Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander Bennett

Today's episode from Roots and Beyond will explore that the deeper we dig, the more we begin to uncover stories of migration, identity, resilience, struggle, triumph, and sometimes truths that challenge the way we have understood our families and our history. Chris Haley  is a multifaceted storyteller dedicated to preserving and projecting African American history. As the Director of Research and...

"When the Archive Goes Silent" What happens when the paper trail goes silent—but you know the story isn’t over? And what if the missing piece of your family history isn’t buried in another archive at all? What if it is being carried by someone who is still living—waiting for you to ask the right question? Sometimes, the living are the archive. Regina “Califa” Calloway, Cultural Curator, Profession...

Today's episode will explore what happened when genealogist and family historian Mary K. Clark, Ph. D. set out to answer a simple question, " Who are Fannie's people? ", she uncovered a remarkable story of family, land ownership, and community connections in the Wiregrass region of Alabama. Drawing upon oral history shared by elders, vital records, land patents, National Archives records, courthou...

Today, we are honored to welcome André Kearns, founder and CEO of Black Ancestries, a genealogy firm dedicated to uncovering, celebrating, and preserving the family histories of the African diaspora. André is also Vice President of the National Genealogical Society and Co-Chair of the HEARTS Collaborative Reunion Project. His book, Finding Cornerstone Stories: Uncovering Inspiration in Your Family...

Today’s podcast is entitled “Carolina Roots & Legacies: Discovering the Stories That Connect Us.” We will explore how genealogy can help us uncover not only names and dates, but also the communities, relationships, struggles, triumphs, and enduring legacies that connect us across generations. Desi L. Campbell is the executive director of the Harnett County African American Heritage Center and...

Today’s episode is entitled The Story of Louise: From $500 to Priceless , a work of narrative nonfiction that documents the eleven-year legal fight for the freedom of Louise, an enslaved woman purchased in 1833, and the generations who followed her. Joining me is Leonard Smith III  - a Louisiana-based documentary filmmaker, genealogist, author and cinematic historian. He owns LS3 Studios. Smith is...

In this episode researchers will gain a better understanding of the importance of learning and understanding migration patterns as well as its affect on history and our families’ tapestry. U. S. History and Migrations play a pivotal role in family history and deciphering DNA connections. Rev. Danté Eubanks is the pastor of New Covenant Christian Worship Center in Leonardtown, Maryland, and a Unite...

This episode will draw on an extraordinary range of sources, including state and federal appellate court records, forgotten county courthouse documents, family interviews, church records, and personal papers to reveal how African Americans understood, discussed, and used the law long before the better-known Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In a society that denied many constitutional...

 The Power of Family History: Discovering Identity Through Ancestry In this episode, we will delve into the profound impact of uncovering one’s family history. We will explore how this revelation not only reshapes our self-perception but also deepens our comprehension of America’s narrative. Furthermore, we will uncover the hidden stories within our family trees that possess the transformative pow...

Beyond the 1870 Brick Wall with Descendants of St. Louis University Enslaved The Descendants of the St. Louis University Enslaved (DSLUE) is a descendant-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to the pillars of Remembrance, Restoration, and Reparative Justice. DSLUE works to preserve and honor the legacies of more than 70 men, women, and children enslaved by the Jesuits in Missouri between 1...

"The Story Lives On: Tracing Freedom, Faith, and Family Through Generations." Today's episode will feature Carol Turner who is a descendant of the historic Quander, Carter, Ford, Jasper, Lucas, Robinson, and Cherokee families. Her ancestry includes Nancy Carter Quander, who was freed from the estate of George Washington in 1801 and later married Charles Quander, helping establish one of America's...

Ancestor's Footprints is featuring author Terry J. Ligon’s groundbreaking book "Enslaved on the Trail of Tears: Race, Removal, and the Transformation of Indian Territory." His research challenges common oversimplifications about the Trail of Tears by revealing that thousands of enslaved African-descended people were forcibly removed alongside the so-called Five Civilized Tribes, with many being na...

The Choctaw Freedmen of Skullyville - Uncovering an Oklahoma Ghost Town This episode will explore the  story of Skullyville a once-thriving capital of the Choctaw Nation that faded into obscurity. Unlike the freedmen communities in Spiro, Fort Coffee, and Poteau, the town of Skullyville eventually became a ghost town. Historical accounts documented aspects of life there, yet often omitted the stor...

Today's episode features a new book: Behind the Gavel: Lessons from Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson. This book is  co-authored by Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson and the Honorable KaTrina Chantele Griffin.” “This inspiring book introduces young readers to the life lessons, values, and experiences that shaped one of the nation’s groundbreaking legal minds.”  The Honorable KaTrina Chantelle Grif...

This episode will focus on Memories That Heal: How Family Stories and Photos can support Healthy Aging. What if the photographs tucked away in your attic or family albums could actually improve brain health, strengthen relationships, and help people age with greater purpose and connection? Today’s guest is Rick Voight, CEO and Co-Founder of Vivid-Pix and publisher of Reunions Magazine. Rick is a l...

Today's episode features a conversation between host Bernice Alexander-Bennett and Dr. Warren Eugene Milteer Jr., an associate professor of history at George Washington University, about his book "Freedom in the Age of Slavery: A History of Free People of Color in Virginia." Dr. Milteer discussed his motivation for writing the book, which filled a gap in the historical record since the last full-l...

This episode featuring author Andrew Lawler will explore a lesser-known chapter of American history where enslaved people aligned with the British crown during the American Revolution.  At the start of the American Revolution, Black men took up arms to achieve freedom--by fighting for King George III. Hear how the people owned by patriots nearly squelched the Revolution in its cradle.  Andrew Lawl...

When Your Ancestors Choose You- Finding Binky This episode will explore what it means to carry the memory of your ancestors, the challenges of researching enslaved families, the emotional weight of the records, and the moment when genealogy becomes more than research, when it becomes a calling. Michael A. Willis is an award-winning author, speaker, consultant, blogger, and instructor with more tha...

This episode Celia: Justice After Death , explores the life and legacy of Celia , an enslaved, pregnant teenager and mother in pre–Civil War Missouri who resisted sexual exploitation and was executed in 1855 after defending herself against her enslaver. Her case exposes the stark injustice embedded in Missouri’s antebellum legal system—a system that denied enslaved women legal protection from sexu...

In today’s episode, titled  DNA, Genealogy, and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre , we will discuss how DNA and historical research are helping identify victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre — one of the most devastating acts of racial violence in American history. Through genealogy, genetic testing, and community participation, families and researchers are working together to restore names and ident...

"Our Claiborne Parish: A Family History Research Project of Communal Kinship” traces the evolution of a family-led inquiry into a community-centered preservation model. Tracing six generations in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, her work has become a living portal of kinship—where paternal lines like Calloway, Bennett, Bugg(s) and Robinson converge with maternal families including Walston, Taylor, and...

Gather at the Table: The Healing Journey of a Daughter of Slavery and a Son of the Slave Trade is the chronicle of a shared journey toward racial reconciliation. Informed by genealogy, it deals with race, social justice and healing from the traumatic wounds of slavery. Over a three year period, the authors traveled through 27 states, visiting ancestral towns, courthouses, cemeteries, plantations,...

Building Justice Through Ancestry: Archives, DNA and the New Infrastructure for Liberation This episode will focus on how genealogy and ancestry research can serve as tools for justice and liberation, particularly for Black and Brown communities across the diaspora. Christopher Smothers, a historian and genealogist, will share the importance of accessing public records and archives to reclaim name...

Becoming a Good Relative shares remedies for the debilitating shame that can overtake white Americans when we face our peoples’ colonial past and our current complicity with systemic white supremacy. It offers a unique methodology, supported by African American and Indigenous Elders. To counteract cultural appropriation, the book includes stories of reclaiming European ancestral memory. The append...

Kathy Lynn Marshall, author of "Finding Grammie' Secrets," shares her journey to uncover the untold story of her great-grandmother, Ella Roy, known as Grammy Carter. Born in 1866 in Alexandria, Virginia, Grammie was remembered for her elegance and caring nature but remained silent about her past, leaving generations curious about her experiences and wealth. When Kathy's mother received a medical d...