Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander Bennett

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 Missis...

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

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,...

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/E...

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support . You can find Ancestor’s Footprints on Spreaker.com, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and many other platforms. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

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...

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 experie...

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 f...

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 hi...

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 publis...

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 e...

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...

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 t...

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 conte...

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...

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...

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 th...

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;...

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...

  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...

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...

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...

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 live...

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...

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...