BlackProGen LIVE! Ep 82: “You’s a Lie”: Busting Down Myths About African American Family History

Did you miss Episode 82? Don’t worry, you can check it out now.

Ancestry new and updated genetic communities

Ancestry has just announced 94 new and updated genetic communities for people of African American and Afro Caribbean descent. For more information Click Here 

 

 

 

 

BlackProGen LIVE!: Ep 71 Runaways: Self-Liberated Africans and the Underground Railroad

BlackProGen LIVE!: Ep 69: Biology of a Document: From Analysis to Plan

Henry Ossian Flipper

Did you know? Henry Ossian Flipper (1856-1940) was the first African American in the United States to graduate from the Military Academy at West Point in 1877. Flipper even wrote an autobiography titled Colored Cadet at West Point in 1878. To learn more about Henry Ossian Flipper click here

Taking A Glimpse Into The Past With Indexing

I was so excited when the Freedmen’s Bureau Project was announced. There were 1.5 million Freedmen’s Bureau records just waiting to be indexed. I’ll admit I signed up in June and didn’t index a damn record (excuse my French) until last week. I decided to give it a try and I started with the Freedmen’s Bureau Education Records, 1865-1872. On the first few records I just focused on the information they wanted in order to submit my records (batch). I wasn’t really focused on any other information that the document actually contained. As I was indexing the other day I noticed on the Teacher’s Monthly School Report from 1870 how the much was on this document. The report provided information like the total enrollment of students for the month, how many were black, how many were white, how many students could spell and how many were advanced readers there were even questions about regarding the teachers race and how much they had been paid that month. On one report, teacher Sylvester Dillon stated why the thought there was a decline in student attendance, “the cause for the decline in school is giving that this being a busy time with farmers the children are needed to assist.” I don’t know why but I thought that was really cool when I reading his words, I could imagine him writing that note it’s like I was going back in time. I think it’s important for genealogist to index some records not only to assist in the process to make the records searchable but also to understand what information is available to us from these records. For more info on indexing visit https://familysearch.org/indexing/

Tracking Diniah

From 1909 to 1918 my three times great grandmother Diniah Burke aka Mother Burke lived in at least four different sections in Mobile, Alabama. According to the directory she worked as a laundress as well as a cook, I was able to track her and her son Bryant who often lived with her or in a few houses down via the Mobile County Directories. Next time I go to Mobile I’ll be sure to visit these areas.

Sources: 1909,1913,1915, and 1918 Mobile County City Directories via Ancestry.com

Happy Birthday MLK

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s 86th birthday I wanted to repost a few pictures I took last summer on my research trip.

Cox Family Christmas

This past Thanksgiving I spent it with my mom’s family in Atlanta and Christmas was spent with my dad’s family in Virginia.  My dad’s immediate family is significantly smaller than my mom’s, she is one of ten while my dad is one of four.  I enjoy being around family, on happier occasions than sad ones.  Any who checkout some from Christmas below.

If I keep digging, I’ll keep finding

Jessie L Cox Sr.

I finally decided to subscribe to a newspaper archive site and I found a newspaper clipping from the Anniston Star via Newspapers.com that mentioned my grandfather (Jessie Cox Sr.) death in 1952.