Gather at the Table Book Signing Event

Sunday, January 20, 2013
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Museum of the African Diaspora
685 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Two people, one journey, from slavery to healing.

Gather at the Table, The Healing Journey of a Daughter of Slavery and a Son of the Slave Trade is the chronicle of Tom DeWolf and Sharon Morgan’s shared journey toward racial reconciliation. Over a three year period, the pair traveled thousands of miles—visiting ancestral towns, courthouses, cemeteries, plantations, antebellum mansions, and historic sites both overseas and in twenty-seven states—and engaged in deep conversations about how the lingering trauma of slavery shaped their lives.

DeWolf and Morgan will share the story of their journey and lead attendees through an interactive exercise.

Museum admission: $10 adults, $5 seniors (65 and over) and full-time students with ID. FREE for children 12 and under. Seating is limited to the first eighty people. Please arrive early.

Sharon Morgan and Tom DeWolf
photo credit: Kristin Little

This event is sponsored by the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC), Museum of the African Diaspora, and the California Genealogical Society and Library.

Update: Authors Sharon Morgan and Tom DeWolf were interviewed on Christmas Day by Celeste Headlee on "Tell Me More" on NPR. You can read the transcript or listen to the program stream Descendants of Slaves, Slave Traders, Come Together.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

African American Research Workshops Resume

“Our Ancestors Will Not Be Forgotten”

The African American Research Workshop teaches research strategies and techniques to knock down those ‘brick walls’ encountered when conducting African-American genealogical research.

2012 workshops are held the fourth Wednesday of each month beginning September 26, 2012, at the Oakland FamilySearch Library, 4766 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland. Classes are held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 p.m. Individual assistance is provided from 8:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

The workshops are presented in partnership with the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California. Sessions are free and pre-registration is not required. All are welcome!

For further information email workshop instructor Judith Collins.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

July Membership Meeting – More than Three-Fifths: Myths and Truths About Slavery and African American Identity

Nicka Smith

Saturday, July 14, 2012

1:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society Library

2201 Broadway, Suite LL2

Oakland, CA 94612

Tim Cox is our Events Committee chair and he works hard to schedule talks that are relevant and of broad interest to our members. Sometimes he gets lucky and things happen in the world that make for a particularly timely talk.

Genealogy rock-star Megan Smolenyak has been involved in a bit of controversy since the release of Rachel L. Swarns' new book, American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama. You can read Megan's response, Does Accuracy in History Matter? published in The Huffington Post.

Director Nicka Smith will be our July membership meeting speaker and her talk will be a "big picture" look at the elements common to the ancestry of Michelle Obama and other descendants of slaves. The history of the “peculiar institution” of slavery in the United States is complex. Learn about the myths, truths, and in-betweens that existed during a major part of U.S. history and how the use of DNA is creating a new family history for multitudes of Americans.

Nicka Smith’s interest in genealogy began at an early age when she became intrigued with a family tree that was prepared by her first cousin once removed. In 1999, she decided to continue his efforts and update his work which led to the formation of AtlasFamily.Org, and its affiliate websites. For eleven years, Nicka has lead the Atlas research team in tracing the lineage of nine generations across more than twenty-two states and four countries. She lectures and mentors both young and old on genealogical search techniques and serves as the chair of the Outreach and Education Committee for the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC). Smith has worked for Kaiser Permanente for the past eleven years in various roles, most recently, as project and communications coordinator. She is also a professional photographer whose work can be seen at ns2photography.com.

Nicka is the Project Manager for the successful Youth Ancestral Project. Smith joined the CGS board of directors in January of this year. She will be teaching a workshop on genealogy and youth at the International Black Genealogy Summit which will be held in Salt Lake City October 18-20, 2012.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Come to Our 1940 Census Party!

 

Come and celebrate the release of the 1940 U.S. Census by searching for your ancestors with other researchers!

Where: Oakland Family History Center, 4766 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland.

When: Monday, April 9, 2012, 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

RSVP online.

Before the event:
•    Create a list of relatives with their possible locations and addresses in 1940.
•    Visit Steve Morse's 1940 Census ED Finder to narrow down enumeration districts for your ancestors—this will be helpful for ancestors living in major cities.

On the day of the event:
•    Bring a list of ancestors to search for and your laptop computer

•    Invite a friend to join you for the festivities 

•    Contribute by volunteering to index a portion of the census for FamilySearch.Org 

•    Expect to have a great time searching with fellow genealogists and family historians! 

This event is co-hosted by the California Genealogical Society, the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California, and the Oakland California Family History Center.

Can't make the event? If you need guidance finding your people on the unindexed 1940 census, the California Genealogical Society is here to help. Consider using our extended research service. 

Photographs from the Library of Congress.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Black History Month: Honoring Genealogist Electra Kimble Price

It isn't often that a large city newspaper devotes half a page to an article on genealogy, so kudos to the San Francisco Chronicle and columnist Brenda Payton for yesterday's feature about Electra Kimble Price.

Electra Kimble Price (right) at the CGS Black Family History program in February 2010.

In case you missed it, the opinion piece on African American Genealogy "Digging Deep to Uncover Roots" is a detailed look at Electra's life and work. The online version bears a slightly different title but Genealogist Digs Deep to Uncover Blacks' Roots includes every word of Brenda Payton's glowing profile and several more photographs of Price.

Electra has been a member of the California Genealogical Society since 1994. She is an Oakland native and a local legend among Bay Area genealogists. I had the pleasure of meeting her at her home a few years ago when she donated books to the CGS library.

Price was one of the founding members of the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC). She received the Distinguished Service Award of the Genealogical Society of Utah in 2000 in recognition of the countless hours she has devoted to helping family historians.

Many years ago Electra started an African-American genealogy research class (now taught by Judith Collins) at the Oakland California Family History Center. Price orchestrated a Black History Month event there this past Sunday where she was feted with another award and cake. Nicka Smith's report (and gorgeous photos) can be found on the AAGSNC blog Black Family History Day was a Success!

Congratulations Electra!


Photograph courtesy of Nicka Smith, 2/20/2010, Oakland, California.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Volunteers Needed for Youth Genealogy Program – Ancestral Project 2012

Pat Gallagher and Nicka Smith, two of the newest CGS board members, have put out a call for volunteers for Ancestral Project 2012 – the East Bay genealogy youth program that will run from February to June 2012.  Nicka is the Ancestral Project manager and she is inviting California Genealogical Society members to participate.

I wrote last year about the program created by Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson that helps youth learn the value of knowing one’s family history and the skills needed to discover it. The program began in 2011 and included three sites where more than fifty youth were assisted, mentored, and supported by Supervisor Carson’s staff and volunteers from the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC) and the Oakland California Family History Center. 2011’s program was primarily focused on African-American genealogy research.

The Ancestral Project 2012 will expand to include youth from the Asian-American and Jewish-American communities, as well as youth in the Weekend Training Academy, a program of Alameda County’s Youth Probation Department. The California Genealogical Society is requesting that its members volunteer to be part of the 2012 project. Volunteering can be done in the following ways:

• Assist with teaching classes to youth;
• Attend one of the weekly workshops as support; or
• Attend one of the research trips to the Oakland Family History Center

Volunteers typically spend two hours per week, once or twice a month. It is preferable that volunteers are able to make a commitment for the full four months. One-time opportunities are also available. Volunteers will have the opportunity to attend an orientation session in early February to learn more about the goals of the project and expected outcomes.

The session dates are (choose one):
Monday, February 13, 2012, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. or Thursday, February 16, 2012, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.at the Oakland Family History Center, 4766 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland, California

If you have any questions regarding volunteering or about the program, please email Ancestral Project Manager Nicka Smith or call 650-906-1145.

For more about Ancestral Project 2012, please visit the AAGSNC website for blog posts, photos, and news coverage.


Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

October Family History Month: Lots of Bay Area Choices in 2011

October 2011 events have been published on the San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar – a collection of local genealogical society classes, workshops and meetings within a 75 mile radius of San Francisco.

With many societies and libraries planning events for October Family History Month, the calendar lists sixty-four events at various venues around the Bay Area, sponsored by twenty-four different societies and genealogy libraries.

Both sessions of the Fall Beginning Genealogy Series continue. This is the fourth year that CGS has partnered with the Oakland Regional Family History Center to offer the classes for Family History Month.

CGS members Nicka Smith and Vernester Sheeler are organizers of the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California's Black Family History Day on Saturday, October 8, 2011, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the Oakland Regional Family History Center.

The California Genealogical Society will be an exhibitor at the 13th Annual Family History Day at the State Archives in Sacramento on Saturday, October 15, 2011. CGS President Stephen Harris will be heading up our delegation. We gratefully acknowledge Denise Richmond of RootCellar–Sacramento Genealogical Society for her assistance with our arrangements. Denise and Sandy Benward are the authors of the Family History Day at the California State Archives blog where you can find full information about the event schedule, speakers and exhibitors.

Be sure to check the calendar and decide which October Family History Month events you will attend!


Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

East Bay Teens on a Familiar Journey

Today's San Francisco Chronicle carries a story on page A-1 under a heading I've never before seen on the front page: Genealogy. The article, "Emotional Peeks at Family History" has a different headline in its online version: Genealogy Search Expands East Bay Teens' Worlds.

Chronicle staff writer Jill Tucker reports on Family Journey – an ancestry program that has East Bay high school and community college students meeting weekly to learn about their roots. The program launched in February during Black History Month and will conclude with a special presentation on June 4, 2011.

The Family Journey Ancestry project is a collaborative effort by the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC), the Oakland Regional Family History Center (ORFHC) and staff from the office of Alameda County's District 5 Supervisor Keith Carson. The supervisor's April 27, 2011 newsletter carries this quote from Carson:

A few years ago I had the chance to look into my family history and it gave me a deeper appreciation for what my parents and grandparents went through in their journey out of the South. I wanted youth in Alameda County to have that same chance to connect with a deeper sense of who we are.

I was curious about Supervisor Carson's "look" at genealogy so I called his office and learned that he took part in the 2007 Black History Month program at the ORFHC with then-mayor Ron Dellums.

You can read more about Family Journey Ancestry at the AAGSNC blog. Nicka Smith has written an insightful piece on the program's challenges and rewards AAGSNC Teams Up With County Supervisor for Program. Her use of Michael Jackson's ancestry as an example for the kids is brilliant. 

Kudos to Supervisor Carson and to Nicka Smith and our colleagues at AAGSNC and the ORFHC for introducing a new generation to their ancestors.


Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library