Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander Bennett
Welcome to Ancestor's Footprints—the podcast where the past comes alive! Whether you're a curious beginner, an avid genealogist, or someone who believes that uncovering family history is a lifelong journey, this show is for you. With each episode, we'll bring you incredible stories, expert insights, and practical tips to help you trace your roots and connect with your heritage. I’ve lined up passionate experts who will not only share their knowledge and resources but also answer your most pressing genealogy questions. Together, we’ll uncover the hidden gems in your family’s history and inspire you to take the next...
Creek Freedmen, Historic Developments out of Oklahoma with Angela Walton-Raji
Today's episode will focus on the Creek Freedmen, News from Oklahoma with Angela Walton-Raji.
Creek Freedmen are descendants of African-Americans who were enslaved by the Muscogee Creek Nation and granted freedom and citizenship under an 1866 treaty with the U.S. government. A 1979 Muscogee Nation constitution limited citizenship to those "by blood," leading to decades of disenfranchisement for Freedmen. However, in July 2025, the Muscogee Nation Supreme Court struck the "by blood" requirement, ordering the nation to enroll Freedmen and restoring their legal citizenship, which was a landmark victory for the community.
Angela Walton-Raji a native of Fort S...
Black Ancestries- A New Model for African Descended Genealogy with Andre Kearns
In this episode of Ancestors Footprints, host Bernice Bennett welcomes marketing executive turned genealogist Andre Kearns, Founder and CEO of Black Ancestries(https://blackancestries.com/), a company that provides professional genealogy research to help people of African connect with their past. Andre shares how a career pivot became a calling: to uncover, celebrate, and preserve, the lost lineages of people of African descent. Through his innovative approach, blending research expertise, historical context, and emotional storytelling, Andre is building a new model for Black genealogy. He reflects on his own family discoveries, the emotional journeys of his clients, and how tracing l...
Striking the Balance: Challenges interpreting free Black Communities with Guy Weston
Striking the Balance: Challenges interpreting free Black communities with Guy Weston.
In this episode, we will discuss the importance of acknowledging Black achievement in a discipline that is frequently dominated by loss and suffering.
Guy’s current work encompasses research and public history initiatives to raise the profile of Timbuctoo, NJ, where his fourth great grandfather purchased land in 1829. These have included interpretive signage in Timbuctoo, coordination of a curriculum development project in collaboration with local teachers, and preservation efforts for the Timbuctoo cemetery, where the oldest gravestone is dated 1847. He currently serves as Mana...
At the Feet of the Elders: A Journey into a Lowcountry Family History with Darius Brown
At the Feet of the Elders” by Darius Brown is a journey into the heart of African American ancestry in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Set against the backdrop of the Civil War and the collapse of slavery in Beaufort County, this book traces the author’s own lineage from Africa through enslavement to freedom. Using archival records, oral history, and genetic genealogy, Brown reconstructs the lives of his ancestors with care and reverence, offering a moving tribute to resilience and a blueprint for uncovering lost family stories.
Darius M. Brown is an award-winning author, genetic genealogist, and histo...
Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance with A'Lelia Bundles
Today's episode features A'Lelia Bundles, the author of Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance. A'Lelia Bundles discusses her book "Joy Goddess," which chronicles the life of her great-great-grandmother Madam CJ Walker and great-grandmother A'Lelia Walker, correcting historical misconceptions by portraying A'Lelia as a significant supporter of the arts during the Harlem Renaissance rather than merely a socialite spending her mother's money. A'Lelia shares her decades-long research journey that began with family stories and evolved to include extensive archival research, emphasizing the importance of using primary sources and historical context in understanding the vibrant Black middle-class social...
Back to the Frontier with Stacey and Joaquin Loper
Today’s episode will focus on a new show called Back to the Frontier on HBO Max where three American families are taken out of their 21st-century comfort zones and sent back to the frontier, where they must learn to live like their predecessors with no modern amenities. The families face challenges but also gain valuable lessons about the importance of hard work, gratitude, and family togetherness.
Joining me today are Stacey and Joaquin Loper - the only African American family that chose to participate in this potential life changing adventure for eight weeks. I had an opportunity to...
Enslaved.org with Dr. Walter Hawthorne
Today's episode will focus on Enslaved.org, an innovative online digital history project that through datasets that contributors have created by extracting information from historical sources, it documents the lives of hundreds of thousands of named enslaved individuals in mainland North America and the larger Atlantic world.The project's database and partnerships, including with FamilySearch, enable scholars and genealogists to study and trace the histories of enslaved individuals, while also highlighting the importance of making historical data accessible to diverse audiences.
At Michigan State University, Walter Hawthorne is a professor of African, Atlantic, and Digital History; director of Ens...
Edisto Gullah Geechee People of Orangeburg, SC with Roderick Gass
Edisto Gullah Geechee People of Orangeburg, South Carolina
In this episode, Roderick Gass, Vice President of the Gullah Nation of North America, will discuss the Edisto Gullah Geechee people of Orangeburg, South Carolina, and their cultural heritage. He also explores the work of Lorenzo Dow Turner, the Father of Gullah studies, and delve into various aspects of Gullah Geechee culture, including language, traditions, and genealogy. The conversation also covers the impact of DNA testing in connecting with relatives and preserving family history, as well as the importance of organizations like the Gullah Nation of North America an...
Preserving History with Our Stories with Marion Woodfork Simmons
Preserving History with Our Stories with Marion Woodford Simmons
This episode will demonstrate how ordinary people can preserve community history by documenting and preserving their memories, memorabilia and ephemera. Through her work, Marion Woodfork Simmons continues to bridge the gap between past and present, ensuring that every story—no matter how small—is preserved and celebrated.
Marion Woodfork Simmons is an award-winning community historian, family historian, and the founder of Woodfork Genealogy LLC, a firm dedicated to helping individuals and communities preserve their histories. With a passion for collaborating with others to prese...
Genealogy in Reverse: Finding the Living with Cheri Hudson Passey
Genealogy in Reverse: Finding the Living - A Practical Guide for all Genealogists
Genealogy often feels like a treasure hunt, and genealogists, like treasure hunters, run into “dead ends” all the time. One important method for getting back on track is to look for living relatives who can fill in the gaps in our family stories. With step-by-step guidance, methodologies, and practical examples, Genealogy in Reverse. Finding the Living will give you the tools and confidence to find and make meaningful connections with living family members. This process, known as reverse genealogy, involves creating a detailed famil...
Preserving History Through Historical Markers with Dr. Antoinette Harrell
Dr. Antoinette Harrell, a genealogist, family historian, and local historian in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes, is renowned for her pioneering work in uncovering the peonage system that persisted in the Southern United States long after the abolition of slavery. She has been instrumental in helping countless families trace their ancestry and has brought national attention to hidden histories through her research and documentaries. Her dedication to preserving African American heritage has earned her numerous accolades and recognition from historical societies and academic institutions. She is the author of Images of America: African Americans in Tangipahoa and St. Helena...
The Power of Collaborative Genealogy with Emmaline MacBeath
The Power of Collaboration
Collaborative Genealogy is a powerful, yet underused tool when it comes to building a family tree. With it, people can grow their trees farther than possible when working alone.
Emmaline MacBeath is a genetic genealogist and a children’s author under the pen name Emmaline Rose. She specializes in African-American genealogy and the use of DNA to identify unknown family. Connecting people to their family stories and to each other is what lights up her days. She leads both the Adoption Angels and US Black Heritage Projects at the family tre...
Overlooked: Early Black History in Minnesota with Mica Anders
Overlooked: Early Black History in Minnesota
Long before the Great Migration, African Americans were already building lives and communities across Minnesota and the upper Midwest. Join professional genealogist Mica L. Anders as she uncovers the forgotten stories of Black pioneers, homesteaders, and entrepreneurs who helped shape the state from the 1850s through the 1890s. From Civil War veterans claiming land under the Homestead Act to skilled tradesmen establishing businesses, these resilient families carved out their place in Minnesota's history, but their stories were largely overlooked until recently.
Mica L. Anders is a professional genealogist specializing in...
Learning Larkin, My Civil War Ancestor with Cherekana Feliciano
Learning Larkin, My Civil War Ancestor
In this episode, Cherekana Feliciano will share her journey to search for her Civil War ancestor, Larkin Woodruff's pension file. She will describe what she learned from those files and the amazing surprise discovery made along the pension file journey.
Cherekana Feliciano is a genealogist, public history enthusiast and law school graduate. She has been conducting family history research for almost fifteen years. She currently serves as the President of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) – NJ Chapter. She is one half of a genealogy podcast...
The Trouble of Color: An American Family Memoir with Martha S. Jones
The Trouble of Color: An American Family Memoir
Martha S. Jones grew up feeling her Black identity was obvious to all who saw her. But weeks into college, a Black Studies classmate challenged Jones’s right to speak. Suspicious of the color of her skin and the texture of her hair, he confronted her with a question that inspired a lifetime of introspection: “Who do you think you are?” Now a prizewinning scholar of Black history, Jones delves into her family’s past for answers to that very question in The Trouble of Color: An American Family M...
Freedmen's Bureau Friday with Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy
Join us for Freedmen’s Bureau Friday, a weekly virtual gathering where we uncover the rich and revealing stories found in the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Land also known as the Freedmen Bureau —a groundbreaking collection of more than 3.4 million documents created between 1865 and 1872.
These records provide an invaluable window into the lives of newly emancipated African Americans, as well as the broader post-Civil War Southern communities.Each week, we take a deep dive into a different Southern state, exploring the unique challenges, services, and voices captured in the records—from labor contracts and educatio...
Searching for My American cousins with Martine Brennan
Searching for my American cousins with Martine Brennan
Over a decade ago, Irish woman Martine Brennan took a DNA test which surprisingly revealed that she had unknown African American cousins. With no family oral history to guide her she began the search to find her connection to her cousins.
Martine Brennan is an London-born Irish woman, public historian & genealogist. Creator of the database of Irish slaveholders in South Carolina (research ongoing) which is available free of charge on Google maps and at the digital archive of the International African American Museum Charleston. Contributor o...
The Front Porch Genealogist with Terri Ward
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...
Midwest African American Genealogy Institute with Dr. Shelley Murphy, Lisa Fanning and Angela Walton-Raji
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 with Alvin Blakes
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 From Adgateville to Africa with Patricia Glover-Howard
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 with Anita Henderson
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 from Charleston: Abraham Ashe with Joel Johnson
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 with Dr. Walter B. Curry Jr.
"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.
Become a supporter of...
The Legacy of Malery Quitman Wells: Perserverance, Character and Hope with Nicole L. Wells
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 with Dr. Ellen Fernandez-Sacco
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 Memoir with Tara Roberts
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 with Dr. Alvin J. Schexnider
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...
Economy Hall: The Hidden History of a Free Black Brotherhood with Fatima Shaik
After the Release of The Family Tree: A Lynching in Georgia with Karen Branan
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...
Before Jim Crow: America's Slave Codes & Black Laws with Victoria Robinson
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 GulfsideAssemblyStory with Leonard Smith lll
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...
Reason to Fight with Hiram Johnson
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.
Incidents of A Slavery and Plantation Interpreter with Ja'el Gordon
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...
BORN MISSIONARY: THE ISLAY WALDEN STORY with Margo Lee Williams
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...
Black Homesteaders - Margo Lee Williams, Orice Jenkins, Dr. Shelley Murphy
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...
Celebrating Ten Years of Broadcasting with Bernice Alexander Bennett
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 with Ellen Fernandez-Sacco
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...
Databases For Family History Research of Enslaved People with Sasha Mitchell
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...
Short Subject Journaling with DearMYRTLE (Pat Richley-Erickson)
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...
