s mother, Mary, a Principal, shares her excitement when Apple Computers installed the first computer technology lab in her Sacramento school in 1983. And 93-year-old great-uncle Charles describes how he became a medical miracle

Host Bernice Bennett welcomes author, Michael W. Twitty for a discussion of his new book, The Cooking Gene - A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South. Michael W. Twitty is also the author of Afroculinaria a food blog. As a food writer, independent scholar, culinary historian, and historical interpreter, he is personally charged with preparing, preserving and promoting African American foodways and its parent traditions in Africa and her Diaspora and the legacy in the food culture of the American South. Michael is a Judaic studies teacher from the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area and his interests include food culture, food history, Jewish cultural issues, African American history and cultural politics. Afroculinaria highlights and addresses the critical role of  food in the development and definition of African American civilization and the politics of consumption and cultural ownership that surround it.

   "The Civil War is sometimes called the Second Haitian Revolution.  For over seventy years pro-slavers feared Haiti, and the enslaved and abolitionists found great hope from Toussaint Louverture and Haiti.  Marvin T. Jones details the actions of enslaved and abolitionists who were encouraged by the Haitian Revolution, Haiti’s own involvement in offering freedom to people of color. And, why Haiti was so important to keeping alive the hope that all Americans would be free.  American leaders who wrote, spoke of and acted due to their admiration for Louverture include John Brown, Martin Delaney, Gabriel Prosser, Frederick Douglass, Charlotte Forten, William Lloyd Garrison, Prince Hall, John Mercer Langston, Wendell Phillips, Senator Charles Sumner, Denmark Vesey and David Walker.  Many African Americans today are descended from all who saw Haiti as a guiding light. Marvin T. Jones, a documentary photographer and filmmaker, is the executive Director of the Chowan Discovery Group, a research, documentation, pre

The Price for Their Pound of Flesh includes photographs, illustrations, newspaper clippings, advertisements, extensive lists of appraisal and sale values, quotes, poems, letters, and songs from the time period. Additionally, Berry’s focus on sharing a diversity of stories of and from enslaved people illuminates their experiences and feelings in direct response to their understanding of their monetary values and position as property. “Despite being traded as commodities from the womb to the grave,” Berry writes, “enslaved peoples understanding of their soul values transcended the external values placed upon their bodies. And with this realization, their souls were at peace.” This is the first book to explore an enslaved person's ascribed value throughout their lifespan, including before birth and after death. The book represents more than a decade of Berry's original research and insight into the history of the slave trade in American. Daina Ramey Berry is an associate professor of history and African and Af

 Angela P. Dodson documents one of the longest, most hard-won struggles for civil rights in our country’s history. Her approach to this history is inclusive, detailing the contributions of activists from various movements, women and men, of different races, religions and politics who helped bring about the victory to secure the right to vote for women. She also documents women’s political gains since that milestone. This book, complete with beautiful photographs and illustrations, will help facilitate the conversation about how far women have come and where they are headed politically. Angela P. Dodson, CEO of Editorsoncall LLC.  and a contributing editor for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, has served as senior editor for The New York Times and executive editor of Black Issues Book Review. She has written and edited newspaper and magazine articles, feature stories and books. She is married to Michael I. Days, editor for reader engagement and vice president of Philadelphia Media Network, and author of “O

The panelist will focus on Indian Territory Freedmen Family History and resources. Angela Walton-Raji is known nationally for her genealogical and historical research and work on Civil War west of the Mississippi, as well as her work on Oklahoma Native-American records. Her book, “Black Indian Genealogy Research” is the only book of its kind focusing on the unique record set reflecting Freedmen found within the Dawes Records.  She also includes several chapters and documents in her book, focusing on the records that reflect Blended Families, African and Native American families in many households.  Ronald Graham, Sr. was born and raised in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. His father Theodore Graham was an original allottee, roll number Creek Freedmen newborn 671. He's also a direct descendant of: Hutton/Grayson, Corbray and McGilbray. All were Muscogee(Creek) nation citizen's. Terry Ligon is a history and genealogical researcher who has dedicated twenty eight years researching Freedmen of Indian Territory. One area of

Wendy Wilson Fall and Teresa Vega will share the history and origin of Malagasy Roots and how DNA testing can help identify your Malagasy ancestry. Wendy Wilson Fall is Associate Professor and Program Chair of the Africana Studies Program at Lafayette College.  Wilson-Fall has a PhD from Howard University’s African Studies Center, with a concentration in Social Anthropology. Her research engages questions of socio-cultural change and ethnic identity. She has published numerous journal articles and book chapters on these themes, including work from her field research in West Africa as well as her work in the U.S. on African American family narratives. At Lafayette College she and colleagues have built  an interactive website using GIS visualization to explore the early demographics of families claiming Malagasy ancestry at http://digital.lafayette.edu/collections/madagascar.  Her book, Memories of Madagascar and the Black Atlantic was released in October, 2015 by Ohio University Press.  Teresa Vega's backgro

The African American Odyssey of John Kizell (A South Carolina Slave Returns to Fight the Slave Trade in His African Homeland) Join host Bernice Bennett and co-host Natonne Elaine Kemp for an engaging conversation with author and historian Kevin G. Lowther about the the life of a Sierra Leonean who survived slavery in Charleston, South Carolina, and served with British forces during the American Revolution. He eventually returned to his homeland, where he campaigned among his people to end slave trading. Lowther majored in history at Dartmouth College before joining the Peace Corps and teaching, in 1963-65, at the Sierra Leone Grammar School in Freetown. In 1971 he helped to found the non-governmental organization, Africare, and later managed its humanitarian programs in Southern Africa for 29 years. Theme music - Sweet Mello Spice by composer / producer Alvin K. Alexander. 

Leontyne Clay Peck shares the story of her journey from Piedmont, WV to the Virginia Piedmont, better known as the land of the Presidents-Jefferson, Madison and Monroe. Since age 10, Leontyne has heard "whispers" from the ancestors and intrigued by family connections. Her fourteen year journey  revealed her family connections to Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky, President Thomas Jefferson and most recently to President James Madison (with the enslaved community of Montpelier). In her research, she also discovered her connection her 3rd great grandfather, Job Gaiter, who served in the US Colored Troops.  Leontyne  is a native of Piedmont, WV. She is an author, speaker, educator, family historian and ancestor advocate. She is the author of, Our Mother's Dresses, Silver Children,and "Paxton Street. She received her formal education from The American University, the American University of Rome and West Virginia University. She is the recipient of a host of awards, among them, Ford Foundation African American Hist

Rebroadcast How the courts dealt with wills bequeathing property or freedom to mixed race children. Fathers of Conscience examines high-court decisions in the antebellum South that involved wills in which white male planters bequeathed property, freedom, or both to women of color and their mixed-race children. These men, whose wills were contested by their white relatives, had used trusts and estates law to give their slave partners and children official recognition and thus circumvent the law of slavery. The will contests that followed determined whether that elevated status would be approved or denied by courts of law. Bernie D. Jones argues that these will contests indicated a struggle within the elite over race, gender, and class issues-over questions of social mores and who was truly family. Judges thus acted as umpires after a man’s death, deciding whether to permit his attempts to provide for his slave partner and family. Her analysis of these differing judicial opinions on inheritance rights for sl

Andre Kearns's research comes from the perspective of an African American genealogy hobbyist. Advances in DNA testing offer African Americans the possibility of leapfrogging brick walls created by slavery to connect to ancestral roots by analyzing family history documented within DNA.  Andre will share strategies he’s used to advance his research as a hobbyist and highlight how he’s leveraged DNA testing to reveal white slave owning ancestors, uncover free people of color ancestors and re-connect family branches.  Andre Kearns has deep roots in the American south and a passion for discovering new ancestors and learning their stories. An African American, he knew he descended from enslaved persons and likely slave owners which DNA analysis has helped confirm. Through his research he also discovered ancestors that were free people of color long before the civil war, Native American, and multi-racial persons. Discovering this ancestry has unlocked previously unknown rich aspects of American history. Andre is a

  Gigi Best is an Author, Historian, Genealogist, Poet, Playwright, Journalist, Speaker and Antiquarian Bookstore Owner. While earning her A.A. and B.S. Degrees, she was awarded Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges. While in her M. A. Program in English Literature and History, she received  the All American Scholar awards. As a Federal Retiree she earned the Citation for Exemplary Civil Service to the United States Air Force 2002-2004. She is a recipient of the Phillis Wheatley Literary Award for her Book, “Thomas the Melungeon: His Locust Family of Free Persons of Color Civil and Revolutionary War Patriots.” This genealogical and historical work has been placed in many Genealogical Libraries to include Daughters of the American Revolution; Tampa, Florida’s John G. Germany Library; North Carolina Archives and the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library. Gigi is currently working on two historical novels entitled: Nathan Best: From Enslaved Body Servant to Confederate Courier and Chapin’s Forty Acres

Daniel has built his personal family tree and helped others do the same for more than 30 years. He archived many goals during this time: finding documents, interviewing family members, visiting archives and cemeteries, connecting long lost relatives and using techniques that proved to be more -or less- successful. Daniel will share the resources and repositories used in the United States and the world to find his American Family, giving examples of what to do and what not to do to help you bust your research and achieve your goals. Daniel Horowitz is the genealogy expert at MyHeritage. He provides key contributions, liaising with genealogy societies, bloggers and media, as well as lecturing and attending conferences around the world. Dedicated to the study of genealogy for 30+ years, Daniel was the study guide editor and instructor for the project "Searching for My Roots" in his native Venezuela. He holds board level positions at the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA) and the International Associa

  David B. Dumas was born in Galveston, Texas and holds a Ph.D. in geophysics. An amateur historian and photographer who has been photographying for the last 30 years. In fact, he spent several years photographing birds.  He was also a sports official for 45 years.  The last 11 football seasons as a replay official in the Big 12, Mountain West, and Southland conferences. Photographing Civil War sites enabled David to become more knowledgeable about US history by learning much more than could be found in any textbook.  Many of these areas are located on back roads and not found on any of the model highway maps. David is currently retired and teaching math part-time at Galveston Community College. David B. Dumas is the author of Steel's Bayou Expedition, (A Driving Tour); Major General U.S. Grant's March in Louisiana - (A Driving Tour); Yazoo Pass Expedition, (A Driving Tour),  and most recently The Original Vicksburg National Military Park and Vicinity (A Driving Tour Guide).          

Frazine Taylor has helped people of all ethnic backgrounds to research their family history for over 25 years. However she has witnessed firsthand the frustration and disappointment of African-Americans when the research gets to the year of 1870, and for some, 1866, where they hit the predictable “brick wall.” You can’t go around it, get under it, or go through it, because there is no hope or help! Frazine K. Taylor and Donna Cox Baker  conceived the Beyond Kin Project in 2016 as a way to encourage and facilitate the documentation of enslaved populations, particularly by recruiting the resources and efforts of the descendants of slaveholders. http://beyondkin.gegbound.com

Scott Fisher - Extreme Genes is a natural for Fisher, a Connecticut native, who has been in radio since his youth, and has spent three decades of spare time as a passionate roots sleuth.  A long-time morning show host, Fisher is the author of New York City Methodist Marriages, 1785-1893,Picton Press, 1994.  He has also been published in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Journal (April 2004), and Catholic Ancestor, Journal of the Catholic Family History Society of England (June 1996).  His ten books on the families of both his and his wife’s ancestors, written over 25 years, fill the better part of a shelf in Fisher’s family room library.  In the spring of 2015, the remains of a murder victim, who had been missing since 1983, were found near his home.  When local authorities were unable to find next-of-kin, Fisher offered his services, locating family after three dedicated weeks of researching, Facebooking, emailing, and telephoning.  The story received national attention, and was written up i

Karen Batchelor will share the many unexpected twists and turns on her 40-year family history journey and how what she has learned from the past has changed her life. Karen started doing genealogy because of a New Year’s resolution in 1976 - before the Internet and computers. By 1977, she became the first known Black woman to be admitted for membership in Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Since then, Karen has discovered ancestors who were slaves and slaveowners, patriots and Puritans and even a colonial witch or two. Her family history in America goes back to the year 1630.  With a background in the practice of law and over 40 years of experience as a genealogist, Karen founded Story Mountain LLC, where she helps others with family research. She specializes in colonial New England and the Revolutionary War era; preparation of lineage applications; and analysis of historic legal documents. In addition to her client work, Karen serves as a National Vice Chair of Lineage Research for DAR and is a ce

Have you ever considered searching records of incarceration to find your ancestors?  Whether researching a notorious family outlaw or a victim of early 20th century justice, there’s a good chance that you have an ancestor who has been incarcerated. Researching records of incarceration at local, state or federal penal institutions can reveal valuable family history information and also document shameful community patterns of social and economic abuse against blacks.  Join Sharon Batiste Gillins for an engaging discussion on the genealogical value of searching records of the incarcerated. Sharon Batiste Gillins is a native of Galveston, Texas with paternal ancestral roots in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana and maternal roots in Fort Bend County, Texas. A life-long interest in her family's history led to an active involvement in researching African American family history over the past 25 years. While researching her own family, she developed an in interest in unique and under-utilized record systems and record gr

Melissa L. Cooper is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Rutgers University-Newark. Cooper’s ground breaking book, Making Gullah: A History of Sapelo Islanders, Race and the American Imagination, published by the University of North Carolina Press, is a fascinating history.  Using Sapelo Island as a case study, Cooper unearths the intellectual and cultural trends that inspired, and continues to inspire, fascination with low country blacks and the African roots of their unique culture. Examining the history of Islanders in published works, Making Gullah tells a larger story about race and the American imagination.  Drawing inspiration from her own family’s connection to Sapelo, Cooper explores how the Islanders’ multi-generational struggle for land and racial equality have been overshadowed by the race fantasies that pervaded the stories that researchers and writers told about their exotic folk culture.  From the 1920s and 1930s to the present day, Cooper follows evolving theories about Gul