Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander Bennett

The Front Porch Genealogist

In this episode, genealogist and legacy coach Terri Ward, known as The Front Porch Genealogist, provides a heart-centered conversation about the many ways people show up to do the work of family history. Drawing from her work in Coastal Georgia, and her unique framework of four genealogy archetypes: Porch Sitters, Torch Tenders, Root Tenders, and Lineage Liberators, Terri explores how identity, curiosity, and courage shape the path we take through legacy and discovery. Whether you’re quietly listening to family stories or reclaiming erased narratives, Terri invites you to reflect on y...

 The Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) is an educational institute dedicated to advancing African American genealogical research through structured, in-depth training. Since its founding nearly 13 years ago, MAAGI has provided a unique and immersive learning experience, bringing together researchers, historians, and genealogists at all levels. MAAGI’s mission is to equip family historians & genealogists with the knowledge, tools, and methodologies needed to effectively trace African American family history. Through specialized tracks, expert-led courses, and hands-on workshops, MAAGI addresses the complexities of African American genealogy, including research challenges related to slavery, migration, and historical records. The institute fos...

 The McGowan Funeral Home Collection: Rescuing & Reviving Community Memories

The McGowan Funeral Home Collection Project is an effort to safeguard historical records, stories, and legacies that might otherwise have been lost, and to breathe new life into these memories for current and future generations. The collection holds significance in showcasing Dallas's cultural, familial, and historical identity, emphasizing the importance of remembering and honoring the past. What began as an effort by the African American Genealogical Interest Group members to document the history of McGowan clients has revealed invaluable insights into the lives of Dallas’s Black com...

In My Ancestors’ Footsteps: DNA, Documents, and Descendants
From Adgateville to Africa

Join Patricia Glover-Howard on a personal journey to trace her ancestors from Adgateville, Jasper County, Georgia, to Africa. At the age of 13, the movie Roots ignited her passion for uncovering her family’s history. Years later, a DNA test revealed long-lost ancestral ties, leading her to connect with cousins across generations and continents. Through DNA, documents, and descendants, Patricia’s discoveries have deepened her connection to her roots and inspired her to teach others how to uncover their own family histories. Along t...

Own Your Narrative: Tell Your Story or Someone Else Will Tell It For You 

If you don’t share your story, someone else will—through assumptions, incomplete facts, or their own biases. Owning your narrative means preserving your truth, your experiences, and your legacy, exactly as you want it to be remembered. It’s about reclaiming your voice and making sure your story is told authentically, before it’s rewritten or forgotten.

Anita Henderson is a nationally recognized speaker, author coach, and book publishing strategist. She has helped a wide range of thought l...

A Free Man of Color of Charleston: Abraham Ashe

What do the Haitian Revolution, the War of 1812, and Denmark Vesey’s planned revolt have in common? Abraham Ashe—an enslaved man turned free person of color in Charleston whose life touched every corner of Black Atlantic history.In this episode, researcher and storyteller Joel Johnson uncovers the extraordinary story of his 5th great-grandfather, Abraham Ashe. Visiting Charleston and months spent digging through archives of all types, Joel reconstructs Ashe’s journey using powerful primary sources—slave bills of sale, historic newspaper ads, Freedman’s Bank recor...

"The Life and Legacy of Dr. Matilda Evans, South Carolina's first African American woman licensed to practice medicine"


 The show will discuss the research and remarkable life of Dr. Matilda Evans, the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in South Carolina.

Dr. Walter B. Curry Jr. obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. In 2018, he established Renaissance Publications LLC, a self-publishing venture dedicated to producing works that highlight African American history through the lens of ancestry.

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The Legacy of Malery Quitman Wells: Perserverance, Character and Hope

The life story of a Black Homesteader in Mississippi

The descendants of Malery Quitman Wells are proud of his legacy and contributions to American history. His perseverance, courage, and astuteness are an illustration of how human resiliency lives on and is our rich heritage. Although Quitman was born a slave, he survived Mississippi during the difficulties of the Civil War and despite the odds went on to become a landowner and successful businessman defending his rights and paving...

Moses Williams (1776-1830), his Family & Gradual Emancipation

Moses Williams (1776-1830) was the first Black museum professional. Both he and his family went through various states of unfreedom, structured by the Gradual Emancipation Act of 1780.  My recent article reconstructs three generations of his family's genealogy and takes a closer look at how the indentures authorized by the 1780 Act affected the family.   

Dr. Ellen Fernandez-Sacco is a genealogist and independent scholar who writes on the transition from enslavement to emancipation during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Puerto Rico and the US. Wi...

Written in the Waters: A Conversation with National Geographic Explorer in Residence Tara Roberts Join Tara Roberts, National Geographic Explorer in Residence, for an unforgettable evening as she discusses her powerful memoir, Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging.

A National Geographic Explorer in Residence, Tara Roberts spent the last few years following, diving with, and telling stories about a group of Black scuba divers as they search for slave shipwrecks around the world. Her journey was turned into a six-part, National Geographic–produced narrative podcast called "Into the Depths," as well as...

Confessions of a Black Academic: A Memoir

This compelling memoir chronicles a higher education career that spans more than four decades. Dr. Schexnider’s college years ran parallel to the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War—both of which shaped his life and career in profound ways. He also explores the evolution of public policy, from affirmative action and equal employment opportunity (AA/EEO) to today’s efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Additionally, the book examines the ongoing challenges of recruiting and retaining Black faculty and staff, concluding with a thought-provoking look at the...

Karen Branan will share the many twists and turns her work for racial justice has taken since the book’s release in 2016. This includes meeting and building relationships with Black and White cousins she’d never known of, joining the movement for Lynching Remembrance and Reparations, and working with others to do the kind of research she did for her book. Karen Branan is a long-time investigative reporter and documentary filmmaker whose book The Family Tree: A Lynching in Georgia, A Legacy of Secrets, and My Search for the Truth, caused James Cone, renowned author of The Cross and the Lync...

It is essential when attempting to trace enslaved ancestors that one become familiar with the laws of each pertinent state or territory regarding the institution of slavery.  Without such a survey of the laws, valuable information can often be overlooked.  Knowledge of laws and their associated records can alert the researcher to more obscure sources of information.

Victoria Robinson is an experienced genealogist who, while growing up in Utah, started tracing her family history. After graduating Georgetown University, she continued to be curious of mind and passionate about genealogy. Combining these traits, she also works to help others di...

The Gulfside Assembly Story Documentary: A Beacon of Hope and Unity

 The Gulfside Assembly Story is a powerful and evocative documentary that chronicles the rich history and enduring legacy of Gulfside Assembly, a historic retreat founded in 1923 by Bishop Robert Elijah Jones in Waveland, Mississippi. Against the backdrop of segregation and racial injustice, Gulfside Assembly became a sanctuary for African Americans, offering spiritual renewal, educational opportunities, and a safe place for community and recreation. The documentary traces the origins of Gulfside Assembly, born from Bishop Jones's visionary leadership and commitment t...

This podcast is about an extraordinary story of persistence, loss, and discovery. It's a story about a buried family secret, the search for truth, and the emotional journey of reclaiming one woman's place in history.

Hiram Johnson, is a researcher who has spent years piecing together his family's story, one that took him from oral history, dusty archives, DNA test, all the way to a prison where his grandmother's life changed forever.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support.

Being an African American woman researching and working on plantations, Ja'el often gets the question: why work at a place with such an horrific history?  There are no slave costumes or reenactments for her; this is real life. Whether she is being interrogated to see if she is teaching the watered down version or being met with the unspoken hope that she actually will water it down; every single encounter is unique. Nothing will ever stop Ja'el from researching and providing the life stories of the enslaved with dignity and facts. As a historian, she revisits this type of trauma by c...

In 1879, Islay Walden, born enslaved and visually impaired, returned to North Carolina after a twelve-year odyssey in search of an education.  It was a journey that would take him from emancipation in Randolph County, North Carolina to Washington, D. C., where he earned a teaching degree from Howard University, then to the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, in New Jersey. Along the way, he published two volumes of poetry and founded two schools for African American children. Once ordained, he returned Randolph County, where he founded a Congregational church (Strieby Church) and common school. Despite an early death at age forty, he...

Did your ancestors own land under the Homestead Act of 1862? Join the Descendants of African American Homesteaders to hear about their research and land-owning ancestor's stories. Margo Lee Williams is the great-granddaughter of Florida Homesteader, Randel Farnell and his wife, Sallie Jacobs Farnell. Williams is an award-winning author and genealogist/family historian, having published three books. She is currently the Deputy Registrar for the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage (SDUSMP), and a former editor of the Journal of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. She is currently the Project Historian for the Historical Black Families of...

Join hosts Janice and Cherekana of Speak on It!  to celebrate 10 years of broadcasting on Research at the National Archives and Beyond with Bernice Alexander Bennett.   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 G...

Bound to History: Leoncia Lasalle's Slave Narrative from Moca, Puerto Rico, 1945 Dr. Fernandez-Sacco's recent article is about interviews, enslavement, testimony, and the communities involved in a 1945 interview by the historian Luis Diaz Soler with Leoncia Lassalle then 112 years old, and her 85-year old daughter, Juana Rodriguez Lasalle's experiences under bondage. Fernandez-Sacco offers a context for the account, traces their family history, considers the multiple contexts for this narrative, the limits on archives, and how historical knowledge is made as we do genealogy that engages slavery & life post-emancipation. The need for a collaborative genealogical practice has never been so necessary.  Dr. El...

You researched your family back to the county where they were living right after enslavement;  located white people in the community with the same surnames and found wills associated with their family. In addition, you may also (or instead) utilize DNA information to lead you to a specific family that held enslaved people. You have done the work of finding records of people and sometimes families linked to a place or maybe two places in time but there is no centralized or searchable place for us to leave those records for others. This discussion will focus on:     • Records that are kept at t...

Myrt has stress-free ideas for sharing family history discoveries one story at a time, using a single photo, document, heirloom or historical tidbit. It starts with a 15-minute brainstorming session. DearMYRTLE is the nom de plume of genealogy blogger Pat Richley-Erickson also known for hosting genealogy webinars and Zoom “how-to” sessions, with over 1,300 videos on her YouTube channel. She began online genealogy work in 1985 with Q-Link, progressed to PC-Link then America Online’s Genealogy Forum She serves as President of the Association of Professional Genealogists Second Life Chapter. You’ll find Myrt online at Blog.DearMYRTLE.com where she has lately b...

Join Gaynell Brady, owner and educator at Our Mammy’s for a discussion about the legacy and fallacies of mammy.  Genealogy remembers all of our ancestors, not just the most famous or free people.  In 2013, Our Mammy's was created to honor the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives to take care of others. The company was named Our Mammy’s to reclaim the name Mammy, and to emphasize to others that a Mammy was much more than just a name. Mammy cared for generations of plantation owners, laborers, and enslaved Africans and African Americans.  Mammy's strength, courage, wisdom, and tenacity...

Difficult truths about slavery, racial injustice, and other harm, bring up a variety of emotions and challenges for genealogy researchers and families. Adrienne Fikes wants us to reframe the narrative about the descendants of enslaved persons and enslavers gathering together to heal. This shift in perspective allows us to stand firm in our deepest truth; have consistent access to unspeakable joy; and develop the deep roots and bubble wrap we need to stay in this principled struggle to understand each other, while addressing the structural issues continuing these wrongs. How many of your 16 great-great-grandparents can you call by name? After a random t...

From Sago and Fatima, Randall and Esther, to Moosa and Katy, learn the ancestral story of the Trask 250 from the vantage point of the oldest traceable ancestors who unite them, those who were born in the late 18th century, mostly in Africa, with descendants who number more than 5,000.  Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, host, consultant, and documentarian with more than 20 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, and reverse genealogy, and is expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, and researching enslaved communities. Nicka has diverse and varied experience i...

Tina Jones research journey began in 2000 when she began working with the local senior citizens - many of whom were residents of two historically African American neighborhoods in Franklin, Tennessee.  Franklin was the site of a significant Civil War battle and is the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee. Several historic homes operate as museums and significant local attention is paid to the community’s Civil War history. The genealogy program with 50 senior citizens soon had constructed dozens of family trees - many intersecting. She started compiling any information she could find about the experiences of enslaved people in Williamson Count...

Funeral Programs serve as a wonderful legacy and memento to remember a cherished love one. These programs are given at funerals and are written with great care to honor the dearly departed. This show will discuss the genealogical value of Funeral Programs and how genealogist/family historians can partner with funeral homes, churches and others to gather, organize and compile these programs to tell the community story. Dr. Antoinette Harrell, is a renowned genealogist, author and local historian specializing in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes of  Louisiana. Her books include several children's genealogy activity books and the first ever publication "Images of...

Jordan Bankston Noble, commonly known as the Drummer Boy of New Orleans was easily one of the Reconstruction era's most prominent Black men, known internationally for his military and musical career. From childhood, Jordan was enslaved and ordered to enlist in the Battle of New Orleans, Seminole, Mexican American, and Civil Wars. He was sold at least 6 times, raised a family, and spent at least 60 years of his life as a Free Man of Color. Despite all of this, his story is still not well known by the public and what has been written about him has largely been falsified. I...

A narrative is an oral or written account of events or experiences. While there is no mainstream research design in family history, narrative inquiry is a research method that uses oral accounts, photos, obituaries, newspaper articles, and other forms of artifacts and contextualization, as units of analysis to research and interpretation to understand the way relatives create meaning in their lives as narratives. The show will share with listeners how to incorporate narrative inquiry to research family history. Dr. Curry will provide examples of narrative inquiry from his award winning book, The Thompson Family: Untold Stories From the Past (1830-1960...

Kathy Lynne Marshall’s most endearing tale of heroism was about her three times great-grandmother, Margaret Booker, and the grisly reason she left Beverly, West Virginia, with her young children in tow, for freedom in Barnesville, Ohio.  Imagine Marshall’s surprise when an 1855 newspaper article connected Margaret’s possible father, Edward “Ned” Backus, to the Fusion (aka Republican) Convention in Ravenna, Ohio. After many unsuccessful attempts to free his wife and children, Ned’s lawyer suggested he seek legal and financial assistance at the convention. What was it like for a newly freed man traveling 150 miles from the slave state of Virginia t...

The Daughter Dialogues podcast shares real-life stories from women of color who honor their ancestors' fight to achieve independence for  America and are members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).  The host, Reisha Raney, a leader in the DAR and a direct descendant of President Thomas Jefferson's grandfather, is conducting research as a Harvard University non-resident fellow, under the direction of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. She is exploring the lives of DAR members of color and their ancestry which includes men and women of American Indian, black or African descent, and white or European descent who contributed to the...

A Ruse, A Railroad, A River - Mapping Miles from the Antebellum South to Freedom Fearlessness and the clever escape from enslavement taken by Miles Eason, 3x Great Grandfather who used the Civil War as ruse for escape, inevitably breaking the color barriers of the Coal Mining boom of Philadelphia. Tanisha is content creator and microblogger behind Ancestral Bequest, a bespoke and inclusive community that is dedicated to genealogical exchange and education. Penned by her peers as The Rebel Genealogist™️, she is driven to tell compelling stories of the lives of her ancestors beyond the databases they’re often confined to. We ha...

While researching his grandfather, James Morgan learned a lot about unique records of the AME church that enabled him to learn more about his and others' family histories!   He will share his findings with us! James R. Morgan III is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications and Africana Studies in 2011. He is currently employed with the United States Department of State and serves as a Curatorial Consultant with the African American Civil War Museum in Washington, DC. James is an active Prince Hall Freemason and as such he...

Listeners will be able to learn the beliefs and ideals from Dr. Joy G. Kinard a historian who has worked in African American History and Historic Preservation for over 20 years and whose family has been involved for over 70 years. This show will share with listeners a different perspective on preserving African American History in their neighborhoods with municipal development on the rise all over the nation, African American historic sites are left vulnerable and are being demolished that need to be saved. Kinard will discuss examples of wins and losses in this battle using community activism, advocacy, and new trends...

As a Family Historian and DNA Data Manager, Jerome has had the opportunity to use his family’s oral history, coupled with an extensive collection of  DNA results, a well-maintained family tree and modern research resources/tools to  bridge the gap between African-American persons on this side of the Atlantic Ocean with their distant cousins (in Africa). All available resources have to be brought to bear (including using: Sibling Summation techniques, various DNA testing company’s data holdings, GEDmatch and DNA Painter to successfully find distant DNA matches in Nigeria and Senegal using these methods.  Finding your family’s Kunta Kinte is rew...

Learn about the Center for Healing Racial Trauma with  Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons. Intervention: The Center for Healing Racial Trauma is dedicated to using love, liberation, equity, and creativity informed therapeutic interventions to help racially/ethnically marginalized people heal from racism. Prevention: The Center for Healing Racial Trauma additionally provides continuing education and training for mental health, education, business, religious, and medical professionals, and we engage in and support activist work, to create an anti-racist world.   Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons is an award-winning assistant professor of counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky, where she studies sex, social justice, and lea...

Angela Walton-Raji is known nationally for her research and work on Oklahoma Native American records.  Her book Black Indian Genealogy Research, African Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes, is the only book of its kind focusing on the unique record sets pertaining to the Oklahoma Freedmen.  Angela has published two volumes called Freedmen of the Frontier from a blogging project that unfolded in 2017. The goal was to document 52 families from Indian Territory in 52 weeks.By the end of that year, 52 family histories had been placed on the African-Native American Genealogy blog. The families covered in the books are Indian tribal Fre...