We’ll be discussing genealogy research resources for African Americans at the Southwest Library. CSee you there!

Black History: Jamaican Slaves Who Abolished Slavery

Was it WILBERFORCE or WILL-BY-FORCE? Genealogist Paul Crooks discusses the abolition of slavery within British colonies in the Caribbean.

• Paul Crooks will implicate his ancestors in Jamaica’s Baptist War - which ultimately brought the British system of slavery to its knees. Paul will reveal what he researched about the forgotten history of 'The Jamaican slaves who abolished slavery’. Join us for this seminar/talk.

  This talk is designed to

  • improve the self-respect of black people young and old and give them a brighter, more optimistic outlook

  • help other people view Black people with more appreciative eyes

  • complements another of Paul’s events Sam Sharpe and the Baptist War.

Summer Sankofa Series with Dr. Raquel Fleskes

Join the Lemon Project Summer Sankofa Series for a presentation by Dr. Raquel Fleskes. The presentation discusses genetic ancestry testing results - including the science behind the results, the differences between mitochondrial, Y chromosome, and autosomal DNA tests, and how relatedness estimations are made. This can then fold into how we apply genealogical research to interpret the results.

Tracing Caribbean Ancestry: Secrets of 1817 Slave Registers Uncovered

Paul Crooks will:

• discuss how the slave registers can support the exploration of Black Ancestry, Black history and self-identity

• reveal what the registers reveal about the roots of British racism

• the origins of the slave registers and how and how he discovered them

• talk about his journey and how he traced his roots

• create space for questions and answers

Recognizing and Sharing Family Treasures with Bessida Cauthorne White

Bessida Cauthorne White will talk about the importance of “Recognizing and Sharing Family Treasures.” Family treasures are highly valued possessions that may have been passed down from generation to generation or they may be newly acquired. They hold special meaning and tell stories about family experiences. They can be almost anything, including jewelry, furniture, housewares, clothing and textiles, photographs, books and documents, photographs, tools, musical instruments, artwork, medals and awards, etc.

A Black History of Resistance: The Black Jacobin

This Black history masterclass, focuses on the legendary leadership of Toussaint L ’Overture, a great military commander of the modern era.

• Paul Crooks discovered his great great great grandfather when researching his African and Caribbean ancestry. He discovered his enslaved forebears walked free from a sugar plantation in Jamaica in 1838. Paul wanted to know more about what lay behind the decision to free the enslaved people of the Caribbean.

Black Genealogy: Tracing Your Back to the Early 1800s

Through the lens of his pioneering research into Black ancestry, Paul Crooks will use his journey as a case study to

• reveal how he traced his family’s Black history back to the 1880s

• discuss records specific to research into Black ancestry, as well as other materials of more general interest

• share step by step his approach to uncovering forebears’ records

• explain challenges that you may encounter and how to overcome them

The Trifecta: The Secret Sauce of Researching the Formerly Enslaved with Nicka Sewell-Smith

Bessida Cauthorne White will talk about the importance of “Recognizing and Sharing Family Treasures.” Family treasures are highly valued possessions that may have been passed down from generation to generation or they may be newly acquired. They hold special meaning and tell stories about family experiences. They can be almost anything, including jewelry, furniture, housewares, clothing and textiles, photographs, books and documents, photographs, tools, musical instruments, artwork, medals and awards, etc.

The launch of the Black Broadway on U 360 Virtual tour at Ben's Chili Bowl!

Check out the launch of the Black Broadway on U 360 Virtual tour at Ben's Chili Bowl. Produced in partnership with Black Broadway on U Executive Producer, Shellée Haynesworth, this 360 virtual tour teleports viewers to historic locations throughout Washington DC's "Black Broadway," an area that birthed D.C.’s Black Renaissance and served as a prominent symbol of black culture and sophistication amid racial and political tension in America.

For more information and to register, please visit Black Broadway On U: 360 Virtual Tour Tickets, Fri, Apr 29, 2022 at 5:30 PM | Eventbrite

Landmark Lecture: The Black Side of the River: How We Talk about Race & Place in Washington, D.C.

D.C. has long been considered the original Chocolate City, a place where Black residents would find streets paved with gold. Hear sociolinguist Dr. Jessi Grieser trace this Black history and zero in on ways that residents of historic Anacostia use language as a means to push back against gentrification.

Note: This program will be held LIVE at Tudor Place and virtually. Proof of full vaccination is required to attend the Live event.

For more information and to register (for either in-person or the online program), please visit Landmark Lecture: The Black Side of the River: How We Talk about Race & Place in Washington, D.C. – Tudor Place.

Emancipation Day is a regional government holiday observed in Washington D.C., USA.

Emancipation Day marks April 16th 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act.

The Act freed over 3,000 slaves in the District of Columbia eight months before President Lincoln issued his broader Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War. The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act means the District has the distinction of being the only part of the United States to have compensated slave owners for freeing enslaved persons they held.

It has been an official public holiday in the District since 2005.

Tracing the Lives & History of African American Families with Char McCargo Bah

A presentation on tracing the lives and history of African American Families, and Ms. Bah’s most recent projects involving contrabands and cemeteries, and the lynching of two young men. This presentation will include a Q & A session.

For more information and to register, please visit Tracing the Lives & History of African American Families: Char McCargo Bah Tickets, Tue, Apr 12, 2022 at 6:30 PM | Eventbrite

Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS)

A free virtual conference. For more information, please visit: Black History Month 2022 Genealogy Conference (wdcfhc.org)

DC History Center

This orientation with Linda Crichlow White introduces resources to explore and tell your family history with a spotlight on Black genealogy. Click to Register